BR Writer’s Tips: The Art of the Headline

** Out with the old, in with the new. For the most up-to-date information on Bleacher Report’s headline philosophy, check out The Art of the Headline 2.0. **

You can’t judge a book by its cover—but that won’t stop most online readers from judging an article by its headline.

Does substance matter? Sure. But substance doesn’t count for much if no one’s paying attention—and the plain truth is that there’s nothing like a flashy headline to attract a crowd.

So what’s the trick? While there’s no hard-set rule for what makes a “good” headline, three points are worth bearing in mind as you sit down to title your work…

1. Be Professional

Online readers are notoriously quick to write off any work that smacks of amateurism—and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Think of the most memorable headlines you’ve ever read, or even just the typical headlines you see around the web. What sets them apart?

For starters, it’s a good bet that they all have an air of professionalism about them—a sense of authority, and of purpose. Style counts (i.e. proper capitalization, coherent grammar), and so does tone. Don’t be juvenile or melodramatic. Say what you need to say and move on to the meat of the article. Be a craftsman. Be a pro.

A good headline is one that conveys both confidence and credibility on the part of the author. You want to give potential readers the sense that you know what you’re talking about—even if you’re just making it up as you go along.

2. Be Compelling

There’s a lot of competition for eyeballs out there. It’s your job to give readers a reason to pick your article out of the chaos.

What makes a headline compelling? The key is to get your hooks in a potential reader without showing your entire hand. Be revealing without being redundant. To rehash an example I used in an earlier entry…

If your article makes the argument that Charlie Weis should be fired for his recruiting ineptitude…“Irish Eyes Are Weeping” is probably too abstract. “Charlie Weis Should Be Fired for His Recruiting Ineptitude” is probably too intense. “Notre Dame Blues: Why Charlie Weis Should Be Fired” is just about right.

The key, of course, is to make readers want to read your work. Think about why you sat down to write a piece in the first place—then plug that passion into your headline.

3. Be Brief

Remember, it’s a headline, not a lead.

There are two distinct benefits to keeping your headlines short and to-the-point. First, it ingratiates you to online audiences looking for instant gratification. Second, and more practically, many syndication engines (Google News included) cut off all headlines after roughly 150 characters.

Anything longer and you end up with a butchered syndication heading—which generally yields reduced traffic from potential searchers/readers.

And come on: Nobody wants that.