The Ultimate Top 5 List
Top 5 Reasons to Use a List for Article Titles
Using a LIST in your title is Effective
When writing articles for your website, one of the key things you need to address is the title of the article. It should be compelling, hint to content and intrigue the reader to dive in further. One of the most appealing and effective titles you can use is the LIST title. Examples of a LIST title would include titles like “Top 5 Reasons” or “10 Great Resources”. They suggest a list of information for the reader.
This type of title is appealing for a number of reasons. Here are the top 5 reasons to use a LIST title (and article) as often as possible:
5. Create Instant Interest
When writing a Top 10 list about something, you typically give the reader the subject matter in the title. A title such as “Top5 reasons to Write Articles” promptly suggests to the reader that the subject matter is about writing articles. This allows the reader to quickly gauge their interest level in the article before having to get involved in the article. What’s really great about this is that your reader becomes much more invested in your subject and your article from the moment they start reading it! After all, if your Top 10 List is about a topic most would find boring, those that read it will actually be interested in what you have to say.
4. Suggests length and depth
The number in your list will suggest the length and depth of the article and subject matter. For example, a title such as “5 Quick Tips for SEO” would suggest a shorter list, a quicker read and most likely concise points about the subject. On the other hand, “300 Search Engine Optimization Techniques” would suggest a very long and exhaustive article. Which these titles would suggest that more time is required to get in to the subject? Yeah, the 300. That’s why this is only a Top 5 list!
3. Suggest an Impact
If the subject is interesting, and the length and depth of the article are appealing to the reader, the further appeal of a LIST is the potential to impact the reader in some way. “The 7 SEO Tips You Need to Know” indicates that this article may become a tool for the reader, if in fact they are interested in SEO. “150 Photoshop Techniques” would indicate a tremendous resource and tool for the reader interested in Photoshop. The point is that the list will provide some impact to the reader, hopefully for the betterment of themselves. Of course “The 5 Most Hated Women in Hollywood” may not have a major impact to most, but it can produce gossip material, which would have an impact for some!
2. Opinionation
Is opinionation even a word? Maybe not (at least according to my spellcheck!) However, the one thing you can count on with every potential reader is that they have an opinion, and in most cases are completely in love with their opinions! So any time you use an article such as “Top 10″ or “5 Best” you are stating your opinion on the subject, thereby challenging the reader’s opinion right off the bat. Often times they will read the article just to see if they agree with your opinion or not. They may not realize why they are so interested as this can be a subconscious reaction. But that does not negate the power of opinion.
1. More for the admission price
Most articles might provide a hint of the subject which would attract the reader to take the time to read. However, when you add a number to that title, the reader feels as if they are getting more information that the average article might provide. After all, “The 5 Best Examples of an Optimized Website” tell us we are getting more than just one site review in this article. If a reader is searching for information, sometimes an article that seems to have more information may be more appealing. “An Optimized Website” may only suggest one website being reviewed, which just seems brief. Which one would a reader choose first?
While writing a title is important for drawing the reader in, you still need to make sure the content is worthwhile. It should stay on topic and be related to the title throughout. This way your reader does not feel as if they were tricked into reading the article. Besides, it does not take long for a reader to figure out if they will stay and read on, or decide to try another article elsewhere.
An added benefit to using this type of title and article is that in addition to increasing an article’s readership, you get a very focused readership! Your audience is targeted by their interest and you know that the readers want to be there. So you have a much better chance to convey whatever it is you are seeking to convey.
So what are your thoughts? Do you agree with these points? Let me know what you thoughts are on the subject.
