The word ‘click bait’ is often tossed around in a negative context. Most people consider it a cheap marketing tactic and think using clickbait titles isn’t a good strategy. Any strategy that has been misused isn’t a good strategy. If clickbait titles are used effectively, they can draw more audience even if they’re not ranked at the top of a SERP.
These titles are often more noticeable and will catch an audience’s attention immediately. The trick to creating good clickbait headings is to deliver on what you promise. That will make it seem less like bait and more like genuine intent. Here are some of the best ways to achieve this:
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Target Emotions
Emotion plays an important role in a person’s decision-making process. Clickbait titles directly appeal to these emotions, which is why they invite strong responses from users. Journalism and media content websites use this tool regularly to attract attention but it can be used in marketing as well. Words like “free”, “guarantee”, “amazing discount”, “sale”, etc., trigger an emotional response, sense of urgency or feeling of opportunity. That’s why headlines or page names containing words that appeal to emotion are clicked more often than regular ones.
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Location Based
Location-based titles attract more attention from a specific audience. It targets people in a certain geographic region, narrowing down the audience but improving overall conversion rates. This is particularly helpful in paid ads because it helps improve overall return on interest.
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Add Interest to Location Based Lines
Local SEO can be competitive as well so you can improve your location-based headline even further by adding an emotional element to it. For example, you can change “Cleaning Services in Austin, Texas” to “Best Cleaning Services in Austin – 10% off”. A prospective customer will be attracted to the second one immediately.
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Length of the Title
Sometimes clickbait titles can become too long as people try to cram in as many keywords as they can. That does more harm than good because a portion of the headline is then cut off. The most effective clickbait titles are short and attractive, with all of it visible to search engine users. For example, if your title is “Best Pizzas in San Diego, CA – Cheap Pizza Delivered in 20 Minutes”, a portion of it will be cut off on the SERP. However, “Fast, Hot, Delicious – Best San Diego Pizza” is shorter and more attractive.
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Numbers Always Work
There’s something about a precise number that adds a bit of legitimacy to any headline. This draws more audience and clicks, so it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your clickbait title. For example, “Most Popular” doesn’t sound as impressive as, “650,000 sold”, which is why you see so many “10 best” or “5 steps” type of content in search engines.
As you can see, click baits aren’t bad if they’re used effectively. If you want to know more about our SEO and marketing, don’t hesitate to call us or contact us through our online form at Seo Insights.