Headline analyzer: catch weak titles before they ship.

Type a headline and an optional keyword to see whether it fits the result width, has a clear form and leads with the keyword, and whether it shouts. Every check and its points are on screen, so you can disagree with any of them.

By · Updated September 25, 2026

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Headline analyzer

Runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent anywhere.

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Heuristic score out of 100
Characters
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Words
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SERP width
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    Compare several headlines

    A heuristic, not a click-through prediction. The score adds up checks we chose: whether the title fits the result width, whether it has a number, a clear form, a keyword up front, and no shouting. It has not been fitted to click data, so use it to catch problems and compare drafts, not to pick a winner. Only a live test on real searchers does that.

    What you can do with it

    • Check a title tag fits before it is truncated in results
    • Compare several headline drafts side by side
    • Catch clickbait phrasing and all-caps before an editor does
    • Make sure the target keyword leads the title

    How it works, step by step

    1. 1

      Write the headline for the searcher first

      Say what the page gives them. The checks are for catching problems in a headline that already says something, not for building one from parts.

    2. 2

      Add the keyword you are targeting

      The keyword check only runs when you give it one, and then asks whether the phrase appears and how early. Early matters because the end of a long title is what gets cut.

    3. 3

      Fix fails before warnings

      A fail is a real problem: truncation, clickbait phrasing, a headline in capitals, a missing keyword. A warning is a suggestion you can reasonably ignore.

    4. 4

      Compare drafts, not scores in isolation

      Open the comparison panel, paste your variants one per line, and look at which checks each one fails. Two points of difference between drafts means nothing.

    5. 5

      Measure after publishing

      Search Console shows clicks and impressions per page and query. Change one title, wait a few weeks, and compare click-through rate at similar positions. That is the only real verdict.

    What the score is, and what it is not

    It is a checklist with points. Seven checks always run: result width, word count, a number, a recognisable form (how-to, list or question), power words, shouting and clickbait phrasing. An eighth, keyword position, runs when you give it a keyword. Each check shows the points it earned out of the points available, and the score is the percentage of the total.

    It is not a model of human behaviour. There is no dataset behind the weights; they express a judgement that a headline which fits, says what it offers and does not shout is better than one that does not. That judgement is usually right and occasionally wrong, which is why every check is visible instead of hidden inside a single number.

    The checks that matter most

    Width. A title that runs past about 600 pixels on desktop is cut with an ellipsis, and the cut falls on whatever you put last. The SERP preview shows the full result with the description underneath, if you want to see the truncation rather than read about it.

    Keyword position. A keyword in the first few words survives truncation and matches what the searcher just typed, which is what their eye looks for in a list of results.

    Clickbait. Phrases that promise a reaction instead of an answer (“you won’t believe”) work against you in search, where people are looking for a specific thing and skip results that do not say what they contain.

    Characters, if you need them

    If a CMS field or a social platform limits characters rather than pixels, the character counter counts them against common limits.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does the score predict click-through rate?

    No. The score adds up heuristic checks we chose, and it has not been fitted to click data. It catches common problems and helps compare drafts. Click-through depends on position, the other results, the query and your brand, none of which a headline tool can see.

    How is the SERP width measured?

    The headline is drawn on an invisible canvas at 18px Arial, roughly the font of a desktop result title, and compared with about 600 pixels. It is the same measurement the SERP preview on this site uses. Google renders in its own fonts, so treat it as close, not exact.

    What counts as a power word?

    A short list of about forty words that add stakes or specificity, such as proven, mistakes, avoid, free and exactly. Matching is on whole words. One or two score best; stacking several reads as a sales pitch and scores lower.

    Why are short acronyms not flagged as shouting?

    Because SEO, HTML and USA are normal. Only capitalised words of five letters or more, a headline written entirely in capitals, or repeated exclamation marks are flagged.

    Is this for title tags or on-page headlines?

    Both, with a caveat. The width check is about the title tag as shown in search results. An on-page h1 has no width limit, but the rest of the checks apply to it just as well.

    More free tools

    Free Meta Description Generator With SERP Preview Meta descriptions that survive Google's rewriting: the length that displays, and five patterns that work. Free Character Counter With Title and Meta Limits Count characters with and without spaces, and see how much room is left for a title tag, meta description, X post or LinkedIn post. Free SEO Content Brief Template and Generator Fill in eleven fields and copy a Markdown content brief a writer will follow. Free, in your browser, with the reasoning behind each field.
    Free growth plan for any domain Compare AltoRank against the alternatives More on SEO and GEO on the blog

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