Writing B2B Content Headlines for Outcomes (and not just SEO)

By Omar Sofradzija, Content Specialist

SEO is a means to an end and not an end unto itself. It’s easy to get caught up in keyword placement to a point where you can forget the whole point of bringing people to your page: because you want to do something for them that they’d find beneficial in B2B marketing. Optimized headlines catch their attention, but how do you keep it?

When crafting headlines, you need to find the right words that give your target reader clarity and enticement on what they’re getting out of reading your post. It’s not enough to simply state the topic issue with keywords. You need to include the outcome that addresses their pain points and makes reading the blog a no-brainer.

It’s like a game recap without a score

Imagine reading a sports story with the headline, Chicago Bears played New York Giants Sunday. You’d rightfully ask yourself, wait; I don’t need to know that there was a game played, I want to know who won! A proper headline would be something like, Chicago Bears thrash New York Giants 47-7 with brutal defense. Now, the headline isn’t just stating something happened; rather, it uses that foundation as a springboard to get to the outcome and result, which is why it matters to you.

So, when we’re writing a blog post, why do we far too often use headlines like, Limitations of Widget Production? Titles that state who, what, when, and where are the basis of many SEO keywords (like widget, production, and limitations). But, they don’t explain why it matters and how it helps your readers overcome the pain points of their workplaces and industries associated with those keywords? B2B content must focus on this to be effective.

Again, think about what you’re trying to help your B2B reader. If it’s a product offering, perhaps you can say, Limitations in Widget Production? We Can Help or New Widget-Stretcher Overcomes Limitations in Widget Production. 

If you’re offering thought leadership on the issue, fit your insight into the headline: Teamwork Can Overcome Limitations of Widget Production or perhaps Overcoming Limitations of Widget Productions in 4 Easy Steps. The SEO keywords bring your reader to the page, and the description of action that leads to insight or solutions gets the reader to say, aha! This is what I was looking for!

Solutions lacking prominence may stay unseen

It’s just a headline, you may say. We get to the point soon enough in the blog post. That’s true. And that’s also taking the chance that a busy client will make it far enough into your post to find that point. He or she may be scanning headlines looking for useful articles and bypassing posts with headlines that offer only vague referrals to a topic but not why it should matter to them.

If your solution that solves their problem isn’t in a place they can easily find, they may not take the time to hunt it down. After all, it’s your job to easily and cleanly sell them on your idea. It isn’t their responsibility to find the point of your article.

Beyond blogs: B2B content headlines

These rules can apply not only to blogs but also to just about any B2B content. From white papers to brochures and from thought leadership pieces to lead generation pages, B2B companies need to create value for readers. Identify the who-what-when-where, make sure you have your SEO keywords in place, and then add the why or how on how you’ll impact the client through your offering or issue.

Image source: Pexels