15 Catchy Blog Titles (That Drive Traffic)

While quality content still reigns supreme when it comes to ranking high on search results, crafting the perfect headline can give you the edge over your competition.

Catchy blog titles can increase your organic click-through-rate (CTR) by up to 500%, while poorly written blog titles rarely convince one to click through and read your article.

Apart from convincing more users to click your link on search results, which in turn leads to a boost in organic rankings, catchy blog titles also set the tone and increase user engagements.

But what exactly is a catchy headline? It’s a title that captures attention and compels one to click a result on a search engine or an article/post on a blog/website.

Related: 13 Most Important Google Ranking Factors (2020)

Catchy Blog Titles That Drive Traffic

Below are some of the best catchy blog titles you should be using if you want to drive more organic traffic to your website.

1. The “Numbered” Headlines

People love numbers, and numbers grab attention. Interestingly, 80% of your website visitors will read the headline copy before deciding to read the article, with just 20% reading the rest of the article.

When it comes to organic searches, e.g. on Google or Bing, users take their time to scan the first few results before choosing the result that they feel answers the search query the best.

And if you use numbers in your meta titles, then you will get higher organic CTR, more traffic, and better conversions, leads or sales.

Mike Hamers uses this simple explanation to explain the psychology of numbers in blog titles.

“Our brains are attracted to numbers because they automatically organize information into a logical order. In marketing and advertising, your headline is an advertisement for your content. A single, small odd-numbered digit, like 7 for example, is like candy for your organizational mind.”

Here are a few examples of results on the first page of Google when you search for “increase website traffic“. As you can see, each of them is using a number (in figures, not words).

According to a study by Conductor, a higher percentage of people prefer numbered headlines compared to other types of headlines.

When it comes to choosing between odd numbers and even numbers, another study found that odd numbers generate 20% more clicks than even numbers.

The Take-Away: Include odd numbers in your title, and break down your blog post into segments with numbers. You can do “Inverted Lists” where you start from 10 to 1 or 15 to 1, more like a countdown (here is a good example).

2. The “Power-full” Headlines

Most successful bloggers use certain words to capture their readers’ attention. These words are called “Power Words” as they can be pretty convincing. Power words are so effective for two main reasons;

• They evoke emotions: According to studies, content that elicits emotions is more likely to be shared than the one that doesn’t. Emotions can be anxiety, joy, amusement, etc.
• They trigger curiosity: Viral blog posts have catchy blog titles that trigger curiosity, evoking a “need to know“ desire in readers. When you’re curious, you are more likely to click and read an article, and probably share it.

Some of the most commonly used power words in creating catchy blog titles include;

Best, Awesome, Top, Quickest, Heartwarming, Shocking, Unbelievable, Crazy, Interesting, Strange, Powerful, Worst, Scary, Stunning, Proven, Badass, Inspiring, Luxurious, Glamorous, Expensive, Funniest, Ridiculous, Unforgettable, Effortless, Easy, Adorable, Breathtaking, Gorgeous, Step-by-Step, Cheap, Easy, Instantly, etc.

You can see the entire list of power words here. Headlines using numbers and power words would look like this;

• 23 Stunning Pics of Lake Tahoe That Will Leave You Speechless
• 17 Gobsmacking Facts About Sleep You Didn’t Know
• 13 Most Expensive Cars to Maintain in 2020

3. The “Negative Superlative” Headlines

According to a study by Outbrain, negative superlatives (e.g. worst, never) tend to perform better than positive superlatives (e.g. always, best).

We are accustomed to seeing positive superlatives in meta titles, and eventually, we get used to them. However, negative superlatives are rare and tend to send a “WARNING“, and not many readers ignore such a compelling title.

Look at these two titles and tell me which one captures your attention the most (and the one you’re more likely to click)

• 13 Best Strategies to Grow Your New Business
• 13 Worst Mistakes That Will Kill Your New Business

I bet the second one elicits more emotions than the first, which leads to more clicks, views, and shares.

4. The “Opinionated” Headlines

Opinions divide and create never-ending conversations. If one’s opinions about a given subject differ from yours, then singing from the same hymn sheet would probably be a far-fetched probability.

Blog titles that divide opinions drive engagements, including comments, shares, and tweets. Here are a few examples of blog posts that employ this strategy;

• SEO is Dead. Link Building is Dead. Your Pony is Dead
• Why You Should Forget Facebook
• Why Successful People Are Douchebags

Although neither SEO nor link building is dead, I still believe the same blog post had thousands of views (yet it states that SEO and link building are dead strategies).

5. The “Backed by Science” Headlines

Do you believe that successful people wear similar clothes every day? How about the existence of meridians and the ability of the human body to heal itself? What if I told you (sorry, not me) – what if science can prove to you that we are not alone in the universe, would you believe it?

Some things can be said to be untrue until a source we can trust proves otherwise. And crafting catchy blog titles citing the trusted source will make the article perform better.

Here are some “backed by science” headlines to inspire you;

• Science Finally Proves Meridians Exist
• The Science Of Simplicity: Why Successful People Wear The Same Thing Every Day

At the time of writing this post, the above blog post about Meridians has been shared more than 104K times. That just shows such catchy blog titles work so well.

6. The “Mistakes Made” Headlines

Although we still learn a great deal from our own mistakes, our desire to learn from the mistakes of others is an innate human desire. For example, if you’re starting a new business or blog, an article detailing the mistakes someone did and what you can learn from them will always appeal to you.

Headlines about mistakes connect to our innate desire to be perfect or do everything just right. The moment you mention “Mistakes I Made” or “Mistakes to Avoid”, anyone would be interested to read, learn, and avoid them.

Examples of blog post employing this strategy;

• The 5 Biggest Mistakes I Made in My 20s
• The Biggest Mistake I Made in My Business

Alternatively, you can focus on mistakes to avoid. Here is a good example;

• 15 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid in 2020

7. The “Lessons Learned” Headlines

Not only are people interested in the mistakes you did (and the ones they should avoid), then are also interested in the lessons you’ve learned along your journey to success.

In whatever you have been doing, are there lessons you’ve learned that you think can be beneficial to others? People love lessons as they do mistakes, and you can give them exactly that, or even both.

Some good examples include;

• 10 Lessons I Learned From Making Many Mistakes In My 20s
• 10 Important Life Lessons We Are Often Taught Too Late

8. The “WHY” Headlines

The “WHY” type of headlines can be very compelling. Here, you focus on a subject and the reason behind their respective actions, beliefs, or opinions.

You have to offer a compelling explanation or analysis of an action, state, or situation. Some good articles that employ this strategy include;

• Reasons You Should Quit Social Media
• Why Jews Don’t Believe In Jesus
• Why Einstein did not believe that general relativity geometrizes gravity

9. The “Provocative Question” Headlines

Using provocative questions to create catchy blog titles will ensure your post performs better compared to when using most of the other forms of post headlines.

Instead of writing a title like “15 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid“, why not create a provocative question headline that makes your title stand out and perform better?

A few good examples include;

• Are You Making These Embarrassing Print Marketing Mistakes?
• Are You Making These 7 Mistakes with Your About Page?
• Do You Make These 7 Mistakes When You Write?

10. The “How-to” Titles

Posts that offer information on how to do something perform well with “How-to” titles. They often include a step-by-step guide on executing a task.

A brilliant example include;

• How to Create a YouTube Channel in 3 Simple Steps

11. The “X vs Y” Headlines

Users love comparisons, especially those in the buying mood. They are the ones looking for reviews and comparisons of products or services.

Rather than reviewing one product or service, take things a notch higher and compare two or three of the best. A few good examples include;

• Affiliate Marketing Vs. AdSense: Which is More Profitable? 
• SEMrush vs Ahrefs vs Moz vs GrowthBar

12. The “Ultimate/Definitive Guide” Headlines

This type of headline is ideal for articles that focus on lots of items or comprehensive guideposts. The items can be as high as 1,000, and the guide can be more than 5,000 words long.

Some notable examples include;

• Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List (2020)
• LINK BUILDING FOR SEO: The Definitive Guide (2020)

13. The “Statistical/Case Study” Headlines

Another impressive way to create catchy blog titles would be to use statistics or data from a case study. This best suits blog posts that use raw data and including a number or percentage in the title is very effective.

Since we already mentioned that people love numbers, using them strategically will boost your organic CTR and drive more organic traffic to your website.

Some notable blog posts that apply this strategy include;

• SEO Case Study: 6-Step Process That Generated 150,732 Visits
• SEO Case Study – 313% More Organic Traffic With Real Examples

14. The “Sentence Case” Headlines

According to the study done by Conductor, 64% of readers prefer titles that apply sentence style in their headlines. The other forms are of lower case and capitalized blog titles.

• Sentence Case – “17 Ways to Increase Website Traffic Fast”
• Lower Case – “17 ways to increase website traffic fast”
• Capitals – “17 WAYS TO INCREASE WEBSITE TRAFFIC FAST”

The second most preferred headline type is a capitalized headline with 21% and the lower case comes in third at 7%.

15. The “Personalized” Headlines

Personalizing your blog titles allows you to connect with your readers on a personal level. This includes adding words such as “YOU” and “YOUR” within the blog title. Personalized titles generate lots of shares.

Here are a few good examples;

• 17 Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post
• Five Ways to Quadruple Your Blog’s Income

In conclusion, after creating awesome, engaging, insightful content, crafting the perfect catchy blog title will give you an edge over other equally quality content out there. Use these insightful catchy blog titles ideas to craft the ideal and perfect titles for your blog posts.