How To Write Press Release Headlines That Get Results

Headlines are the most critical part of any press release. They need to grab attention, provide clarity and appeal to your target audience. 

But crafting a great headline isn’t just about writing something catchy - it’s about understanding what your audience is searching for and using data to enhance effectiveness. 

This is where Google Trends comes in. By leveraging search data, you can refine your headlines to include the terms that will resonate most. 

In this blog, we walk you through the process of how to write better headlines - featuring a real-world case study!

1. Think Like Your Reader

A common mistake we see is using technical or overly formal language. 

While it’s essential to be accurate, clarity and relevance are key to attracting readers. Think about how your audience searches for information and the specific words they might use. 

By focusing on your audience’s perspective and their search habits, you can craft a headline that speaks directly to them, enhancing its effectiveness. 

Take this headline for example: “Bartlett and Regrow Partner to Advance Sustainability Commitments.” 

While this headline is accurate, it could be improved to better speak to the company’s target audience: those in the soybean and agribusiness sectors.  

2. Identify Keywords for Your Press Release

The first step in optimizing a headline is identifying the most important words in your press release. These could be product names, company names or the main themes of the release.  

For Bartlett and Regrow, the keywords were "sustainability," "soybean," "agribusiness," and "carbon reduction." 

3. Use Google Trends to Refine Your Headline

Once you’ve selected the important terms, the next step is to plug them into Google Trends to see which words are being searched for most frequently by your target audience.  

Here’s how to get started: 

• Go to Google Trends and enter the keywords from your press release. 

• Change the date, time and region settings to ensure the results match your target audience. For instance, if your release is aimed at a Canadian audience, change the region to Canada. 

• Try different variations of your key terms - Experiment with alternative keywords or variations to see which ones are generating the most interest - for example: kids vs. children, AI vs. artificial intelligence, press release vs. news release. 

• Add keywords to your headline - Incorporate the most relevant keywords naturally into your headline. 
  
  

Here’s how we did it for Bartlett and Regrow: 

• We entered several key terms into Google Trends including:
  
  
  • Agribusiness
  • Soybean
  • Sustainability
  • Environmental outcomes 
    
    
• We chose words based on search volume - Google Trends results showed that “sustainability,” “soybean” and “agribusiness” were the most frequently searched keywords by people in the soybean industry. These terms were much more relevant than broader phrases like "environmental outcomes." 
  
  
• We tailored the headline based on search volume - With the search data in hand, we revised the headline to: “Bartlett and Regrow Advance Sustainability within Soybean Agribusiness.” 

This version of the headline includes the top three keywords, which are more likely to connect with readers searching for news on agribusiness and sustainability.  

It also speaks directly to the core audience - those in the soybean industry - making it more targeted and relevant.  

The revised headline performed better not just in search engines, but also with readers who are more likely to engage with the content! 

4. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

While it’s important to include high-performing keywords, avoid forcing too many of them into your headline.  

Keyword stuffing - the practice of overloading a sentence with search terms - can make the headline heavy and difficult to read.  

5. Confirm Readability

Finally, ensure that your headline is easy to read and not too long. A good rule of thumb is to keep it between 8-10 words.  

In the Bartlett and Regrow example, we kept the revised headline to a readable length while incorporating the most relevant terms. 

For your next press release, keep these tips in mind to improve your headlines and boost visibility.  

By leveraging tools like Google Trends, focusing on reader-friendly language and using the most relevant keywords, you can ensure your story connects with your audience and increase its chances of capturing media attention. 

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