What’s in a word…casing?
After writing my last post on conversion quick wins, I touched upon the importance of compelling headlines. This led me to ponder a question I’ve wrestled with for years: Should my headings be in sentence case or title case?
As any diligent web developer would, I turned to Google for answers. Interestingly, many initial results came from academic sources like the University of Edinburgh, which advocates for sentence case due to its superior legibility. This made me feel vindicated, as my own site uses sentence case. One thing to remember: whichever style you choose, stick with it across your site to avoid confusing your audience.
Whichever style you choose, stick with it across your site to avoid confusing your audience.
However, academics aren’t our primary concern. We’re in the business of marketing and attention-grabbing. So, I refined my search to focus on SEO perspectives. The findings were intriguing: various A/B tests suggest that headings in title case often achieve higher click-through rates.
The impact of heading case on UX and conversions
From a user experience (UX) perspective, title case headings tend to be more attention-grabbing. This is important in web design, where capturing a user’s interest swiftly can lead to higher conversions.
From an SEO perspective, it seems that title case has a better CTR (click-through-rate) from search. Semrush did some split testing to test their hypothesis, and they found that sentence case in headings had a 2.4% decrease in clicks, so although a small percentage, with sites that have a lot of traffic this could mean big potential missed customers. See the Semrush article here. These statistics highlight the potential benefits of opting for title case in your headings.
Sentence case in headings had a 2.4% decrease in clicks
Rules for using title case effectively
- Length of headings: Use title case if your headings are shorter than 10 words. This makes them easier to read and more impactful.
- Consistency: Ensure all headings follow the same case style to maintain a cohesive look.
- Capitalisation: In title case, capitalise the first and last words, along with all major words. Minor words like “and,” “or,” “in,” and “the” should not be capitalised unless they are the first or last word.
Practical considerations and implementation
You might wonder why this article is written in sentence case. Consistency is key, and my site predominantly uses sentence case. Changing all headings is a task I will tackle eventually, given its conversion benefits, but it’s not an afternoon task: it’s a morning one, ideally with a strong cup of coffee!
So title or sentence case?
Hopefully, this exploration helps you make an informed decision. Whichever style you choose, remember to apply it consistently across all your branding. This rule should be part of your brand guidelines and adhered to rigidly.
In summary, while sentence case may be more legible, title case has the edge in terms of grabbing attention and improving click-through rates. Evaluate your audience and brand identity, test both styles if possible, and choose the one that aligns best with your conversion goals.
What this space as I will be changing all casing on my site shortly, fun!
Frequently asked questions
The evidence pulls both ways. Academic sources such as the University of Edinburgh favour sentence case for legibility. Split tests from a marketing angle suggest title case earns more clicks. The more important rule is consistency: pick one and use it across the whole site so you are not confusing readers.
It appears to, slightly. Semrush ran split testing and found that sentence case in headings produced a 2.4% decrease in clicks. That is a small percentage, but on a site with real traffic volume it adds up to a meaningful number of missed visitors.
Title case works best on shorter headings, under about ten words, where it stays easy to read and grabs attention. Capitalise the first and last words along with all the major ones, and leave minor words like “and”, “or”, “in” and “the” lowercase unless they fall at the start or end.
Not directly. Google does not rank you higher for capitalising your headings a particular way. The effect is on whether people click when they see your result, which is a separate thing from where you rank, though more clicks on the same position is still worth having.
Yes, more than which style you choose. Mixed casing across a site looks unconsidered and makes the design feel inconsistent. Whichever you go with, apply it everywhere, including headings inside blog posts.
