How Clickbait Works: The Psychology Behind Clickbait

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In this online era, it’s hard — if not impossible — to surf the web without coming across clickbait. I remember an era when all I could find were clickbait titles that lured me, such as “10 Tips to Help You Lose Weight in a Week.” What I’d find in these articles was little to no information about the topic; rather, the page would be filled with ads.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get people to pay attention in the age of social media, especially with the amount of online content. Thus, content writers increasingly turn to clickbait to stand out and achieve those valuable clicks.

Although some titles might surprise you, it’s gotten easier to identify what clickbait is and isn’t. But have you ever wondered why/how the clickbait works? What’s the psychology behind it that makes it nearly impossible to resist the click?

Let’s look at the science behind clickbait and how you can understand the common tricks used.

What’s considered clickbait?

To define the term, clickbait is content that “draws in interest and drives visitors to click a link that leads to a particular web page,” which all content marketers hope to achieve with their work.

The promise of amazing, thought-provoking, or startling information lies in clickbait, enticing us to click on the link. This includes every kind of content on the web, such as blogs, videos, infographics, news stories, interviews, etc., with a dramatic headline.

It’s important to remember that the key difference between clickbait and engaging material is that the former is typically low-quality. Thus, clickbait has a bad reputation in the world of content marketing. That explains why it’s now more important to focus on content that your readers want.

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Common Clickbait Techniques

One of the more popular clickbait strategies is using controversial headlines. These attention-grabbing headlines frequently use dramatic language or exaggerated claims to encourage readers to click the link. Here are some examples:

“X Things You Won’t Believe About…”
“X Beauty Secrets that’ll Change Your Life”
“Ultimate Guide to Ranking Your Article in a Week”

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Apart from these sensationalized headlines, other clickbait tactics include emotive language and imagery. Also, clickbait headlines frequently include strong emotional terms like “shocking,” “amazing,” and “heartbreaking” to pique the user’s interest. Additionally, you can expect the header images to be visually appealing and emotionally engaging.

Let’s check out a few common samples: