- A study shows that simple headlines with common words increase clicks and engagement.
- Simple language makes content more accessible and engaging.
- Small changes in headlines can lead to significantly more readers.
A Harvard University study shows that readers are more likely to click on and engage with news headlines that use simple language. The study, published in Science Advances, analyzed over 30,000 experiments with nearly 9,000 headlines from The Washington Post and Upworthy. The results show that headlines with plain words perform better than those with more complex phrases in capturing readers' attention.
Between March 2021 and December 2022, researchers conducted nearly 9,000 tests with over 24,000 headlines. Data from The Washington Post showed that simpler headlines had higher click-through rates. The experiments showed that the use of more common words and simpler writing style led to more clicks.
A follow-up experiment showed that readers engage less with complex headlines, suggesting that simple language can help publishers increase audiences even for complicated stories. The study also showed a difference between professional writers and general readers; journalists did not prefer simpler headlines, suggesting a gap between their preferences and those of readers.
For publishers, this means that using simpler language in headlines can create an advantage in the competition for readers' attention. Small changes in headlines can lead to significantly more readers, making content more accessible and engaging even for complex articles.