by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: December 26, 2009   Last Updated: December 02, 2011

When internet expository writers develop a loyal audience, they try to do so without wasting their time or the reader's time. Whether their article is a copy and paste summary of the latest political talking points, or whether the post covers the best way to eliminate lime and rust stains, titles are like a beacon of light to the interested reader.

The anatomy of a good informational title begins with the key words. There are action words and there are subject words.  "How to"; The Secret to", The 10 Best"; "The Best Way to..", are examples of action words for an informational title. The action words are written in a way that promises some new or better insights than other articles. These may look like passive words, but they actually come right out and say that "I will tell you something that you want to know".

The subject words for an informational article are the next part of the title skeleton. Whether it's a movie, a cleaning method, another political attack, or a list of the ten best of something, the subject tells the reader exactly what they will be reading about. Subject words in a title that are there because they are the best search keywords are a good way to draw audience, but the article had better deliver the goods that were promised.

Finally, if the author is well known at a site and has a loyal following, they may add their identity: "Joe's ten best films of 2009", or "Avatar's Secret to A Great First Date".  

The anatomy of a good personal story article also has action words and subject words. "This Famous Person"; "I Survived..."; "My Mother's Secret Tragedy", "Our Horrible Vacation", are articles that promise a first person telling of something that was an interesting event. The subject words tell who is involved and what was special about the events that unfolded. Again, if the action and subject words are also popular keywords, then the title will have good search engine visibility. 

But getting  the right combination of search engine visibility and words that attract readers is not always easy.

Readers focus first on the more alarming or attention getting words, then they focus on what is going to be said about them. "Wandering Down Life's Pathways", is an interesting title to someone who knows the writer, but other readers need more information.

Adding a "Post Colon Statement" will suggest a series of stories to come and will give the new reader more to work with. "Wandering Down Life's Pathways: Getting My Teenager Out Of Jail", is a far more compelling title, since it states which of the millions of possible pathways the writer is going down today.

For a blogger or article writer who covers a variety of topics, the pre and post colon anatomy allows a periodic or weekly article on a single topic of interest, with the added enticement to read the particular sub topic.  Eventually "Wandering Down Life's Pathways" can become a topic that draws it's own audience.

The verb and subject form: "Saving Private Ryan" is an effective anatomy. The single word title: "Africa" is so full of hubris that a reader will check the article out just to see who plans to cover an entire continent.

A good writer will always look for good examples of brilliant titling as they read and browse the internet and the libraries. A good collection of the best titling forms is not a bad thing to keep for reference.

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