Headline analyzer
What is Headline Type (Format) in SEO?
Headline type is the structural format class Seeklyn assigns to a title — how-to, list, question, superlative, you-directed, or generic — and each type carries a 0–100 CTR sub-score. How-to and list formats score 90, question scores 85, superlative and you-directed score 70, and generic scores 40. The type is detected automatically: "How to…" → how-to, a leading digit → list, a question mark or question word → question.
Seeklyn shows the detected headline type and score in the Headline Type card — visible at /dashboard/headline.
What headline types does Seeklyn recognise?
6 headline types are recognised, assigned by a priority rule: how-to is checked first, then list (leading digit), then question (question mark or question opener), then superlative (words like "best" or "top"), then you-directed (second-person pronouns), and finally generic as the default. Each title receives exactly 1 type.
The detection is deterministic: "How to Double Your Revenue in 90 Days" → how-to; "7 Ways to Improve Your Headline" → list; "Are You Making These SEO Mistakes?" → question; "The Best SEO Tools for 2025" → superlative; "Your Complete Guide to Link Building" → you-directed. A title that matches none of the above patterns is classified as generic.
How does headline type affect the CTR score?
Headline type contributes 20% of the CTR score. How-to and list formats score 90 because they set a clear, actionable expectation — research consistently shows they earn higher click-through than unstructured titles. Question headlines score 85 because they map onto the way readers phrase their own search queries. Superlative and you-directed formats score 70 — useful but prone to feeling hyperbolic or generic. The default generic classification scores only 40, which reflects that an unstructured declarative or descriptive title carries no inherent format hook.
| Headline type | Score | Detection signal |
|---|---|---|
| How-to | 90 | Title starts with "How to" |
| List | 90 | Title starts with a digit (e.g. "7 Ways…") |
| Question | 85 | Contains "?" or starts with who/what/when/where/why/how/which/are/is/do… |
| Superlative | 70 | Contains best/worst/top/ultimate/greatest/fastest/easiest/cheapest/most/least |
| You-directed | 70 | Contains you/your/you're/yours |
| Generic | 40 | None of the above patterns match |
Why do how-to and list formats score highest?
How-to headlines promise a concrete outcome ("How to Improve Your Headline Score in 5 Minutes"), and list headlines set a clear expectation ("9 Power Words That Double Click-Through"). Both formats answer an implicit "what will I get?" question before the reader clicks, which reduces the perceived risk of the click. Question headlines achieve a similar effect by mirroring the reader's own query, making the page feel directly relevant.
Generic headlines score 40 rather than 0 because a well-written descriptive title can still perform adequately — 40 reflects "possible but suboptimal", not "broken". Seeklyn's guidance for a generic type suggests reformatting as a how-to, list, or question where possible.
How is headline type different from headline format for AEO?
Headline type is a CTR sub-score that measures click-through appeal. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) considers a related but different property: whether the headline maps onto the phrasing of a search query well enough to trigger retrieval. Question headlines score well on both dimensions because they mirror query syntax. How-to headlines do well on CTR but gain their AEO benefit through a separate skimmability and clarity check rather than through the type score.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my headline type by rewording?
Yes. The type is detected from the first few words of the title. Starting your title with "How to" raises the type to how-to (90); adding a leading number makes it a list (90); ending with "?" or starting with a question word makes it a question (85).
Does a question headline need a literal "?" character?
No. Seeklyn detects question headlines either by the presence of "?" anywhere in the title or by the title starting with a recognised question opener: who, what, when, where, why, how, which, are, is, do, does, can, should, will.
What if my title starts with a number but is not really a list?
Seeklyn detects list format by a leading digit, so "2024 Guide to SEO" would be classified as a list headline and score 90. In practice this is rarely wrong — headlines starting with a number almost always imply a list or count — but the score reflects detected format, not intent.