I read a lot of articles on law firm websites and blogs. One thing that I notice is consistently lacking on many legal blog entries is the effective use of titles and headings within the posts. Titles are an important component because they help break up and provide better context for the article.
Read this paragraph:
The first thing you need to do is separate the items into different categories. You can use size to separate, but you are not limited to just size. For instance you could use the type of care each item needs too. After you have completed separating the items you need to rinse them. You will want to assess the amount of room you have available and how each item will fit best. Finally, place one item in the machine at a time until full. Start the machine.
Trying to make heads or tails of what the paragraph is talking about is difficult. But if we use that same paragraph with a title:
Using A Dishwasher
The first thing you need to do is separate the items into different categories. You can use size to separate, but you are not limited to just size. For instance you could use the type of care each item needs too. After you have completed separating the items you need to rinse them. You will want to assess the amount of room you have available and how each item will fit best. Finally, place one item in the machine at a time until full. Start the machine.
The paragraph is still terrible, but at least you can figure out what it’s referncing now.
Titles Provide Context
Titles provide context for the content that comes after it. They help to cue your brain about what to expect next and get it in the right mindset. This is important especially when we are dealing with heavier concepts that are more difficult for the general public to understand (ie: legal issues).
Additionally, the titles help to break apart the content in more bite sized chunks which are easier for people to digest, especially when reading on the web.
