Headline

A headline is the short, prominent line of text at the top of an article, page or advert whose job is to catch attention and make someone want to read on. It is usually the first and sometimes the only thing a person reads, so it carries much of the weight of whether they stay.

It is like a shopfront sign: get it right and people come in, get it wrong and they walk past whatever treasures lie inside. A headline matters because far more people read the headline than the rest, so a clear, honest and compelling one is one of the highest-value things to get right.