Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Titles are often the primary factor whether someone clicks a link or not. They are part of the first impression visitors get of the content you want them to read. This is why you need to find a way to build awesome titles for content.
And this is especially true if you want to really impress freelance writing clients. After all, making them look good is what it’s all about.
Great Titles Matter
Titles are part of how humans and search engine bots begin to determine what the post is about. These introductory lines need to match the context of the piece while giving a precursor to the topic.
For example, would you read this post if it were titled, “9 Ways to Write Headlines?”
Probably not. You’re more than likely here to see the tools I use to build awesome titles for clients.
#1 Problem of Blog Title Generators
Perhaps the biggest issue I have with blog title generators, such as those I am going to show you, is the overall use.
Keep in mind you’re not the only one using these tools. And you could inadvertently create the exact same title as thousands of other bloggers on the Internet.
While some blog title generators may give you some incredible opening texts to content, try to make alterations to make it more unique.
Tools to Build Titles for Yourself or Clients
The Internet is full of tools and functions to help you create amazing content. In this instance, I am strictly looking at the titles themselves.
And because I don’t have a lot of money to dump into premium services, these are all free to use. However, some will have premium services if you want to get more out of the experience.
So, what are some of the best ways to build awesome titles?
1. CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
The CoSchedule Headline Analyzer tool is quite useful if you want to create viral posts. It bases information taken from the most shared content on social media.
This means it’s powered by what works the best in terms of who shares what on sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Instead of a title generator, this is more of a headline analyzer for free. It determines a score based on your word choices, length and sentiment. The closer your score is to 100, the better.
Though, I rarely see anything higher than the low 80s. For example, this post scored a 75…which isn’t bad in the grand scheme of things.
One of the features I like of CoSchedule is how it gives you tips on how to improve. It’ll even give you a mock-up of what the title would look like in Google search as well as email subject lines.
2. Answer the Public
I stumbled across Answer the Public some time ago, and it’s been a great tool to use. It works exceptionally well to give blog title ideas.
Some of the most effective content on the Internet is answering precise questions. This is especially true today as many people are focusing on optimizing content for voice search from mobile devices.
Answer the Public will take your keyword or phrase and search through it’s growing database to find the questions that are asked the most.
For example, if I use “fitness” in the search field, I get a series of questions in a variety of styles. Today, I am presented with 194 questions from its database.
This tool will also provide preposition formats, comparisons, alphabetical results and related suggestions.
Answer the Public is among my favorite tools as it provides a lot of great suggestions for content.
3. ShareThrough
ShareThrough is one of the more recent tools I’ve found while working with clients. It has a similar function to CoSchedule as it will analyze your titles and provide a “Quality Score.”
This tool uses a variety of variables to determine its score including many aspects of neuroscience. It’s probably one of the few times EEG data is taken into consideration when marketing a blog.
The system provides an Engagement and Impression Score. These are separate and reflect two different aspects of the title.
If your hung up about how to increase the score, ShareThrough provides a list of suggestions to help. For instance, the system tells me I should add more “context” words.
4. HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator
The HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator is a bit different from some of the others in this list. Instead of using just one noun, you can include up to five for more varied results.
Unfortunately, the blog title ideas you’re present with don’t seem to change that often. You only get five titles to work with for the week and have to sign up with HubSpot to get a year’s worth.
It has a very limited scope in what you can do for free without registering. However, signing up with HubSpot is free and you can download the complete year list without much of a hassle.
After a quick signup process, you can download the titles in CSV format. Which is convenient as I spend a lot of time in spreadsheets throughout the day.[template id=”2087″]
5. SEOPressor Blog Title Generator
SEOPressor gives you a couple of different options to fine-tune your headlines. In this blog title generator, you can choose whether your keyword is:
- Generic
- a brand
- an event
- an industry
- someone’s name
- a skill.
Depending on what you choose, the system will generate titles accordingly.
For instance, using “Fitness” as a “Skill,” I get titles like: “Top 15 Trends in Fitness to Watch” or “Ten Fitness Tips You Need to Learn Now.”
This is excellent when compared to other systems that seem to string random words together which don’t make sense. Based on a lot of tools I’ve come across, SEOPressor is probably one of the best for creating logical and usable titles.
I would have to say it ranks pretty high when trying to build awesome titles for your content.
6. BlogAbout by Impact
With BlogAbout by Impact, you enter the topic you want to write and the system will give you a fill-in-the-blanks form. You can then add your own text to the title and save it for later.
For example, I used the term “fitness” and BlogAbout gave me a title, “____ Tips That Will Make You a Stronger ___” where I would then add more terms myself.
If you want something new, hit the reload button below the title. If you want to save it, click the heart icon.
When you’re done creating a list of titles, you can then send them via email. Of course you’ll need to sign up for unlimited access to BlogAbout, which is free from what I can tell.
During my last test of the system, though, the email field seemed to have frozen up.
7. Tweak Your Biz Title Generator
Tweak Your Biz has a free title generator that lets you decide whether your keyword is a noun or a verb. The system will then provide you with a very long list of blog title examples spanning across different content styles.
For example, you can create lists, best ofs, how-tos, answer questions and much more. In fact, Tweak Your Biz probably provides more headline examples than most of the other tools in this list.
And the best part is, they all make sense. It’s one of the better generators to build awesome titles for any topic.
For instance, I used “Google” as a verb. That’s because in today’s society, it is. When you “google” something, you’re looking it up.
Examples I got back from Tweak Your Biz included: “Here Are 5 Ways to Google Faster” and “Do You Have What it Takes to Google Like a True Expert?”
8. Inbound Now Blog Title Generator
The Inbound Now Blog Title Generator is a bit more generic than others in this list. When you first visit the site, you’ll get a basic title that you can modify on your own.
In my case, it was, “{Number} Ways to {blank}”. Quite a simple idea that I really could have developed on my own.
However, clicking the button to generate a new idea throws more headlines your way. Some of them are a bit more intricate, but all based on simple variables.
While Inbound Now doesn’t provide the most intuitive or customized blog title examples, it does help with fighting off writer’s block.
9. Portent’s Content Idea Generator
Portent’s Content Idea Generator is an easy to use tool that has a bit of flexibility. Just enter your keyword and Portent will do the rest.
It also gives you insight into each section of the title itself so you can customize.
You can use this title generator for clients as many times as you’d like. You get a new headline each time you click the refresh button next to your keyword.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the most intuit algorithm for creating these titles. Sometimes you’ll come across combinations that simply don’t work.
For example, I used the term, “fitness.” One of the examples it provided was, “Why You’ll Never Succeed at Fitnesses.”
Um…”fitnesses?” Drop the extra “es” there, champ.
First Impressions are Vital
Creating titles for clients which drive traffic is crucial to success as a freelance writer. Remember, it’s about making the client appear engaging and knowledgeable.
Find the best tools to help you build awesome titles. Whether it’s for yourself or a client project, it could help streamline the process and make you more efficient.
It’ll affect how often clients come to you for more work later on.
What are some of your favorite online tools for creating content? Do you prefer free or premium services, and why? Leave a comment down below.[template id=”2089″]
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