ShakeKit Headline Analyzer
write titles people actually click.
8 in 10 people read the headline; only 2 in 10 read the rest. Paste yours to score it 0 to 100 on word balance, power words, emotion, length, and structure, with specific fixes to make it stronger.
Your headline
Your score
Your headline does 80% of the work. Here is how to make it count
Copyblogger's often-cited finding sums it up: 8 out of 10 people read your headline, but only 2 out of 10 read the rest. You can write a brilliant article, email, or ad, but if the headline does not earn the click, almost no one sees the rest. This analyzer breaks a headline into the factors that actually move clicks, and scores each one.
What the score is built on
The model comes from decades of direct-response copywriting and modern CTR data. It weighs several things, each with a sweet spot:
- Word balance. The best headlines mix common words (so it reads naturally), uncommon words (so it stands out), emotional words (so it makes you feel something), and power words (so it compels action). All of one type scores poorly.
- Word count. 6 to 12 words is the engagement sweet spot, specific enough to be clear, short enough to scan.
- Character length. Under about 60 characters so Google does not truncate it and it survives email and social previews.
- Numbers. Digits stop the wandering eye and promise a specific, scannable format. List headlines reliably earn engagement.
- Sentiment. Clear emotion beats neutral. Positive headlines get shared; negative or warning-style ones ("mistake", "stop", "avoid") can drive high click-through.
Power words and emotional words, used well
Power words add strength and urgency: proven, instant, free, secret, ultimate, guaranteed. Emotional words make the reader feel something: surprising, painful, fearless, effortless. Headlines with emotional triggers consistently beat neutral ones, and power words can lift click-through meaningfully. The catch is restraint, one or two land; five in a row read like spam and get ignored.
Proven headline formulas to start from
| Formula | Example |
|---|---|
| How to + benefit | How to Double Your Traffic in 90 Days |
| Number + specific promise | 7 Email Subject Lines That Get Opened |
| Problem → outcome | Stop Losing Leads: Fix Your Follow-Up in a Day |
| Do X without Y | Grow Your List Without Paying for Ads |
How to actually use this tool
- Write 5 to 10 versions, score each. The best copywriters never publish their first headline.
- Aim for 70 or above, but do not chase 100 at the cost of clarity. A clear 75 beats a clever, confusing 90.
- Front-load the important words. Hook within the first three words; that is what people see first.
- Read it out loud. If it sounds like a human said it, it will read like one too.
Want headlines and content built to convert, done for you? Shakeworld runs content marketing for businesses that want traffic that turns into customers. The analyzer is free regardless, score as many as you like.
Headline writing, answered
A good headline is clear first, then compelling. It tells the reader exactly what they get, then adds a reason to care: a number, a power word, or an emotional hook. The research is blunt: 8 in 10 people read the headline, but only 2 in 10 read the rest, so the headline does about 80% of the work. Aim for a mix of common, uncommon, emotional, and power words, not all of one kind.
Two limits matter. For words, 6 to 12 is the engagement sweet spot, short enough to scan, long enough to be specific. For characters, keep it under about 60 so Google does not cut it off in search results and it survives email and social previews. This tool flags both.
Power words add strength and urgency (proven, ultimate, instant, secret, free). Emotional words trigger a feeling (surprising, painful, fearless, joy). Both lift click-through rates, headlines with emotional triggers consistently beat neutral ones, and power words can raise CTR meaningfully. The trick is balance: one or two, not a pile-up that reads like spam.
This tool scores 0 to 100 across several weighted factors: word balance (the mix of common, uncommon, emotional, and power words), word count, character length, whether it uses a number, headline type (how-to, list, question), and sentiment. Each factor has an optimal range, and your score reflects how close you land. Aim for 70 or above.
Yes. Headlines with clear emotion, positive or negative, beat neutral ones. Positive headlines tend to earn more shares, while negative or warning-style headlines (mistake, avoid, stop) can drive high click-through because they tap loss aversion. Neutral, flat headlines are the ones that get scrolled past.
Yes, fully free with no signup. It runs entirely in your browser, so your headlines never leave your device. It is part of ShakeKit, a free set of marketing tools by Shakeworld. Analyze as many headlines as you like, the best copywriters write a dozen versions and pick the strongest.
A better headline is the cheapest win in marketing.
ShakeKit has more free tools to measure ROI, plan ad budgets, and fix slow follow-up.
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