That’s the Fact, Jack: 5 Tips for Writing Blog Titles That Lead to New Clients

To paraphrase the great military strategist John Winger, a blog post without an engaging, accurate, and focused title is like a foot without a big toe. The headline is your content’s leader. It should act as the rallying cry, the motivator, the irresistible force that compels readers to click and engage with your writing.

You could write the most amazing, life-changing, and mind-blowing post ever to appear on your law firm’s blog, but without an attention-grabbing headline, no one will ever know it – because no one will ever read it.

The simple truth, backed by marketing research, is that a great article needs a great headline if you want to increase traffic, demonstrate your authority, and ultimately get new clients walking in your door. Unfortunately, too many writers put too little thought into their blog titles, haphazardly slapping them on top of their content like a stamp on an envelope, neither understanding nor giving sufficient consideration to their critical importance.

Next time you look proudly at the draft blog post you’ve just crafted, keep the following title tips in mind so you can improve the chances that your content will attract readers, get shared on social media, and grow your business.

Be accurate.

As an attorney, your credibility is one of your most valuable assets. If a title promises one thing, but the content delivers something else, you may have lost a reader (and potential client) for life. Yes, your headline will get lots of clicks if it is sensational, but if your content doesn’t deliver, you will alienate readers and attract the wrong audience. Writing an accurate headline will also greatly help your post’s search engine optimization.

Similarly, be careful with hyperbole. Based on the Latin root hyper, which means “spazzy,” hyperbole is a rhetorical device fraught with peril. It is what can happen when you go from promoting the attributes of your content to the realm of over-promising and under-delivering. You can title your post “The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Read,” but unless you are conveying the key to eternal happiness and total consciousness, you’re going to leave folks sorely disappointed.

• Inaccurate headline: A Breathalyzer Test May Be Your Ticket to a DUI Acquittal!
• Accurate headline: How Your Attorney Can Challenge Your Breathalyzer Test Results

Convey value.

By writing a blog post, you are giving your reader something they want: you are solving a problem, answering a common question, providing them with information, or offering your take on a current event. Your headline should quickly and clearly convey how clicking the link and reading your article will help them.

• Low-value headline: Our Employment Law Attorneys Have 50 Years of Combined Experience
• High-value headline: What Should You Do If a New Hire Makes a Request for Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA?

Use a focus keyword.

You are writing a headline for two different audiences: your ideal client and the search engines. Optimizing your headline by naturally and unobtrusively including a focus keyword will both help readers quickly understand the topic and help search engines understand what your page is about.

• Headline without a focus keyword: A Knowledgeable, Experienced Attorney Can Help You With Your Case
• Headline with a focus keyword: Child Custody Disputes: What You Need to Know Before Speaking to a Lawyer

Keep it short.

Short headlines are simple – and simply more effective – for both pleasing readers and attracting Google’s spiders. Not only do short headlines look better in search results, but they are also easier for readers to digest when scanning a list of headlines.

• Long headline: Recent Changes to the Paycheck Protection Program Modify Forgiveness Terms, Clarify Payroll Calculations, Expand Eligibility, and Impose New Restrictions on Use of Funds
• Short headline: Changes to the Paycheck Protection Program Borrowers Need to Know

Make it interesting.

Headline writing is both a science and an art. Although following the above guidelines can help make your title more successful, writing an interesting, different headline with a hook is important, too. In fact, it could be the one factor that separates your headlines from the competition. Try a headline that is a list, a headline related to a current event, or a headline that asks a question.

• Dull headline: Distribution of Assets in a Pre-Nuptial Agreement
• Interesting headline: How Do I Renegotiate the Pre-Nuptial Agreement I Signed With My Spouse? 

Create Great Content With Help From Our Team

If you need assistance writing stronger headlines, if you’d like help creating powerful and engaging blog posts, or if you’re looking for the big toe that can lead your content efforts and take them to the next level, we are here to help. At Rain BDM, our crackerjack team specializes in online marketing, content creation, and web strategies for attorneys. To learn more about our services, or to ask a question, please call our office today or fill out our quick contact form.

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