The Evolution of Writing Content Headlines

 

From newspapers to online articles, the way headlines are created have truly come a long way. As the medium and the type of audience change, so are the different styles of writing headlines trying to keep up with the pace.  

They say that if you want to see the world’s best headlines and how they look like, refer to BBC News. This is according to Jakob Neilsen of the Neilsen Norman Group.

According to Jakob Neilsen, a great headline must meet the following characteristics, which BBC News does perfectly: short, contains the right keywords, "rich in information scent", predictable and "understandable out of context". This applies to headlines written online and offline. 

In the effort to be clear and concise, headlines back in the day were usually rid of emotions. It is straightforward – point blank and ready to aim. 

However, you can see that there are headlines that do not necessarily follow this formula. Especially if you spend a lot of time on the internet, you will see that the headlines do not only take more than 5 words to write, but these are also packed with emotion.

Try to see headlines written by Viral Nova for an illustration.

A Man Takes A Single Rake to The Beach.

And When You Zoom Out And See It… Well, Just Look.

A Dying Grandmother Left This Cryptic Note Behind.

Someone Finally Cracked the Code.

Nothing Could Prepare Me For What’s Revealed

When This Glacier Lake Melts. OMG.

While some find their headlines too long and bordering on the unconventional (basing from Jakob Neilsen’s parameters on headlines), it is safe to assume that they may have just nailed the best way to create headlines for online publishing – combining emotion, precision and social triggers for liking or sharing on social media. 

Providing context to headlines is one aspect of creating effective headlines, but giving a story even that early into the content is another. Headlines that are combined with a few story elements can make it enticing for readers to click and hopefully share on their respective networks.