Headlines should speak in an active voice and focus on simplicity -- the right noun and a strong verb. Keep active headlines in the present tense. Even if the event is in the recent past, write your headline in the present tense. A good example is the simple "House Explodes in Smithtown" A less captivating headline in the past tense might have read, "A House Exploded in Smithtown." The active voice gives the headline life and draws the reader in.
Well, maybe not the whole story. But you do want your headline to tell your readers up front what they're going to get. If your story is about a man who finds T-rex bones in his backyard, your headline shouldn't be "Man Makes Shocking Discovery." It should be "Man Discovers Dinosaur Bones in His Backyard." A headline like that will make the reader want to know what kind of dinosaur, how the man found the bones, and what he's going to do with the discovery.
Asking a question in a title is frowned upon in professional headline writing circles, but it is a technique that can work well for bloggers and others writing for an online audience. More and more, people are searching for content by asking a question in the search box, such as "best place to eat in Akron?" You can capitalize on this by writing a headline that asks the same question: "Where's the Best Place to Eat in Akron?" Just make sure you answer the question in your story.
Good headlines tend to have a sing-song quality to them, and using alliteration can give a headline a little verve. Use sparingly, but for feature stories, sports stories and humor pieces, alliteration is useful tool. "Bears Beat Bucks in Big Rally," for example, captures the excitement and fun of a sports event. "President Ponders Paris Policy" is an attention-getting short headline that captures a less serious news story. For hard news, however, avoid alliteration and stick to active voice and present tense.