Score headline length and power words.
The score adds four components that search and social platforms reward independently. Length carries 35 points and peaks at 50-60 characters, which is what desktop search results display before truncating. Word count carries 25 and peaks at six to ten words, long enough to be specific and short enough to scan. A number is worth 10 because digits break the visual rhythm of a text block. Power words carry 25, saturating at three — beyond that a headline reads as clickbait and the trust cost outweighs the attention gain.
Headline score
Score = length score (max 35) + word-count score (max 25) + number bonus (10) + power-word score (max 25)
That is roughly what a desktop search result shows before truncating, and it also survives most social previews. Shorter wastes the slot; longer means the end of your headline is invisible where it matters most.
Concrete emotional or curiosity triggers — 'proven', 'mistake', 'surprising', 'free', 'stop'. Generic adjectives like 'good' or 'nice' do not qualify, which is why three is the sensible cap.
No. The score measures structural fitness only. A well-formed headline over content that does not deliver produces a click and an immediate bounce, which most platforms penalise harder than a weak headline.