7 Dead Simple Tips That Will Help You Write Killer Subheads

It’s a tough life for content creators everywhere.

The internet has become a congested space where everyone is fighting for attention and acquiring freelance writers for hire, trying to get their voices heard. You’ve followed every lesson from the content writer’s textbook to stand out from the crowd.

You’ve come up with great headlines that draw attention and make people want to find out more. You’ve included keywords, added alt tags, and you’ve spent hours creating killer content. But, in spite of all your efforts, readers click on your headline and bounce as quickly as they came.

Why?

Table of Contents

Every Content Writer’s Fantasy

No one denies the fact that you work hard to create your content. You’re doing a lot of research, and you have real solutions to your readers’ problems. But, you are making one colossal mistake.

You imagine that when someone sees your fantastic headline, they click on it, and then they carefully read your article from start to finish, devouring every word.

In reality, people click on your headline, land on your blog and immediately leave because a giant block of text welcomes them.

Internet readers are scanners and to get them to spend as much time as possible on your blog, you need to learn how to write compelling subheads.

The Crucial Role of H1s, H2s, and H3s

Before diving into the actual writing tips, it’s important to understand the role H1, H2, and H3 play.

H1 Tags: H1 tags can improve your search ranking, so they should always contain your targeted keywords.
H2 Tags: H2 tags play a vital role in formatting content correctly. It can also impact how well your content performs. Make sure to optimize them accordingly with your keywords.
H3 tags: Just like the H2, H3 tags are crucial to organizing your content. They play a vital role in helping the reader navigate through your article.

Now, that you have a better understanding of subheadings and their role, let’s learn how to write effective ones.

1. Write to Impress

This might sound a little superficial, but it is true. What is the first thing you are looking for after you have clicked on an article with a great title? You’re probably looking for a great sub-header that gives more information about your content! So, make sure to work on your headers just as hard as you work on the headline.

2. More is More

When it comes to subheads, more is better. You may have to think hard to come up with something creative and appealing, but the good news is that the sub-header does not have to be short. As a rule of thumb, write subheads that contain five words or more. This trick will make it easier for readers to engage. Also, it will help improve the SEO value of your article and improve your ranking.

3. Ask a Question

Instead of always giving up the answer, why not entice your readers’ curiosity with a question? It will make people think about the answer and make them want to read more to see if they got it right.

4. Be Concise but Don’t Spoil the Fun

Write the main idea in the subtitles but don’t give it all at once. What is the point of reading an article if you can understand everything from the sub-headers? Give them a glimpse of what you want to say and convince them to read more to get the relevant information.

5. Include Your Keywords in Your First Subhead

You know the drill: you must include your focus keyword in your title and your first and last paragraph. But most people don’t know they have to use it in their first sub-headers as well. In fact, a lot of people are not even aware that using headers is mandatory and that they can make a huge difference regarding readability and SEO.

6. Be Generous with Your Subheads

We are not saying that each idea has to have its own sub-header, but you should have enough of them to point out every important thing you have to say. To be exact, you should use at least eight subheads for a 2,000 words article and at least two in each 500 words article.

So if you think you can write one sub-header for every 100 words, go for it! As long as the article is readable and it makes sense, it is perfectly ok.

7. Include an H2 in Both Your First and Your Last Subhead

These are the first and last impression you give to a reader so make sure it is a good one. Plus, if you use an H2, it will make it look more readable and may make people want to find out more.

There’s a great deal of confusion about headers and how to use them. Hopefully, this article will help you master them and take your content writing efforts to the next level.