Headline Analyzer

About this tool

Headline Analyzer scores any headline from 0 to 100 with simple rules content marketers and editors use. Points come from word count (sweet spot 6-12), character count (65 or fewer to fit Google's search snippet), power words ('proven', 'ultimate', 'secret'), the share of emotional words, the share of common filler words, whether there is a number, whether it ends with a question mark, and average word length as a readability proxy. Sentiment (positive, negative or neutral) is shown alongside but does not change the score. The results break each metric out separately, show a heatmap of power and emotional words, and list suggestions such as 'shorten by 8 characters', 'add a number' or 'lead with a question'. The 'Try variants' button makes three quick rewrites by swapping a few common words for stronger synonyms and sometimes adding a number, each scored. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Why use it

• Real Score, Real Signals: Combines seven proven copywriting metrics into a single 0-100 score — not just keyword stuffing or character counting.

• Specific, Actionable Suggestions: Get exact instructions ('shorten by 8 characters', 'add a number', 'lead with a question') instead of vague ratings.

• Heatmap Highlights Power Words: Instantly see which words are doing emotional or persuasive work and which are filler.

• SERP-Fit Check Built In: Flags headlines over 65 characters that will get truncated in Google search results.

• Variant Generator: Click once to get three rewrites with power-word substitutions, each scored — pick the strongest in seconds.

• Browser-Only and Private: All scoring runs in JavaScript in your tab. No headline drafts are uploaded, logged, or stored.

How to use

1. Paste or type a single headline into the input field at the top.
2. Click 'Analyze' (or just keep typing — the score updates live).
3. Read the overall score 0-100 and its label: Excellent, Good, Fair, or Needs work.
4. Review each individual metric — word count, character count, sentiment, power words, common ratio, emotional ratio, and readability.
5. Read the suggestions and adjust the headline — try shorter, add a number, swap in a stronger verb.
6. Click 'Try variants' to see three rewrites with power-word substitutions, each scored. Click 'Use' on the one you like.

When it helps

• Drafting a blog post headline before clicking publish on Medium, Substack, or your CMS.
• Picking a YouTube video title, podcast episode name, or newsletter subject line.
• A/B testing two or three headline candidates and wanting an objective tiebreaker.
• Reviewing a content backlog and finding which headlines need rewriting.
• Coaching a junior writer on what makes a headline scannable, emotional, and search-friendly.
• Optimizing meta titles for SEO so they fit inside Google's 65-character SERP snippet.

Examples

Tips

• Aim for 6-12 words and under 65 characters — that's the sweet spot for both engagement and SERP visibility.
• One or two power words is plenty. Four or more starts to read as clickbait and tanks credibility.
• Numbers are magnetic. '7 ways', '5 minutes', '30-day' all give your headline a specific, scannable hook.
• If common-word ratio is over 55%, your headline is mostly filler — replace 'the', 'a', 'is' with concrete nouns and verbs.
• Use the variant generator for quick word-swap ideas, then compare the scores against your own rewrites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary

Power word

A word that triggers an emotional or curiosity response — 'proven', 'ultimate', 'secret', 'free', 'instant', 'fast'. The analyzer uses an embedded list of about 60 such words.

Common-word ratio

The fraction of words in a headline that are common 'glue' words like 'the', 'a', 'is', 'and'. High ratios mean the headline is filler-heavy; low ratios mean it's dense and specific.

Emotional ratio

The fraction of words that carry positive or negative emotional charge. A 10-40% range generally performs best — too low feels flat, too high feels overwrought.

SERP fit

Whether the headline fits in Google's search-result snippet without being truncated. Google typically shows about 65 characters of a title before cutting it off with an ellipsis.

Sentiment

Whether a headline reads as positive, negative, or neutral. Detected by counting words from embedded positive and negative word lists. Not robust to sarcasm.

Readability proxy

Average word length is used as a quick stand-in for readability — shorter average means simpler vocabulary. Not a full Flesch score; for that, use our Flesch Readability Score tool.