Paste your headline and get an instant score — word count, power words, SEO length, emotional impact, and more.
A headline score isn't just a vanity metric. Each dimension tells you something specific about how your headline will perform in search results, email subject lines, and social media.
Word count
The sweet spot is 6–9 words. Under 4 words lacks specificity. Over 12 words gets cut off in search results and feels exhausting to read.
Character length
Google displays roughly 50–60 characters before truncating in search results. If your headline gets cut mid-word, it loses trust and clicks. Always check character count for SEO-targeted content.
Power words
Words like 'Free', 'Proven', 'Secret', 'Instantly', 'Warning', and 'You' trigger emotional responses. Headlines with at least one power word get significantly higher CTR in A/B tests.
Emotional impact
High-emotion headlines (curiosity, urgency, empathy, surprise) perform 2–3x better than neutral informational headlines. 'How to Write an Email' is neutral. 'The Email That Got a 62% Reply Rate' triggers curiosity.
Sentiment
Positive headlines generate more shares. Negative headlines ('What Not to Do', 'Stop Making This Mistake') generate more clicks. Neutral headlines underperform both. Match sentiment to your goal.
Every top-performing headline follows one of these patterns. Test your own against the analyzer above.
How to [outcome] without [pain]
“How to Write Ad Copy Without Hiring a Copywriter”
Number + adjective + keyword
“7 Proven Landing Page Formulas That Actually Convert”
[Outcome] in [specific time]
“Write a Full Email Sequence in 30 Minutes”
The [secret/truth/real reason] about [topic]
“The Real Reason Your Headlines Don't Get Clicked”
What [nobody/everyone] [knows/tells you] about [topic]
“What Nobody Tells You About Writing YouTube Hooks”
What makes a headline good for SEO?
A strong SEO headline is 50–60 characters, includes the target keyword near the start, uses a number or specific promise when possible, and avoids clickbait. Match the headline to search intent — a person searching 'how to write headlines' wants a guide, not a product page.
How long should a blog post headline be?
50–60 characters for SEO (displays fully in Google). Under 70 characters for social media. 6–9 words for most formats. If your headline is over 70 characters, check whether it gets truncated in search results using the analyzer above.
What is a power word and does it actually help?
Power words are high-impact words that trigger an emotional or psychological response: Free, Proven, Secret, Instantly, Complete, Warning, Never, You. Headlines with at least one power word consistently outperform neutral headlines in click-through rate tests.
What is the best headline formula?
'How to [achieve outcome] without [pain]' is the highest-performing formula for most content types. Second: Number + adjective + keyword ('7 Proven Email Subject Lines'). Third: '[Outcome] in [time]'. All three deliver a specific, credible promise in under 10 words.
Should my headline match the meta title exactly?
For blog posts, yes — consistency between your H1 headline and meta title reduces confusion. For tool or product pages, the meta title can include the brand name or extra context that doesn't fit the on-page H1. Never use completely different phrasing — it creates a disconnect for users and search engines.