Headline news, also known as the “Headline News Wheel”, is a rotating segment of national, international and local headlines and stories that was broadcast on all-news radio stations (and on cable television channels) across America in 1992. This format was developed in an attempt to save money by using a digital video jukebox that allowed for the same segments to be repeated over each hour of the day, saving on staff costs.

The headline is the first taste of your article that readers will get, and it’s important to create a compelling story in just a few words. It’s also the first step in getting a reader to commit to read more. Carefully crafted headlines inform and entice the audience, and they must adhere to SEO best practices in order to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Great headlines identify something that is important to the audience and then position your content as a solution to or pathway to that interest. When crafting a headline, think like a reader and ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” The answer to this question should jump off the page and be clear from your headline, as the more specific the benefit is, the better chance you have of encouraging readers to click through.