Four Things Every Web Site Headline Must Do

As you know, I'm constantly making the point that the text on web sites is not given enough attention. Which is unfortunate, because the headlines on site pages make huge demands on the skills of any writer.

If you're writing a headline or heading for a site page, here are four things you need to keep in mind, four elements that demand your attention, four separate 'audiences' you need to satisfy.

1. Make the reader feel he or she is in the right place

Every time someone clicks on a link and a new page begins to open, the reader is thinking, in one way or another, "Is this page going to give me what I'm looking for?" This is particularly true of first-time visitors. It is also true of any visitor on any page in your site, even a repeat visitor who is accessing a page for the first.

Matching the headline to the reader's expectations is central to holding their attention and giving them a high level of confidence.

If the heading doesn't match the reader's hopes and expectations, their confidence in finding what they want will fall and your conversion rates will decline.

2. Make the reader feel good and want to continue

This is where a page heading takes on the characteristics of a print advertisement headline. The heading not only has to satisfy point number one, but also has to make a 'sale'. That is to say, it has to sell the reader on the benefits of reading the page. Just as an ad headline sells the reader on the benefits of reading the body text.

By way of illustration, if I were selling my search engine copywriting skills, I might write a heading that says:

"Yes, I write copy for search engines."

That might satisfy my point number one, but it doesn't cut the mustard with point number two.

I'd be better off saying something like:
"Ask me to make your Web copy irresistible to search engines."

Doubtless I could improve on that headline with a few rewrites, but as it is, it contains a benefit and a promise. It still covers point number one, but also goes further ? it gives the reader more of an incentive to actually read the page.

3. Appeal to the search engines

To ignore the needs of the search engines on any page is foolishness. You need to work with your page title, meta tags and headline to ensure that you are covering the most relevant and profitable key words and phrases. If you don't, you are losing traffic and losing potential readers and customers.

While some writers find it frustrating to have to accommodate the needs of SEO, doing so will actually help you with point number one. The better you know and understand what people are entering into the search box, the easier it will be for you to write text that is relevant to their expectations and needs.

4. Satisfy the needs of the company or organization

This is the tough one. This is where your not-very-net-savvy manager or client pressures you to make the heading more company centric, about the company or organization, and not about the needs of the reader.

At this point you have to fight the best fight you can. Gather together the best evidence you can find and persuade the manager of the errors of his or her ways. If all else fails, you can always suggest a test...testing your heading against theirs...and then measure the search engine traffic, and the conversion rate of the page.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

---

Google News Updated : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:25:37 GMT In Lack of Health Insurance Coverage Texas Is First - eMaxHealth.com Ontario Now In Lack of Health Insurance Coverage Texas Is First eMaxHealth.com - 3 hours ago Texas is at the top of the heap again - this time we are the most uninsured state, health care-wise, in the country. Oh wait, being without health insurance coverage is not a good thing, is it? Number of uninsured Americans drops Bizjournals.com Update2: Number Of Americans Without Health Insurance Drops eFluxMedia dBTechno - UT The Daily Texan - Bolingbrook Sun - U.S. News & World Report all 336 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:22:00 GMT Evacuations begin in Louisiana - Houston Chronicle Calgary Herald Evacuations begin in Louisiana Houston Chronicle - 1 hour ago By DANE SCHILLER Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle NEW ORLEANS - About 1000 disabled and elderly residents west of the city are being evacuated this afternoon and New Orleans officials are considering whether to order more people out of the projected ... Video: New Orleans Braces For Gustav CBS Gulf Coast prepares as storm Gustav approaches The Associated Press BBC News - ABC News - Bloomberg - The Swamp - Tribune's Washington Bureau all 4,379 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:56:04 GMT Detroit mayor's political future back in court - The Associated Press Washington Post Detroit mayor's political future back in court The Associated Press - 1 hour ago DETROIT (AP) - A lawyer for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asked a judge Friday to freeze next week's hearing that could remove him from office, accusing Gov. Judge to decide Tuesday on mayor's bid to halt ouster DetNews.com Hearing under way on suit against Granholm Detroit Free Press Chicago Tribune - Crain's Detroit Business - MyFox Detroit - New York Times all 1,672 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:06:32 GMT Thai Protest Stops Trains and Planes - New York Times Times Online Thai Protest Stops Trains and Planes New York Times - 54 minutes ago By THOMAS FULLER BANGKOK - Protesters in Thailand ratcheted up their campaign to oust the government on Friday, broadening their occupation to stop trains and block provincial airports, as well as waging an unsuccessful attack on police headquarters ... Thai rioters attack police station Aljazeera.net UPDATE 8-Thai protests hit police HQ, disrupt airports Reuters The Associated Press - guardian.co.uk - United Press International - AFP all 2,319 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:31:31 GMT Mayor Melton Advises Public of West Nile Precautions - WLBT-TV Mayor Melton Advises Public of West Nile Precautions WLBT-TV - 57 minutes ago When planning outdoor activities this Labor Day weekend, Jackson residents are encouraged to reduce their risk of contracting West Nile virus by protecting themselves from mosquito bites and removing sources of standing water near their homes. DELAWARE: West Nile virus appears later than usual Bethany Beach Wave West Nile victim's widow ponders his death Newsday Los Angeles Times - eFluxMedia - WSYR - The Olympian all 545 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:28:14 GMT Microsoft to Buy Greenfield, Adding European Web Shopping Site - Bloomberg Siliconrepublic.com Microsoft to Buy Greenfield, Adding European Web Shopping Site Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Phil Serafino and Dina Bass Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., seeking to catch Google Inc. in the Internet-search market, agreed to buy Greenfield Online Inc. for $486 million to add Web sites that help consumers find product reviews and ... Survey Says ... Microsoft Is a Smart Shopper Motley Fool Microsoft to buy price comparison website Financial Times BetaNews - Red Herring - Web Host Industry Review - Xconomy all 356 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:24:21 GMT Gustav on the Brink of Explosive Development - Washington Post Telegraph.co.uk Gustav on the Brink of Explosive Development Washington Post - 1 hour ago Over the past 48 hours Tropical Storm Gustav proved it was a survivor, as it withstood difficult journeys over Haiti and Jamaica. Now it may turn into a monster. Video: Gustav Set to Batter Cuba, Enter Gulf of Mexico AssociatedPress Gustav threatens Caymans after swamping Jamaica The Associated Press KIII TV3 - AFP - Voice of America - AccuWeather.com all 5,361 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:05:23 GMT RSS to HTML Increase Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting

Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More

Sell Anything To Anyone On The Internet With Hypnotic Writing

I imagine you are the type of person who really... Read More

16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting

You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have... Read More

Long Copy vs. Short Copy? If You?re Still Debating This, You?re Missing The Point!

I've seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently... Read More

Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting

Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or... Read More

Copywriting: Drafting Rules for Professionals

As a professional contractor who wears many hats, you owe... Read More

5 Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales

Chances are that you are making many, if not all,... Read More

How To Become Qualified As A Proofreader

The field of proofreading is not as easy to get... Read More

Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business

Most people with an online presence will have to regularly... Read More

Writing Great Website Sales Copy

Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough... Read More

11 Ways to Get an Editors Attention

I worked as a business magazine editor for about 20... Read More

How To Find Freelance Jobs - Writing About Food

Did you know that jobs writing about food are available?... Read More

Who is Your Customer?

When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first... Read More

Are You Asking the Right Questions in Your Copy?

It's a common approach to writing copy. You begin by... Read More

Is Freelance Hiring Right For You?

Assume you were faced with the task of hiring a... Read More

How to Develop a Killer News Hook

When you are going to write a press release probably... Read More

How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success)

1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend."When... Read More

How To Write Powerful Headlines

I want to tell you how I go about writing... Read More

Discover Your Creativity

You have a choice. Do you want to be constructive... Read More

Top 8 Techniques - Secrets - Create Ad Copy For Your Business To Sky Rocket

Perhaps the most important benefit in the material that follows... Read More

Getting Paid for Your Articles

If you've been writing web articles to help promote your... Read More

Tomorrow?s Clichés Today

I went to Google and entered a couple of different... Read More

The Five Rules Of Influential Web Writing

Building a professional reputation requires a campaign founded on your... Read More

Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More

How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits!

Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve... Read More