What makes a blog title work
A good title does two jobs: it tells readers exactly what they will get, and it gives them a reason to choose your post over the others in the list. Clarity beats cleverness. A reader skimming search results or a social feed should understand your title in a second.
Title formulas that hold up
- How-to: How to Price a Web Design Project Without Underselling
- List: 7 Pricing Mistakes New Freelancers Make
- Question: Should You Charge Hourly or Per Project?
- Guide: A Beginner's Guide to Freelance Pricing
- Comparison: Hourly vs Project Pricing: Which Pays More for Designers?
- Result-led: Raise Your Rates Without Losing Clients
Blog titles and SEO
Your post has two titles: the H1 that readers see on the page and the title tag that appears in search results. They can be the same, but they do not have to be. Search results cut off long title tags, usually somewhere around 50 to 60 characters depending on the letters used, so put the most important words first. Include the phrase people search for, written the way they would type it.
Search engines sometimes rewrite titles that do not match the page well. A title that accurately describes the content is the surest way to keep the one you chose.
How to choose between options
- Match the intent. If searchers want a list of examples, a list title fits better than a story.
- Be specific. Add the audience, the time frame or the result: "for freelancers", "in a weekend", "without code".
- Promise only what you deliver. If the post has 7 tips, do not call it the complete guide.
- Read it next to competitors. Search your topic and imagine your title in that list. Would you click it?