Writing Headlines That Don’t Sound Like Everyone Else’s

By Jessica Tavares

“Quality Service You Can Trust” says nothing

Open ten competitor homepages in your industry and you’ll see some version of the same headline on most of them. Generic phrases feel safe, but they don’t give a visitor any reason to remember you.

What actually stands out

Specific claims beat vague ones. “Same-day repairs, every time” beats “quality you can trust.” Say something only you can honestly say, not something any competitor could copy word for word.

Write it, then check it

Could a competitor swap in their name and use your headline unchanged? If yes, it’s too generic. Rewrite it until it’s specific enough that only your business could say it.

Simple beats clever

You don’t need a pun or a gimmick, just something true and specific about what you actually do differently.