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Headline Analyzer

Score headlines 0-100 by power words, sentiment, length, and SERP fit

About Headline Analyzer

Headline Analyzer scores any headline from 0 to 100 against the rules content marketers and editors actually use. The score combines seven signals: word count (sweet spot 6-12), character count (under 65 to fit Google's search snippet), sentiment (positive vs negative), power-word density ('proven', 'ultimate', 'secret'), common-word ratio, emotional-word ratio, and a readability proxy. The result page breaks each metric out separately, draws a heatmap so you can see which words are doing the work, and offers actionable suggestions — 'shorten by 8 characters', 'add a number', 'lead with a question'. The 'Try variants' button generates three alternative headlines by substituting power-word synonyms and adding numbers, each scored independently. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Why use Headline Analyzer

  • 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 Headline Analyzer

  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 to use Headline Analyzer

  • 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

Strong headline

Input: 7 Proven Ways to Cut Your AWS Bill in Half

Output: Score around 90 — has number, power word, specific benefit, under 65 chars.

Too long

Input: An exhaustive guide to all the ways you might possibly want to consider reducing your monthly cloud computing costs

Output: Low score — too many words, too many filler words, no number.

Question lead

Input: Why Are Your Page Loads So Slow?

Output: Score around 75 — short, emotional, ends with a question.

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.
  • Run your top three drafts through the variant generator and pick the highest score — fast way to break a tie.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the score computed?▾
The 0-100 score sums weighted contributions from word count (sweet spot 6-12: up to 25 pts), character count (≤65: up to 15 pts), power-word count (1-3 ideal: up to 15 pts), emotional ratio (10-40%: up to 15 pts), common-word ratio (≤40%: up to 10 pts), presence of a number (10 pts), question mark at end (5 pts), and average word length 4-6 (5 pts). Capped at 100.
Why is the sentiment off for sarcasm?▾
Sentiment is detected by simple word-list lookup — 'best', 'win', 'happy' count as positive; 'worst', 'fail', 'hate' as negative. Sarcasm flips meaning without flipping vocabulary, so a sarcastic 'Best. Day. Ever.' still scores positive. Treat sentiment as a heuristic, not ground truth.
What counts as a power word?▾
About 60 embedded words including 'ultimate', 'proven', 'secret', 'mistake', 'fast', 'free', 'now', 'instant', 'easy', 'simple', 'exclusive', 'breakthrough', 'definitive', 'guaranteed', 'reveal', 'master', 'crush', 'transform', 'boost'. The full list is hard-coded in the module.
Why does my long headline score badly even if it's clear?▾
Headlines over about 12 words tend to get truncated in feeds, social, and SERPs — the score penalizes length to reflect how the headline will perform in the wild, not how clear it reads in isolation.
Should every headline have a power word?▾
One or two strong, well-chosen power words usually help. Four or more reads as clickbait and erodes trust. The analyzer rewards 1-3 power words and penalizes 4+.
Does adding a number really matter?▾
Yes — listicles ('7 ways', '5 minutes', '30-day') consistently outperform non-numeric headlines in click-through rate studies. The analyzer awards 10 points for any number in the headline.
Why does the same headline score differently if I rerun it?▾
It doesn't. Scoring is deterministic — same input always produces the same score. The 'Try variants' button is randomized (it picks different power-word substitutions each time), but the analyzer itself is stable.
Can I use this for meta titles, video titles, or email subjects?▾
Yes. The signals — short, emotional, specific, under 65 characters — apply across blog headlines, YouTube titles, email subject lines, and product names. The 65-character cap is especially relevant to meta titles for SEO.

Explore the category

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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.