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  • From: Bob Stepno <bstepno AT mindspring.com>
  • To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [internetworkers] Boring Headlines Re: John W. Backus, 82, Fortran Developer, Dies
  • Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 14:35:35 -0400

In this case, the headline trouble is more a matter of the copydesk being clueless about the industry-specific meaning of the word "developer" ("someone who writes programs") more than the "search engine optimization" issue.

"Creator" or "Inventor" would have been less ambiguous, if imprecise. Using the verb form instead of "developer" would eliminate the ambiguity: "John W. Backus Dies; Developed Fortran"

Personally, I'd tell a student to avoid the deceased's name (because most readers won't know him), and maybe even avoid "Fortran," because younger and non-tech readers may never have heard of it. The result could be something like "Computer Language Pioneer Dies; Led IBM Fortran Project" -- but that wouldn't fit the same hard-copy column-width the Times needed. And Times policy may require names in obit headlines.

The more general SEO problem in the print-edition/web-edition era is that newspaper editors believe "label" leads without verbs are vague and that readers like headlines that are "clever" (funny, metaphorical, alliterative, poetic, punny). When possible, they do prefer heads that are unambiguous active-voice mini-sentences (subject-verb or subject-verb-object), sometimes with an "implied" subject or verb.

Metaphors and puns obviously don't work with search engines. But S-V-O heads risk being ridiculously vague ("Board Examines Budget") or too long for a newspaper column, as in "Manager Finds Decapitated Torso in Striptease Nightclub." That last one, of course, is based on the New York Post's famously tasteless "Headless Body In Topless Bar," in which the graphic details make up for the implied passive verb "found." It's not just prurient interest: The unexpected combination of headless and topless in one line is distinctive enough for Google, too. Don't believe me? Search for "headless" and "topless" and hit "I'm feeling lucky."

The problem with other Google-friendly heads is that they can be boring. In fact, for more on Search Engine Optimized heads, use Google to search for "boring" and "headline." And hit "I'm feeling lucky."

cheers,
Bob
http://couranteer.com
http://stepno.com
... a proud graduate of the Paul Jones School of Cybercasting ...

On Mar 24, 2007, at 12:00 PM, internetworkers-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
From: "Cristóbal Palmer" <cristobalpalmer AT gmail.com>
Date: March 23, 2007 11:41:20 PM EDT
To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/"; <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [internetworkers] John W. Backus, 82, Fortran Developer, Dies

it's getting harder for publishers to write good headlines, since they
really want their headline to be the one that comes up when people
enter a search, but people put nouns in searches, not verbs, and the
journalism types were taught in school to write "action" headlines.

Heard Paul Jones talking about this. I'm probably not paraphrasing
terribly well.

Cheers,
CMP



  • [internetworkers] Boring Headlines Re: John W. Backus, 82, Fortran Developer, Dies, Bob Stepno, 03/24/2007

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