Editing Headlines and Section Headings
Hibu Writer's Style Guide
The headline is the first and perhaps only impression made on a prospective reader. A visitor to a site decides within seconds whether to stay or to move on. They quickly scan the site for words or phrases that interest them. If they can’t immediately determine what the page is about, they will simply leave and go elsewhere.
Below are tips on how to make your page headlines and section headings concise, attention-grabbing, and informative.
Page Headlines
- Page Headlines should be concise, active statements.
- Headlines should be at least 3 words long
- Headlines should speak to the content of the page
- In Editor 2.0, headlines are entered through Collections, rather than directly on the page
- In Editor 2.0, the service area will also be entered through Collections
- Service area should match what is in the header
- Legacy sites (Editor 1.0) will still have headlines and service areas entered directly on the page
- Here are some examples:
- Flood Restoration Philadelphia, PA
- Collision Repair Shop in Drexel Hill
- Delaware Valley Workers' Comp Attorney
- Landscape Design for the Delmarva Peninsula
- Default formatting for headlines is title case
- Capitalize all “major” words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns), including the second part of hyphenated major words (e.g., Self-Report not Self-report).
- Capitalize all words of four letters or more
- Headlines can also be formatted to match the style of the logo
- e.g. All-caps is a common one
- A Section Heading is an H2 or H3 headline contained within the body copy
- it is designed to introduce the copy section and orient the site use to what they are about to see
- Section Headings should contain relevant descriptive keywords about the paragraph and page topic
- When it makes sense, include the geo location or service area
- Try to keep section headings to one line
- On the Home Page copy blocks, make sure the headings are at least 2 words
- e.g. Instead of "Pizza" change to "Pizza Menu"
- Remove "fluff" words and focus on making sure relevant keywords have been included
- Auto Services Example:
- AI Headline: "Trust Our Qualified Experts to Efficiently Assess and Repair the Damage to Your Car"
- Edited headline: "Diagnostics and Car Repairs from ASE Certified Technicians"
- Landscape Design Example:
- AI Headline: "Why You Need Experts in the Field to Turn Your Yard Into a Work of Art"
- Edited Headline: "Why Proper Landscape Design and Installation Matters"
- Legal Services Example:
- AI Headline: "When It Comes to Your Legal Case, Make the Right Choice"
- "Over 35 Years Representing Injury Victims"
- For the "Why Choose Us" section, it may be helpful to include the NOB in the heading
- AI Headline: "Why We're Your Best Choice"
- Edited Headline: "Why You Need Service From Jerry's HVAC Today"
- AI will generate in a variety of styles, with a mix of keywords and NOB included
- As long as it relates to the text and is easily understood for skim-readers, the copy editor has discretion to adapt the headline as they see fit
Multi-Line Headlines
Reference: https://pixel-perfect.hibuwebsites.com/headlines-breaking-for-sense
Headlines that are two or three lines deep can create a tricky problem -- line breaks, or the place where one line ends and another begins. Avoid bad breaks caused by dangling verbs, adjectives or propositions. Review all heads and subheads and to make manual line "breaks for sense." Breaking for sense means breaking a line where one might logically pause when reading it aloud. This includes keeping adjectives with their nouns, breaking after punctuation, keeping proper names or hyphenated words on one line, etc.
Examples:
No
Looking for a New Car? We
Can Help.
Yes
Looking for a New Car?
We Can Help.
No
Making Life Better One
Home At a Time
Yes