The Killer Tactic to Increase Business Blog Traffic

I was getting really frustrated last month with the lack of growth in terms of traffic to this blog. It seemed to have leveled off over the last three months and wasn’t performing as I wanted.

I looked carefully at the content, regularity of posts, social media engagement and saw that I wasn’t doing that much different to the previous months when I’d seen growth.

Never one to rest on my laurels I decided it was time to try something different: sensational headlines.

Well, sensational headlines for me, not Perez Hilton. So I sat down, opened up Numbers (Mac’s very own spreadsheet app) and wrote down 50 sensational headlines.

I tried to focus on seven key fascinations recommended by the folks at Copyblogger in the hope that they would attract more readers to my site: lust, vice, alarm, power, prestige, mystique and trust.I was a bit skeptical about the whole thing as I’ve never really seen the Jontus Media blog as sensational. What’s more I didn’t want to change the focus of the blog’s niche: helping small to medium-sized businesses navigate the world of online marketing and communications.

So once my blogging calendar was full of potentially mouthwatering headlines I started writing, publishing at the same frequency as before. In fact, I tried to do it exactly the same except with a more populist headline.

Writing Hypnotic Headlines

Here are four typical headlines then from the last couple of weeks:

I know Why Your Traffic Didn’t Increase Last Week

>What the Best Business Bloggers Know and You Don’t

3 Communications Tools You Shouldn’t Be Ignoring

Are You Forgetting to Make Money While You Sleep?

As results go, I was actually quite surprised because I always thought my headlines were okay. After all, I’ve written for some of the national newspapers in the UK. Still, these posts attracted over 25 percent more visitors than the typical post last month â€“ when I obviously sucked !

What’s more, this newfound hack journalist approach has also generated more comments and a few more RTs (although I noticed that quite a few of them are fake retweets).

So Am I Sticking With This Killer Tactic?

Definitely! Well, probalby. I was nervous about adopting a more sensational approach in the beginning and I still wondered if regular readers have noticed and fled my blog. As it stands, though, I actually think it’s been a positive change and traffic tactic and one I plan to stick with at least whilst I work my way though my list of post titles.

Oh, and if you hadn’t noticed, as you can see from the title of this post, I’ve embraced the tabloid business blogger in me!

Did you enjoy this article?

the

Love

Get Free Updates

http://soulati.com/blog Soulati

Jon, how intense and mildly psychotic of you! I’m impressed and not sure, however, that I’m going to follow your lead. Now, if you’re like @ginidietric who adds “ASS” in her headline and someone else who adds “Sex,” I’ll fall off my chair.

Seriously, congrats on diving in to the pain points. I am making a horrifying admission; I have yet to dive into analytics at all. I just don’t want to know b/c it will make me crazy. But, with phase two goals of more monetization — perhaps it’s time.
http://twitter.com/jennwhinnem Jenn Whinnem

This is hilarious – didn’t I just say in a DM to you “Wow Jon you really know how to write a provocative headline”??? Ha! And now I come to your blog and see this.

Honestly my engagement overall online has dropped somewhat as I’m exponentially busier than I was for awhile there. Nothing personal. Still love this blog!
http://twitter.com/jennwhinnem Jenn Whinnem

Ooh Jayme Jon is just the one to help you when you’re ready!
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Made me laugh, Jenn. Thanks for being so supportive !
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

I do think this is worth trying Jayme, especially if you’re looking to monetize SMB. Here’s to your success !
http://michael-taggart.com Michael Taggart

Another genuinely useful post with something to try. Thanks Jon. I’m going to start calling you The Postman because you always deliver.

I’m also a former UK national newspaperman (reporter at the Daily Mail) and am interested in the undoubted power of headlines. Do you think blog headline writing is a science? If so, what’s the formula? Are there some guaranteed tricks that will always work (apart from being sensational)?
Pingback: Jon Buscall
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Hej Michael, thanks so much for your comment. I actually do think there are a number of key emotional buttons to press. For example, the title of this post is all about empowering the online marketer but it could also work if you added paranoia to the spin i.e. The Killer Tactic Your Competitors Know But You Haven’t Figured Yet

Of course, these kinds of headlines might turn some readers off but I’m basing my post here on the data I’m collecting. Part of me is horrified at how sensationalism works, but I’m also excited by it. What an admission to make, eh!
Anonymous

Headlines are the absolute hardest thing for me to write! I love your idea of how to write them, and bringing in a little more sensationalism. I may just have to steal your idea
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Go for it! I can’t believe the effect it has had. If there was room on the page I would have preferred: “The Killer Tactic to Increase YOUR Business Blog Traffic” but I decided it was too long.

Let me know how you get on!
Pingback: Gini Dietrich
Pingback: Srinivas Rao
Pingback: Laura Lashmar
Pingback: David Tusick
Pingback: PRWeb
http://www.theskooloflife.com Srinivas Rao

Jon,

I think writing headlines is one of those things many people take for granted at first, but you quickly learn that the clever title you thought of might not really get it clicked. I have one example in my archives. I wrote this blog post about using a stopwatch to time yourself while writing blog posts. I was going to call it “The stopwatch method for blogging.” Then I asked myself “what is this about?” I ended up changing the title to “How to Consistently write a blog post in 20 minute or Less.” These days the title of an article will often change after I’ve written it because I think in the context of “what would make me click this if I wasn’t the one who wrote it.”
http://spinsucks.com Gini Dietrich

I always email Martin Waxman and say, “Will you write a headline for me?” Perhaps, if you get stuck, you can also take that tact?!
SERGIO MARTINEZ

Definitely helpful advice …. Thanks … I hope to improve my blog traffic.
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

That’s such a great point ! I often go back to titles after they’ve rolled off the front page of a blog to tweak them for readers and Google later on.

Of course, there’s the issue of a changed URL but my personal approach is to always put readability ahead of SEO.
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Ha! Martin just friended me on Facebook so now I know where to go if my muse fails me!
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Glad to hear it Sergio! Thanks for stopping by.
Pingback: George Brandt
Pingback: Karen Pore
Pingback: Billy Mitchell
Pingback: Andrew Shipp
Anonymous

Jon,

Two things SHOCKED me about your latest blog. Actually, I wasn’t shocked as much as drawn like a moth to flame. First, the word “Killer” somehow still gets my attention. Second, if you got a 25% lift from going a bit tabloid then you’ve not only made this blogger’s blood race with JEALOUSY and ENVY, you’ve provoked me to action. You’ve provoked me to comment actually. If your theory on attention-grabbing blog titles is true, does that mean MOST BLOGS BEGIN WITH LIES?!?! Or is the lack of shock value in most headlines due to the fact that too many BLOGS ARE WRITTEN BY ZOMBIES?!!?

I’m sorry if my comment is full of extremes but I’m trying to apply what I’ve learned! : )

I’m already thinking of my next blog headline and how I can juice it up a bit just for fun – and measurable results of course. Thanks for reminding us how important, and impactful, the first words out of our blogs can be.
http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Billy, I can’t believe the difference tabloid headlines have made to traffic. I’m actually astounded. I grew up reading Jane Austen, James Joyce and Proust. But I’ve had to drop an literary pretensions and try and take onboard the hackwriter’s mantle. I try picturing Danny DeVito in the film version of a James Ellroy novel. He writes for “Hush Hush” and everything is a gossipy headline. Glad the title hooked you in !!!