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Should you begin Helium articles by repeating the article's title?

Results so far:

Yes		20%	190 votes	Total: 963 votes
No		80%	773 votes	Total: 963 votes

Yes

1 of 22

I think Helium titles should be re-phrased, if not repeated. When I am reading several related articles I am interested in, I want to see the specific topic that I know the author is going to elaborate on.

Since Helium changed the formatting of its URLs, some of my arguments have changed. It used to be that the first 4 words with 5 or more letters were part of the URL and helped search engines find articles related to specific topics.

Search engines still look for important words in the first sentence so keywords should be optimized for searches. But don't overuse the same words or an engine may count it as spam.

Non-titled articles create a problem in ratings. The Helium title does not show up on my computer screen unless I scroll up to check it out. I often have to do that because the content has little to do with the topic.

In fact, the other day, while rating, I was comparing plants to songs. I wondered why the two topics even showed up as a pair. The title was "How do plantings create an analogy to life?" As interesting as the "song" article might have been, it immediately was rated down and, hopefully, out of sight.

By "repeating" or "re-phrasing" the title at the top of a piece, an author would be "reminded" as to what he is supposed to be writing about. When I write a topic in "Word," I place the exact wording of the title in bold letters so I can keep looking back and stay on topic.

Maybe the regular Helium reader only drops in to see one or two topics and knows what to expect. But I have looked at least ten titles involving Helium and some are close in meaning: Improve the site and First thing to improve; How to rate a Helium article and How does the rating system work?; Overview and Helium's writing standards and The nuts and bolts of writing for Helium; etc.

I just read the first sentence of the top 5 articles under "Overview" and, if I did not look at the title, I could not have guessed the title that all 5 were writing to.

Re-phrasing the article's title gives the writer's intended slant so my mind is on track from his/her first sentence. Thus, "Suggested improvements for Helium... from a writer's perspective" or "Suggested improvements for Helium... from a reader's perspective" gives me a clue about the author's direction.

Furthermore, my printer does not automatically include the title, and I often print out interesting items that I must write the title on so I can file them correctly.

A writer should not HAVE to repeat the title exactly, BUT he should set the stage for what to expect in the article from his very first sentence.

AND the first sentence should be a variation on the title, with key words that are optimized for search engines.

Learn more about this author, Karon Brandt.
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No

1 of 61

by Stushie

Would you peel a potato or boil an egg twice?

Readers of any Helium articles have already chosen the subject they want to read, so they don't have to be immediately reminded of the topic. Repeating the title is redundant and is the equivalent of writing a High School English Essay, whilst trying to impress the teacher. Remember, Helium readers are also Helium writers, so they expect to be treated as discerning readers and not 10th grade students.

The title itself has been chosen by the initial writer of the subject, with perhaps a little tweaking by the Helium Staff. It draws readers towards the article and Helium has an excellent reputation of formulating titles that are both intriguing and interesting. The title is meant to captivate both the avid reader and potential writer of the subject. To keep repeating the title, even throughout the article, is like enduring one of those awful repetitive car songs that our kids used to sing on long journeys, in the back seat of the car. You begin to wish that you had never started the trip.

Starting with a catchy sentence or colorful phrase is a much better way of engaging readers. And when it comes to rating the article, I personally find that some good humor or an original perspective entices me to carry on reading. This in turn helps me to positively rate the article because it has engaged my sense of humor, appealed to my interest and, above all else, has held my attention. The title itself is merely the icing on the cake. Below the title should come several layers of poignant paragraphs and valid points.

Some have suggested that the tile may be repeated in the final segment of the Helium article. That kind of reminds me of making closing arguments in a court case or in the High School debating team. Articles are meant to be alive, intriguing, attractive, and engaging. Signing off in the right way is just as important as getting the title right. I've read many articles on Helium that have started off well, but then they run out of ideas and gas towards the end.
This can have a dulling effect upon the reader and a detrimental one upon how highly the article is finally rated.

Personally, I prefer signing off with a pithy moral or a humorous one liner.

Eating vegetables whilst writing is good for your health, but remember, too many beans will make you repeat.

Learn more about this author, Stushie.
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