Web headlines have their own grammar, and every blogger and web writer must learn to respect this. Don’t make the mistake of pushing print headlines on the web.
Instead, write headlines that meet the needs of the web.
Good web headlines must have the following five characteristics:
# 1. They must meet search engine needs. They must also be powerful enough to make a reader click on them, and reach the story.
# 2. Their length should be between 55 to 70 characters. Anything less is too short; and anything more is chopped by Google on the search page.
# 3. They need proper nouns to improve search engine indexing, and increase the chances of the headlines being served high on the search page.
# 4. By and large, they are written in two point sizes – one for the landing page and one for the story page.
# 5. They establish freshness, not news value. Unlike print headlines, web headlines don’t establish the news value of a story. They are displayed in a chronological order, with the last headline published on the top. The headlines may therefore establish the freshness of the news, but they don’t establish their news value.
Earlier post: 5 key characteristics of web headlines