4 Reasons Why a High Score on Headline Checkers does NOT Make your Headline Great

You’re about to create content on an exciting topic. You have finalized the headline after running it past a headline checker online and you got great results! You think your work is done here, what could go wrong when you got a 90% efficacy on the headline checker, right? Wrong! Here's what you should just focus on instead of just scoring high to ensure that your headline hits the nail on the head!

1. Make your headline align with the content context 

Your headline might seem great in isolation. After all, the checker does not know what the full article is. Your title might be catchy but it does not quite give a peek into your content or even raise curiosity. Will your audience click on it? We think not. 

You have probably done good research for your article, use this research to meet the pain points and gains of the audience. Try to address these needs and see your content go off the charts! 

1. Make your headline resonate with the audience’s emotions 

Here’s the problem with AI checkers, it does not consider human emotions as much as you can. They focus on metrics like headline length, keyword density, and sentiment analysis. Well, all of these are crucial but not in isolation. 

Give a reason to your audience as to why they should click on your headline over others. Evoke a sense of curiosity, thrill or empathy in the reader and compel them to click through. This creates a connection with the audience even before they start to read the actual content. 

1. Make your headline search-engine-optimized 

While headline checkers are good for evaluating SEO factors, they might fall short in realizing the fine line between optimization and unnatural boosting. Now, what do I mean by this? How can more optimization mean bad? Sometimes, the suggested changes from the checker result in keyword stuffing and unnatural language.

Avoid these by conducting keyword research and spending time identifying the most relevant keywords or phrases to include in your headline. Try to strike that golden balance between SEO optimization and readability. 

1. Make your headline reflect the brand’s voice and tone

What those online checkers don’t know and process is your brand’s voice. It does not realize that your brand’s style is tongue-in-cheek humour. For instance, your whole article can be casual and light-hearted whereas the headline sounds like someone from the most conservative corporate board member. You do not want this to confuse your readers. Consider factors such as humor, seriousness, or urgency, depending on the nature of your content and the preferences of your audience. 

It is very easy to believe the results of the headline analyzers, especially when it is positive. But, in order to stand out in the plethora of online content, your personal touch, research and consideration play a huge part. So, for your next headline, don’t just trust what the checker says, use your knowledge and get a step ahead of your competitors! 

PS: I analyzed my headline for this blog on CoSchedule and got a score of 73. I even asked the bot to tell me how to improve my heading. Here’s what it said.