Two Titles, Same Lesson
Here are two titles for the same campus guide. One is "Clean Up Your Computer." The other is "An Introduction to File System Organization and Maintenance Best Practices."
Same lesson. Same steps. Same outcome. But one of those titles makes you want to click and the other makes you want to scroll past it.
What a Good Title Does
A good title is a promise. It tells the reader exactly what they will be able to do after they finish reading. "Clean Up Your Computer" promises that your computer will be cleaner when you are done. "Build a Game" promises you will have a game. "Check Your Usage" promises you will know how much you have used.
The reader sees the title, understands the promise, and decides whether that promise is worth their time. The whole transaction happens in about two seconds.
What a Bad Title Does
"An Introduction to..." promises nothing. It says "I am going to talk about a subject near you." That is not a reason to click. "Getting Started with..." is almost as bad. It promises a beginning with no clear ending.
Academic titles, feature-list titles, and category titles all share the same problem. They describe the content without promising the outcome. And outcomes are what people actually want.
How I Write Titles Now
When I name a lesson, I try to finish this sentence: "After this lesson, you will be able to ___." Whatever fills that blank is the title. Or very close to it.
"After this lesson, you will be able to talk to your computer." Title: "Talk to Your Computer."
"After this lesson, you will be able to see where your money goes." Title: "See Where Your Money Goes."
The title is not a label. It is the outcome. It is the reason someone showed up.
Keep the Promise
There is a second part to this that matters just as much. The lesson has to actually deliver what the title promised. If the title says "Build a Website" and the reader ends up with a website, you kept the promise. If they end up with a half-finished project and a list of next steps, you broke it.
A title is a deal between the writer and the reader. Make the deal clear, and then hold up your end.
