Simple and informative: that’s how the headlines of news articles should be to win over online readers, according to the findings of a study published in Science Advances and conducted by researchers from Michigan State University, Ohio State University, and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Out of over 31,000 headlines studied, those using simple words and/or a simple narrative style received more clicks than more convoluted headlines.
“For example, the Washington Post headline ‘Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah: here’s why they shouldn’t say too much’ outperformed the alternative headline, ‘Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it’.
“While both are long, they illustrate how a more straightforward headline can generate more interest,” the researchers explained.
But while the majority of readers prefer less complex headlines, this is not the case with journalists, who are less receptive to simple headlines than the average reader, the experts added.
Above all, online users want to be able to understand the information presented, which is more likely with a short and sweet headline. Indeed, “in follow-up experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand”, the researchers stressed.
Journalists should KISS
To meet this need for accessibility, journalists should follow the “KISS” – or “keep it simple, stupid” – principle, which espouses direct, understandable writing, so engagement can easily be boosted on the web and on social platforms.
Notably, many internet users repost articles simply based on the headline. X, formerly Twitter, even launched a function that alerts users if they want to share an article without even having read it beforehand.
“Simplicity in headline writing matters because the news market is extremely competitive, and it reduces a barrier between the public and important information,” the researchers concluded.
“Our study does not suggest traditional news sites should become ‘clickbait’ – rather, it suggests that if headlines become more accessible to average news readers, they will be more effective for engagement and, hopefully, a more informed public.”