6 tips for writing website headlines that convert

We all know attention is fickle these days. In fact, on average only about two out of 10 people will read a headline and continue reading. The other eight will just move onto something else.

You know what this tells us? Most people do not write effective headlines.

And the reality is that there’s a lot of content out there, and if people aren’t engaged within the first couple of seconds, you’ve probably already lost them. 

Why you should care about your headline

It's clear that headlines can be pretty tough to get right (which is why most people get them wrong). But why should you even care about your headlines?

Well, first of all, your headlines can have a pretty big impact on how Google ranks your pages. Choose well, and Google will rank your pages better. Choose badly, and they may never see the light of day.

Second, your headline makes a big first impression on people. This is especially important for the pages of your website in which you are trying to explain who you are and what you do (homepage, about page, service/product pages, etc). Make a bad first impression, and people might not bother to give you a second chance!

6 tips for writing website headlines that convert

So, now that you know why you should care, let’s get into how to actually write headlines that keep people reading. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to be talking about non-blog headlines, so headlines for your homepage, service/product pages, about page, etc.

Say what it is

People can sometimes have a tendency to get a little fancy with a headline and try to fill it with double entendres or quippy one-liners. 

But you want to know a really simple way to write a website headline that works? Just say what it is that you offer. For example, ConvertKit’s homepage headline is simple. It just explains what it is — a creator marketing platform. Of course, as you scroll a little further, you’ll see that the page starts to get into the benefits of the platform, but the headline itself is just an explanation of the product.

Say what it gives you (benefits)

Another way to write a good headline is to focus on the benefits of the product. For example, HelloFresh’s homepage headline doesn’t start with what the service is; it starts with what it does. And if the reader gets stressed out during mealtime and wants a solution for this problem, they’ll keep reading to find out what the solution actually is.

Know your audience

One of the most important things you need to know to write any headline is who your audience is. Get into their heads, understand their desires and challenges, and then you can craft your headline to speak directly to them. This is especially important when you’re writing headlines that highlight benefits because if you don’t truly understand who your audience is, how can you possibly understand what it is they want?

Use social proof

Showing social proof in your headline can be an incredibly powerful way to hook your reader. I mean, let’s get real — we’re more likely to use something that other people have used before us. So by including social proof like an impressive statistic about your business, you’re basically saying, “Hey, look at what I’ve done for others — wanna join the club?”

For example, on Dropbox’s homepage, the very first thing you’ll read is that they have 700 million registered users using their service. While you might not have numbers that are that high, if you want to take this approach with your website headlines, go back and see what numbers you do have that make people go, “I need this in my life!”

Be succinct

I know it can be tempting to want to explain everything right away, but don’t worry, you’ll get to that later in your website copy. A website headline that's short, sweet, and crystal clear will do a lot more for you than a long-winded explanation that tries to jam everything in.

Think of it like a quick elevator pitch—concise and to the point. When visitors land on your site, they want instant clarity on the offer or the benefits. And if your headline does the trick, they’ll keep reading to learn more!

Include your keyword

One of the reasons your headline is so important for your website pages like your homepage, about page, and service/product pages, is that it can help these pages rank for their targeted keyword. Headlines is a really important ranking factor as it tells Google what the page is about. 

For example, if we look back at the ConvertKit’s homepage. Whether they meant to target the keyword or not (although I’m willing to bet they were), they’re currently ranking fairly high for the keyword/search term “creator marketing” because it’s included in the headline. 

So if you want people that are looking directly for your services, whether you’re a photographer, health coach, or something else, including your target keyword in your headline can do wonders.

Final thoughts

There are a lot of ways to write headlines that convert. Which is why I wanted to give you plenty of tips to choose from! And if you’re looking for more help with writing your website copy, then here are some options to choose from.

Check out some of my other blog posts on website copywriting to see if you can get the answers you need there.

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