A catchy title can drive traffic to your blog or website but, if it isn’t related, it can damage your credibility. Here are some thoughts to consider before being too catchy. Does the reader actually want to read your content? Does the title explain what is in the blog post or article? Do you tell the truth with any graphics associated with the post? If the answer to any of these are no then you might be on the verge of selling out for clicks.
Consider the following: The title is a weighted link for blogs and articles, for SEO purposes, using a non-content title will lower your search rankings for the information in the blog. The title is also a preview to your post. People who want to read about your title-topic will click on your link and be happy to read about your content. If you encourage the wrong person to click on the wrong link, you run the risk of them clicking options on Facebook like “Ignore all posts from ____”. I can’t tell you how many sources of information I have un-followed for posting misleading links. If your picture is semi-related to your topic, but not really, you’re really going to irritate readers who otherwise might have been inclined to share your information.
Possibly the worst thing to do in this situation is type something like, “Something in your backyard might kill you.” And post a picture of a little girl riding a tricycle in a backyard because it’s a back yard. People are going to click the link expecting to read about the dangers of tricycles on grass, and the moment you start talking about weed-killer or cobras or something else, they are never going to trust you again. This happened to me with an article about foods that were bad for you and showed a picture of yogurt. I was curious to find new research about yogurt, (Sugar content? Fructose?) did they mention yogurt? Nope. As a result I have disabled that website on all my browsers on most my devices permanently. Did it have bad information? Nope, it simply lied about the information it might have.
Use these questions to guide you in your online title crafting. Catchy is good, but don’t lie to your readers.
The Magnus Effect 