Clickbait: content that is created to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. This is a feature of millions of mundane articles on the internet that don’t really say anything of interest at all. Clickbait grabs the reader’s attention with key phrases in the title or Meta description that suggest the content is extremely valuable. Yet they almost always are just fluff pieces and more often than not are completely pointless yet are placed on a site that are full of advertisements or are the backdrop for pop ups. This type of marketing is extremely infuriating for users of the Internet, however you could learn a few things from the key elements of clickbait articles that could help you improve the compelling element of your content. This article details how to increase the number of clicks you get leading users to your content.

Lists

List based articles are extremely popular on the Internet. People are attracted to this type of content as a list suggests a short and concise way of organising information. With a list it is easier to skim through, focusing on the titles and taking from it what you want. How do you let the user know the article is in list form? The easiest way to show you are providing a list is to put the number of items in the title. For example: “5 Ways to Improve Your Skin in Less Than a Week”. This title tells the reader straight away there are only five items on this list, as long as the content is compelling and you are targeting the right market you are guaranteed to get clicks.

Using “You” or “I” in the Title

Engaging the reader is the most important thing when writing articles, regardless which platform it’s published on or what the content refers to. Using “you” or “I” in the title draws the reader’s attentions as it makes it personal. By using the word “I” it attaches humanity to the writer which naturally intrigues people. The use of the word “You” strikes a chord with most readers as although it is a public article that many people see, it has the natural effect of personalising the content for that individual.

Split Headline Testing

This is a great one for new writers or those who feel they aren’t getting enough traffic to their website or blog. The title is the most important when it comes to catching users’ attentions. We have already mentioned that a list article is attractive to readers on the go and personalising the writing as well. However if you are still not getting as many clicks as you would expect, or if these titles aren’t relevant to your content then you need to figure out what title will attract the most readers. The only way to know for sure is to come up with a few variations and test them out. Compare the number of clicks to each version and whichever is the highest is the most effective title.