An analysis of engagement on paid content headlines in our network has revealed an interesting trend among consumers. It seems that the harder they are pushed to click, the more likely they are to avoid a headline altogether.

We investigated some commonly used words that could easily be perceived by readers as overly pushy, sales pitchy and, at worst, spammy. The chart below illustrates the negative effect of headlines that directly address the reader or make use of demands.

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Titles that make references to the reader by including the word, “you,” “your,” or “you’re” performed 21% worse than titles that did not contain any of these words. The attempt to make readers feel as though they’re being spoken to directly appears to do more harm than good.

Titles containing an imperative (“must” or “need”) generated a 20% lower CTR than titles that did not contain either of these words. Readers appear to be resistant to words that demand action or attention. It may be that these words are more reminiscent of advertorial calls to action than editorial language or that their overuse in headlines over time has weakened their ability to convey a true sense of urgency.

As much as we want to drive readers to our content, it’s important to remember not to push them too much. The risk of having your content headline sound like a call to action is not only likely to end in lost clicks, but also likely to jeopardize audience trust. The headline should mirror the quality of the content that lies behind it.

This analysis was based on a sample of over 100,000 paid links that ran in Outbrain’s network between April and November 2012.