The headline is the most important thing.
A headline that draws people in is essential if you want to get more people to click through to your landing pages.
This guide will show you 11 highly profitable ways to create landing page headlines that get more clicks and signups.
Let’s get started.
Why landing page headlines are so important
While everyone knows that headlines are important for landing pages, you may not be aware of how much weight they can add to your page.
Two important objectives of a landing site are met by headlines:
- Get people to the page.
- People should read the page and engage with it.
Google searches only show the headline and brief description of the page.
The headline and the header image are the most important things a user will see when they see an ad on social media.
We see the same thing everywhere we look online to attract users to landing pages.
It’s the headline.
The headline of your landing page is crucial in driving people to it.
Once they do, the headline is just as important.
80% of people never get past the headline on a page.
Allow that to sink in for a second.
This means that if you have ten people visit your page, only two will read what it has to say.
To beat this average, you must get your reader to engage. That starts with a compelling headline that grabs their attention and gets them to spend time reading the page.
Nothing else on your page will matter if you can’t get the reader engaged with your page.
Headlines are therefore a big deal. A simple headline change can increase the page’s conversion rates by 10%.
Let’s take a look at these 4 important things to consider when writing your landing page headline.
Four Things Your Landing Page Headline Must Do
Here are some guidelines for what your headline should do. In the next section, we’ll be focusing on HOW it achieves these goals.
1. Get your Audience’s attention
There is a lot of information available.
Each Google SERP shows 10 results. You’ll see countless pieces of content competing for your attention in your newsfeed or social media feeds. To grab attention, your headline must stand out from the crowd.
Your content doesn’t have to do this. It might as well not exist.
2. Check Out The Value They Will Receive from The Page
You need to grab attention and make sure the headline is relevant to the content on the page.
While you want to choose the most compelling angle, you also need to make sure that the headline matches the content.
If you’re trying to defraud advertisers, bait and switch only “works”.
Your readers will quickly leave if it becomes obvious that the true value is not in line with the headline. In some cases, this can be even worse than if they never clicked.
3. Encourage them to engage with the page
Although your headline may only be one line, it can make a big difference in conversion rates as it sets the tone of the page.
It is not enough to grab the attention of your readers. The headline should tease the contents and encourage readers to continue reading the next line.
The next.
The next.
The headline should give readers a compelling reason to read the entire page.
4. Optional: Help the Page rank higher in SERPs
It is not important if your goal is to rank your site in search. However, if this is the case and you are looking to rank for a particular key phrase, your headline could play an important role in your success in ranking.
I recommend that you include your target keyphrase as a headline, and ideally in its exact match form.
For example, if you want to rank for the phrase “best PPC Agency”, your headline might read “10 Reasons Kobe Digital is The Best PPC Agency”
This is where the tricky part lies: how to include it while still achieving the other three objectives. Sometimes the keyphrase may not be compatible with the angle you want to use in your headline. It can be difficult to find a way to combine both.
Let’s now look at HOW we do it.
11 Tips to Write Profitable Landing Page Headlines
You might have noticed the headline. There are many ways to achieve the goals we discussed.
There are 11 different ways to do it. You can use all of them in some cases and just pick your favorite. In other cases, you will only need one to make your page work.
1. Make a sharp headline
The headline should not be too long. Your audience has a limited amount of time. You don’t have the time to create evocative imagery or metaphorical masterpieces. It’s time to get to the point, and quickly.
Online, people have short attention spans. You have 15 minutes to express what you want to say. Max. Max. Make sure your message is clear so visitors understand what you have to offer them.
Shopify’s headline explains what they can do for you.
Three words and a clear message. It’s easy, straightforward, and it works. Shopify Academy is a great tool for business owners to grow their businesses. They want to know how Shopify Academy can help them grow their business.
This landing page is for the HubSpot eBook Download.
Because you want to work only with stars
HubSpot could have stated, “How to Attract, Retain and Develop High-Performing Marketing Employees” Although it has the same meaning, it is much more difficult to understand. The reader may lose interest or bounce off the page.
This headline makes it clear that the eBook’s content will be focused on training and hiring high-performing marketers. There is no fluff or complicated language. A simple headline is all that’s needed to get people to act.
2. Make A Promise To Your Reader
A promise to your audience is one way to create highly profitable headlines. A promise is powerful. This is your promise to your audience that your content will benefit them or solve their problem.
Make a promise in your headline. This is a reliable, honest, and strong way to drive more traffic to your posts that convert.
This is also true for headlines
- The Megalist Of 102 Copywriting Ideas – “Holy Sh*t That’s Too Many”.
- 35 Landing Page Trends Worth Trying In 2019
- 50 Beautiful Website Templates To Captivate Your Audience
It’s not enough to make a promise. You must keep your promise and deliver the content. Broken promises are a sure way to lose trust and make your audience never return. Ever.
3. Focus On One Key Benefit
It is more important to say one thing well than all the things. A reader may be able to see 20 benefits from you. If you try to squeeze all of these benefits into one headline, it will be difficult to convey the message and you could lose your audience. Your bounce rate will increase if your goal is to convert your audience right away.
It pays to remember this when you write headlines for landing pages.
- You only have a short window of opportunity to get people to click on your posts.
- If we feel that someone is trying to sell us, readers will be immediately turned off.
Your reader wants to know what your product, service, or content will do for them. They want it quickly.
Then, focus on one benefit and spend most of your content promoting that benefit. It should address the primary problem of your target audience and resonate with them immediately. Once they have read your content, you can close the deal by putting a call for action.
This headline taps into the problem and presents a solution. It creates an irresistible hook that draws in its target audience and leaves them wanting more.
4. Repetition in your Headline
Our brains are wired to look for patterns in everything. A memorable rhyme can make your message more credible and will help you to be remembered.
Numerous studies have shown that people believe a phrase is more credible if it rhymes, even though there are no facts to it.
That’s right, even if it was false.
Why? A reader will find a rhyme because it sounds better and flows more naturally. We are happy when we find a complete rhyme or pattern. Our brains have been trained to recognize patterns and feel pleasure when we do.
This instinct to look for patterns was a key part of our survival in the past. This ability can be used today to create compelling landing page headlines that will stick in the reader’s mind.
Your headline does not have to rhyme to be effective. Your headline will be more memorable and appealing to your audience if it is repeated often enough.
Your reader will instantly like any type of pattern you use. These are some other patterns you can use in your headlines.
- Imitate your sentence structure: Win [Benefit]
- Use alliteration: How to Master Your Marketing and Skyrocket Sales
- You can repeat the same phrase: Get [X] and Get Results
5. Make a Curiosity Hook
The best way to grab the attention of your audience is by using a captivating headline.
You can pique their interest.
It’s a powerful tool. Clickbait works because of this. People will click on anything that seems too good to be true. What if it is true?
Let’s not forget to mention that this doesn’t mean you should make your landing page headline clickbait. You shouldn’t. This is the best recipe for destroying trust. Clickbait is an example of clickbait that teaches us a valuable lesson: When people are curious, click.
A headline that gets your audience to stand up straighter is also a good idea. Have them reread the headline and ask themselves “is it possible?” It’s amazing how people can dream up all the possibilities.
Remember, however, that there is a fine line between using curiosity hooks for good and evil. Don’t go overboard. You might be able to make it work the first time and the second time but you will ultimately disappoint your audience. If they aren’t satisfied, they will abandon your content.
6. Refer to Someone You Already Know
This is the simplest way to hack your landing page headline. You’ll see great results if you include the name and celebrity of a brand in your headline.
Why?
This instantly establishes the connection between your content, and what the reader already knows. They will be more inclined to read your content if they can recognize it in the headline.
This method doesn’t only work for cultural references. Your audience will notice you referring to a topic everyone is talking about. The topic is already top of mind and they are already interested. Game, set, match. This makes it much easier for your headline to get clicks and convert them.
What happens next?
Simple. Do you remember the Mad Men era of marketing? Nearly every marketing agency in Miami was able to create relevant and timely content about Mad Men at that time. A quick Google search will show you how many posts have referenced Don Draper or Mad Men.
Star Wars is the current trending topic. It was Game of Thrones last year. Soon it will be the Olympics. Trending topics are a huge hit in SEO and social media, making them like the landing page headline jackpot to increase conversions.
Although newsjacking can be dangerous, it’s okay to refer in your headline to a show everyone is talking about. Google Trends is especially helpful in this regard. This is also true for:
- Seasonal events such as Christmas and New Year’s ( A complete guide for operating your business during the New Year).
- Sports events such as the Olympics or the Superbowl ( Why [campaign title] is the best marketing campaign starting with the 2020 Olympics)
- You can also attend other cultural events like Coachella, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday ( X tips that will double your Black Friday sales).
7. Statistics and Feature Numbers
Human beings love numbers. Buzzfeed’s clickthrough rates are incredible for many reasons. But, one of their greatest strengths is their ability to use numbers like nobody’s business. We are committed to fighting uncertainty by providing proof, and that proof is often in the form of statistics or concrete numbers.
Take, for example:
- 15 ways to improve email marketing
- Targeted PPC campaigns can increase your ROI by 5x
- Get up to 50,000 additional newsletter subscribers
Because they are specific, headlines that include feature numbers work. They add value to a product/service. They don’t lie. When possible, quantify the benefits of your content. You will be rewarded with more clicks and conversions. The Conductor’s study found that 36% prefer headlines with numbers.
8. Optimize your landing page for SEO
Search engines are a great source of traffic. People are more likely to click if they see your content on the first page of their Google search. 33%, 75%, and the top organic Google result are for websites on the first page.
Search engines are a must for any business looking to create profitable landing page headlines.
Although not all headlines should be optimized for SEO (those that you use only on social media for example), most of them should. Your content should rank well on Google. You must include keywords word for word.
Let’s say that you are looking for the keyword “Email Marketing”. The keyword “email marketing” should be included in the landing page heading of a landing page you are creating for an email marketing platform.
Similar to the above, if your blog post is about “free email marketing tools”, you should include the exact match keyword in the heading, SproutSocial SEO friendly.
When writing your headline, consider the search keyword and search intent. Match that promise with the search query to make your headline super relevant
If your keyword is “Email Marketing Tips”, then your audience will likely be looking for ways to increase open rates. You can create a headline such as “10 easy email marketing tips that will increase your open rate by X%” and include the keywords and answers to the reader’s problem.
It may seem more formal to write SEO titles. This is because there are more boxes to check. In 70 characters or less, you must include your target keyword, communicate your content, offer a promise or benefit for your readers, and stand out among other search results.
It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel. It is to ensure that Google understands what your content is about and that it answers the user’s question. These are the proven methods that work:
- in 2020
- The Complete Reference To [Keyword]
- How To Use [Keyword] To Get [Result]
Here are some tips to help you write SEO-friendly headlines for landing pages.
- When possible, use the topic keyword to lead. It should be included as close as possible to the headline. It can be used as a kicker if it doesn’t work naturally. Example: Email marketing: 10 tools that will save you time and money
- Your meta title should not be overlooked. Keep it under 70 characters. To increase clickthrough rates on SERPs, a strong landing page headline and a powerful Meta-title are essential.
- Pick one keyword. Your headline should be concise. Keyword stuffing can only harm your content and lead to lower clickthrough rates.
9. Use powerful words and phrases
Never underestimate the power and impact of one word.
They are powerful words. These words are also known as trigger words. They can be used to influence and motivate your readers to take action.
These words activate a primal response in the reader that prompts them to take action. They appeal to a variety of emotions such as fear, fear, aspiration, and greed, as well as FOMO, fear, and anxiety. Because they communicate a point clearly and concisely, they are incredibly effective landing page headlines. They are memorable, in other words.
You only need one word to make your headline resonate with your audience and you will see huge increases in your CTR, conversion rate, and CTR. Studies show that powerful words in marketing copy can increase conversions by 13%. If there is one spot where powerful words can deliver the punch, it’s your headline.
Take a look at a headline from Mailchimp.
“Master the Ways of Marketing”
Everybody wants to be a master.
The use of one word (“master”) can trigger feelings of excitement, inspiration, and authority. Because it targets an emotion, the desire to excel, it’s more effective than “Learn marketing techniques” or “Learn marketing methods”. This is true for words such as “Ultimate”, ‘Complete”, ‘Proven’ and “Wildly Profitable”.
You can find tons of powerful words online. These lists include 180 words from Buffer, Sumo’s extensive list of 401+ words, and many more. These words can be included in your headline. Then, A/B-test them to determine which one resonates with your audience.
Remember that powerful words can have diminishing returns. A higher clickthrough rate doesn’t necessarily mean you should use more powerful words in your headline. It could even make it worse.
Too many power words can be:
- If you look spammy, the reader will trust you less
- Try to make it appear that you are trying to manipulate your audience
- Your reader should feel anxious or uneasy
- Do not evoke too much emotion, especially if you are negative
- You can make your audience trust you less.
Although Buzzfeed is known for being a great source of powerful words, this article shows how a post can be more effective.
Some readers might be turned off by the combination of powerful words, cringe, and flinch, which can evoke too many negative emotions. In this case, the headline would have been punchier if all power words were deleted except one: “25 Office Moments That Make You Cry and Look Away”
10. Use formulas
There are many “complete guides” or “how-to” posts on a variety of topics. These headlines work.
Contrary to what people might believe, the most effective headlines are very similar. A Wordstream study on the 200 top-performing ads showed that 89% could be divided into one of five formulae:
- The testimonial headline is “How to Make My Client $415,305 Profit in 9 Months”
- The cliffhanger “These marketing errors are costing your valuable money”
- The value proposition: Master your marketing with the #1 CRM in the world
- The listicle: “X Christmas gifts that everyone will love”
- “How-to” posts: “How automation can increase your gardening business’s productivity by 50%”
Although there are many headline options, the best methods for generating click-throughs or conversions are usually tried and true.
This is why the headlines of any blog look almost the same.
A majority of headlines can be reduced to one of these formulae:
- How do you [achieve your goal]
- The complete guide to (platform or skill)
- X tips/formulas/mistakes/steps to achieve [outcome]
However, this doesn’t mean you should not experiment and try new things. You don’t have to limit your creativity every time you write a headline. This is especially true if you are under pressure. To make it stand out, take a plug-and-play formula and adapt it to your content.
11. You can A/B test your headlines
There are many ways to create wildly lucrative headlines. However, it is best to find out what your audience likes.
An A/B test is a method of showing two versions of something to one part of your audience and the other to another part. You then compare the results to determine which version performed better.
You could, for example, show two groups of visitors a page that has a green CTA button and one with a blue one. Then, evaluate which one works based on click-throughs and conversion rates.
Your landing page headline is the most important thing you should test. Let’s suppose you want to try one of the methods but aren’t sure if it works. It is best to conduct an A/B test. Change one element and then see which version has a higher conversion rate or CTR.
Always test
Highrise experienced a 30% increase in clicks by playing with a number-based headline, and subheading. This is critical for a signup page.
Always test. Always test if…
- You are inclined to believe that one headline will get more clicks than the other.
- It makes a huge difference to add or remove a word.
- One headline can get more clicks, but fewer conversions.
- You want to find out which headlines perform best on social media, SEO, or any other channel.
You should only test one thing at a given time and not for too long to obtain statistically significant results. Once you have your results, verify that they are accurate. Apply the results. Rinse and Repeat.
Conclusion
This guide was helpful, I hope. There are many options when it comes to creating a headline for your landing page, but these 11 options will be the most helpful.
The headline is only one step. However, once you have your headline set, make sure to check out our 47-point checklist for the rest!
