A simple way to improve clickthrough rates from search engines for your content is to add numbers in your title tags.
Think “3 Secrets to Improve Your On-Page SEO” instead of just “How to Improve On-Page SEO.”
One reason this seems to work is that we have a greater aversion to loss than hope of gain. By making specific claims of what you offer, potential visitors fear missing out.
Numbers also imply expertise and social proof when used judiciously, not excessively, while drawing your eye since they are less common than letters.
Regarding titles generally, it’s important to include a compelling aspect beyond just being relevant through keywords.
Curiosity, controversy, and being specific through numbers all help. Test these to ensure they resonate with your target audience though. You also need to keep your title’s promise, lest someone click back to the search results, which harms your rankings!
Higher CTR not only increases traffic alone, but user engagement is an SEO ranking factor. This has been clearly stated by Apple and Bing. It hasn’t been shared publicly by Google, but many clues show them to be no different.
Consider psychology then, and not just keywords, to improve your titles.