Value, clarity and writing style are some of the criteria through which Helium titles can be classified and understood. Before you write, it is vital that you are aware of what you are writing to. This ensures that you do not veer off-topic and that you provide the information requested by particular titles.
Understanding titles help you to plan your article properly. It can also aid you in research. You will know what topic area you're looking for in the first instance. However, some topics are so broad in scope that you have to confine your research to a specific area. Writers often are irrelevant because they try to include more than is necessary for a specific title. To understand a title, it is necessary to ask yourself a few questions and seek the answers.
Is it ambiguous?
Ambiguity is different from title scope. An article with a broad scope simple gives a writer more freedom. An ambiguous title is a poor title that is a disgrace. "Soccer penalties explained" is an actual example of one such title. So awful and unclear was it, that vastly different interpretations of the title were fetched. Determining whether there are alternative interpretations of a title is the first step to understanding it.
What are the keywords in the title?
There are some articles that imply a relationship between two fields. Identifying the keywords would help you to know what it is about. For e.g. "Life insurance and retirement" requires the writer to discuss life insurance in the context of retirement. So if writers are to understand the title, they must think of the ways in which life insurance and retirement are related. The keywords in a title are integral to understanding the article focus and context.
What is the title asking you to do?
There are "how to" articles that may require you to describe the methods of a particular concept. Therefore, the title "How to plant flowers" is not asking for the merits and demerits of planting flowers. Some titles ask you to assess the merits or demerits of a particular idea, product or activity. Others may ask you to provide a definition of a concept, such as "What is financial independence?" You must be aware of what the title requires you to do with the keywords that appear.
What is the title's scope?
Some titles are very broad and allow the writer significant latitude. Other titles are very specific and do not require general information to be provided. Many titles straddle this continuum. Debate titles tend to be very specific. They have a "for or against" format to a title posed as a focused question. Titles like "Understanding life insurance policies" are very broad. The writer can include general information on the concept involved without being irrelevant. A title like "The dangers of driving too fast" does not require you to expound on the reasons for speeding. That would be off-topic.
What is the nature of the title?
A title can be knowledge-based, opinion based or speculative, regardless of what topic is addressed. Science, Personal Finance and health and Fitness titles are typically knowledge-based. However, they may have titles in those channels that require opinions or commentary. The onus is on you to assess each title on its merit. Some titles require a combination of perspective and fact. For e.g. "Are variable annuities useful?" is a subjective title that should include subjective analysis of the facts and concepts surrounding variable annuities.
Conclusion
Often, Helium titles can be broadly interpreted. If you are writing to a somewhat unclear title, you will have to take charge and determine how you want to approach it. Good article titles are necessarily restrictive. However, better writers can link otherwise irrelevant information in a manner that makes their articles cogent and distinctive. Understanding what you're writing to ensures that you provide what the readers (and raters) are looking for!