The first 25 words on your web page are THE most important. Why? Because Google says so. The first and last 25 words on each of your web pages are areas that Google pays close attention to, so it’s a prime place to put your keywords and get your point across.
25 words is also roughly how long it takes to get a ‘feel’ for the gist of a piece of content so if you can sum up the benefits upfront you’ll be doing your readers a favour. Most people don’t have time to read your content word for word and will scan to find what they’re looking for.
Problem/solution leads work particularly well. For example:
“Tired of not sleeping? A simple home cure that your granny may have known holds the key to your dreams”
Or you could try starting with a question:
“Why are left-handed people better artists? It’s not what you think…”
Interesting quotes work well too:
“Most managers and business owners set their recruitment strategy on a slippery slope by hiring people who are just like them.”
And if storytelling is one of your skills, try starting in the middle instead of at the beginning:
“Last week I was invited onto the stage to receive my award, to thunderous applause. That moment was 20 years in the making.”
Whatever approach you decide to take, remember that all your lead has to do is build a bridge between the headline and the body copy where you’re going to WOW readers with all the benefits of your product or service. More about that next month.
Got any great examples of leads that have worked well for you? Comment below – we’d love to hear about them.
