Business Growth
How to Write a Headline People Actually Read (Without Clickbait)
How to write a headline for a sales page, landing page, homepage, or blog post: the Who-What-Why method for naming the reader, the outcome, and the reason to keep reading - with formulas, examples, mistakes to avoid, and a Claude workflow for testing variations.
Founder, AI Tools and Training Club · October 9, 2026 · 9 min read
The short version
- A headline has one job: get the right person to read the next line. It does that by naming who it is for, what they get, and why they should care now.
- Use the Who-What-Why method: make the reader recognize themselves, state a specific outcome in plain words, and give a reason to keep going.
- Write at least ten versions before you pick one, cut every word that does not earn its place, and never promise something the page below cannot back up.
How do you write a headline?
You write a headline by stating, in plain language, the specific outcome your reader wants, in words they would use themselves. Start with who the page is for and what they get, make it concrete instead of clever, and give them a reason to read the next line. Then write many versions, not one, and choose the clearest. A good headline is not the most creative sentence on the page. It is the one that makes the right reader think "this is for me" in a few seconds.
My strong opinion here: clarity beats cleverness almost every time. A clever headline makes the writer feel good. A clear headline makes the reader keep reading. If you have to choose, choose clear.
What a headline is really for
A headline does not have to sell the whole offer. Its only job is to earn the next few seconds of attention. The subheadline earns the next few, the opening paragraph earns the next few, and so on down the page. When people try to cram the entire pitch into the headline, it turns into a long, vague sentence that does none of its jobs well.
- Filter - it tells the right reader "this is for you" and lets the wrong reader leave.
- Promise - it states what the reader gets, so they know why reading on is worth it.
- Pull - it creates enough curiosity or urgency to get the next line read.
The Who-What-Why method
Who-What-Why is the method I recommend because it forces specifics. Every strong headline answers at least two of these three questions, and the best answer all three.
| Part | The question | Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | Who is this for? | "Grow your business" | "For freelance designers who are tired of chasing invoices" |
| What | What do they get, in concrete terms? | "Better results with AI" | "Send every invoice and reminder automatically" |
| Why | Why should they keep reading now? | "The ultimate solution" | "Set it up in an afternoon, without code" |
The Who-What-Why method - three questions every headline should answer
You will rarely fit all three into a single short line. That is what the subheadline is for. A common pattern is to put the What in the headline and the Who and Why in the subheadline right below it.
Headline formulas that work
Formulas are starting points, not finished headlines. Use them to generate drafts, then rewrite each one in your customer's words.
| Formula | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Get [outcome] without [pain] | "Get your weekly reports done without touching a spreadsheet" | Sales pages and landing pages |
| How to [outcome] (even if [objection]) | "How to build your first automation, even if you have never written code" | Blog posts, lead magnets, webinars |
| The [named method] for [outcome] | "The one-page plan for launching a paid community" | Frameworks, guides, courses |
| [Outcome] for [specific audience] | "Bookkeeping that runs itself, for one-person businesses" | Homepages and product pages |
| Stop [pain]. Start [outcome]. | "Stop answering the same email twice. Start sending answers that write themselves." | Short ads and hero sections |
Five headline formulas and when to use them
Notice that none of these rely on hype words. The specifics do the work. If your headline still feels flat after you apply a formula, the fix is usually a more specific outcome, not a louder adjective.
Where to find the words for your headline
The best headlines are often lifted almost word for word from how customers describe their own problem. You do not have to invent the language. Go collect it.
- Sales call notes. Write down the exact phrase people use when they explain why they reached out. [How to run a discovery call](/blog/how-to-run-a-discovery-call) shows how to draw this out.
- Testimonials and reviews. The sentence a happy customer uses to describe the result is often a ready-made headline. [How to get testimonials](/blog/how-to-get-testimonials) covers how to ask for them.
- Your inbox and DMs. Questions people ask before they buy show you what they care about most.
- Your value proposition. If you have already written one, the headline is usually its sharpest sentence. See [how to write a value proposition](/blog/how-to-write-a-value-proposition).
Headline mistakes to avoid
- Being clever instead of clear. Puns and wordplay make readers stop and decode, and most will not bother.
- Talking about yourself. "Welcome to Acme Solutions" tells the reader nothing about what they get.
- Vague promises. "Unlock your potential" could be on any page about anything.
- Clickbait. A headline the page does not deliver on gets the click and loses the trust.
- Writing only one version. The first headline you write is rarely the best one.
- Ignoring the subheadline. A great headline followed by a vague subheadline loses the reader on the second line.
If the headline sits at the top of a [homepage](/blog/how-to-write-a-homepage) or a [sales page](/blog/how-to-write-a-sales-page), the same rules apply, and the page below needs to keep the promise the headline makes all the way down to the [call to action](/blog/how-to-write-a-call-to-action).
How to write and test headlines with Claude
Claude is useful for headlines because the hard part is volume and variety: writing many genuinely different versions so you can pick the best one. Use the Claude desktop app and give it real material, not a one-line prompt.
- Paste in who the page is for, what you sell, and the specific outcome customers get. Add real customer phrases from calls, reviews, or emails, with personal details removed.
- Tell Claude not to invent any number, result, or promise that is not in what you gave it.
- Ask for twenty headlines across different angles: outcome-first, pain-first, audience-first, how-to, and named-method.
- Ask it to score each one on clarity and specificity, cut the vague ones, and explain why the top three are strongest.
- Pick your favorite, then ask for five subheadlines that complete it with the Who and the Why. Read the pair out loud before you publish.
If the page has enough traffic, test two headlines against each other and keep the one that gets more people to take the next step. If it does not, put your best version in front of a few real customers and ask them what they think the page offers. If they cannot tell you, the headline is not clear yet.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a headline be?
As short as it can be while still being specific. Many strong headlines fit in one line, but clarity matters more than length. If a short headline is vague, a slightly longer clear one is better. Move extra detail into the subheadline.
What makes a headline good?
A good headline tells the right reader what they get and why it matters to them, in plain words, and the page below delivers on it. Specific beats general, clear beats clever, and the customer's language beats industry jargon.
Should I use numbers in my headline?
Use numbers when they are real and meaningful, such as the number of steps in a guide or a time frame you can actually deliver. Never use a number you cannot back up. An invented number in a headline damages trust in everything below it.
What is the difference between a headline and a subheadline?
The headline grabs attention with the main promise. The subheadline sits right below it and adds the detail the headline did not have room for, usually who it is for, how it works, or why it is different.
Can AI write good headlines?
AI is very good at generating many variations quickly, which is the hardest part of headline writing. It works best when you give it real customer language and your actual offer. You still need to pick the winner and make sure it matches what the page delivers.