An eye-tracking study found that most users don’t read entire headlines. Instead, they scan the left side and only read the first few words. They do this because they’re searching for keywords to see if the content is worth clicking.
Users Need Keywords Fast
If the first few words in your headline don’t hint at what the content is about, users will likely skip it. When they hunt for information, their patience and attention span is short.
Eyebrow text is a descriptive keyword or phrase placed above the main headline and blurb. It appears in a smaller font and sums up the content in just a few words. When users scan the headline, they’ll also scan the eyebrow. As a result, they’ll better understand the context, which increases the chance of them reading the blurb and clicking through.
Eyebrow Styling
Your eyebrow heading should be smaller than the main headline but still easy to spot. You can make it distinct by varying its visual style. Some ways to do this are to add a bolder weight on it, all uppercase the letters, or change its colour.
When to Use Them
Not every headline needs an eyebrow. It’s redundant to add an eyebrow if your headline is short and contains many keywords. Remember users will scan the first two words.