Top 10 Digital PR Headlines Revealed – Tips for Campaign Success

Digital PR campaigns aim to generate interest from journalists, headlines in publications and, ultimately, backlinks. But is there a trend in the type of language used in these headlines?

We’ve analysed over 400 digital PR campaigns from 2019-2024 and 39,560 resulting headlines to find out which words pop up most often. These digital PR campaigns were taken from across the industry, including some of our own campaigns. In this article, we’ll delve into this data and look at the most common words in headlines, why they work, and how digital PRs can use them to come up with new ideas for future campaigns.

The top 10 most common words in digital PR headlines

Below are the most-used words in headlines generated by digital PR campaigns.

Rank	Word	Percentage of headlines
1	Top	5.28%
2	Report	3.90%
3	Best	3.10%
4	Study	1.30%
5	Banned	1.09%
6	Tips	0.92%
7	Survey	0.80%
8	Data	0.61%
9	Revealed	0.54%
10	Finds	0.51%

1. Top (5.28%)

The word ‘top’ comes top (!) of the list of most common headline words, with 5.28% of digital PR headlines containing this word. ‘Top’ features in many headlines pointing to digital PR campaigns based on ranking lists of the best, worst, and most compelling subjects in a particular topic.

Let’s take a look at some examples of headlines containing the word ‘top’:

• Visualizing the Top 10 Emerging Technologies in 2024 (ZeroHedge)
• These 2 Ontario Towns Were Named Among the Top 10 ‘Most Charming’ in North America (Narcity)
• Top Tips for Growing Your Wealth as an Entrepreneur (Work Life Support)
• Top 5 Reasons to Pursue Online Learning (JT.org)
• The Best Side Hustles: Top Earners and Easiest Entries (Bee Hiiv)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• The Most Charming Towns in Canada and the USA (Betway)
• U.S. Side Hustle Statistics (Self Inc)

2. Report (3.9%)

Second on the list is ‘report’ with 3.9% of headlines containing this word. The digital PR campaigns that generally receive backlinks from pages with these headlines are data-led campaigns involving some kind of study or (unsurprisingly) report on a particular topic. This data might have come from a survey, original research, or a new analysis of existing reports.

Some examples of digital PR headlines containing the word ‘report’ include:

• Uber’s Lost and Found Report Includes Tater Tots, Teeth and Slime (Silicon Valley)
• Rollee report says gig workers struggle with financial exclusion (The Paypers)
• Report: Growing UK’s Net-Zero Economy is a £70bn Levelling Up Opportunity (Edie)
• Indianapolis Is US City With Highest Birth Rate, Seattle Lowest: Report (Business Insider)
• A New Report Finds That Uber Eats Is The Most Expensive Holiday Delivery Service (Mashed)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• The 2022 Lost and Found Index (Uber)
• What is the Average UK Salary? (Standout CV)

3. Best (3.1%)

‘Best’ is the third most common word featured in headlines linking to digital PR campaigns at 3.1%. Similarly to ‘top’, the word ‘best’ is used in articles referring to lists of tips, case studies, and rankings of subjects from different niches.

Let’s look at some examples of headlines with the word ‘best’ that link to digital PR content:

• The BEST Digital PR & Link Building Campaigns (Root Digital)
• This Ohio City Has Been Named One of the Best Small Towns in the Nation. Here’s why. (AOL)
• 22 Best Weekend Side Hustles (Earn Extra Income in Your Free Time) [2024] (Monetized Future)
• Best Regional Foods in the U.S. (2024) (Axerfa)
• These Are The Best And Worst States To Retire In (Digg)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Most Popular Cuisines Around the World (Radical Storage)
• Ranked: The 10 Words U.S. States to Retire In (Visual Capitalist)

4. Study (1.3%)

Headlines containing the word ‘study’ make up 1.3% of the headlines we analysed. The PR campaigns references in these articles are typically data-led including original research through various methods like surveys and primary data collection.

Below are some examples of headlines with the word ‘study’ that link to digital PR campaigns:

• Study Says Majority of Adults Are Losing Sleep Over Inflation Woes (WEAU)
• Female CEOs earn £21k less than male counterparts | UK salary study reveals (One Rec)
• Study Finds Console Controllers Carry More Bacteria Than A Toilet Seat (Gaming Bible)
• Where People Are Having More Children – 2024 Study (Smart Asset)
• Study Shows Majority of People Unable to Distinguish AI-Generated Text (AI Pro)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Survey: Impact of Financial Worries on Sleep (Self Inc)
• Survey: ChatGPT and AI Content – Can People Tell The Difference? (Tooltester)

5. Banned (1.09%)

‘Banned’ features in 1.09% of headlines analysed in this study, making it the fifth most common word. Many of the headlines containing this word refer to stories about banned books in the U.S.

Take a look at some examples of article headlines linking to digital PR content that contain the word ‘banned’:

• The 50 Most Banned Books in America (CBS News)
• 1 in 3 Wisconsinites Think This Should be Banned in the Office. What is it? (102.9 The Hog)
• A User’s Guide to All the Banned Books in Texas Schools (Texas Monthly)
• Hundreds of Books Have Been Banned this Year: Which Titles and States Are Most Impacted? (WNCT)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Banned in the USA (PEN America)
• Survey Reveals the Majority of Americans Frown Upon Office Romances (Dating News)

6. Tips (0.92%)

In sixth place is the word ‘tips’ which features in 0.92% of headlines referring to digital PR content. Headlines containing this word link back to informative articles that typically give advice in the form of quick, actionable tips that someone can use to achieve a particular goal.

Below are some examples of the headlines generated by digital PR campaigns that include the word ‘tips’:

• Luxury Handbag Scammers: Tips to Avoid Bagging a Fake (Page Magazine)
• Tips for Nonprofits to Recruit Young Adults (Volunteer Hub)
• Top Tips for Growing Your Wealth as an Entrepreneur (Work Life Support)
• How to Stop Moonlighting: Tips for Maintaining Team Loyalty (Pascom)
• 25 Recruiting Tips to Improve Your Hiring Process (See Me Hired)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Designer Discounts: Which Designer Brands Have the Highest Resale Value? (We Thrift)
• The Gen Z Activism Survey (United Way NCA)

7. Survey (0.8%)

Another data-related keyword, ‘survey’ also makes the top ten in seventh place with 0.8% of headlines containing this word. Surveys are a great way to carry out original research for a digital PR campaign; they often generate interesting insights into topics that can be engaging and sometimes controversial.

The examples below detail some of the headlines we analysed that include the word ‘survey’:

• Would U.S. Tech Workers Join a Union? Survey Average: 67% Likely (Lemmy)
• This is The Top Financial Resolution Americans Made for 2024: Survey (Poetic Bird)
• Lateness Top Hiring Turn-Off For Managers – Survey (Outsource Accelerator)
• News: 83% Employees Open to Returning to Office if Provided With Paid Commute: Survey (People Matters Global)
• The Cost of Dating in 2024 is Stressing People Out, Survey Finds (FOX)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Which Interview Bad Habits Give Hiring Managers the Ick? (Ringover)
• Charted: How American Tech Workers Feel About Joining a Union (Visual Capitalist)

8. Data (0.61%)

Unsurprisingly, the word ‘data’ is commonly seen in headlines referring to data-led studies including statistics collected from government sources, industry reports and primary research. This word appears in 0.61% of the headlines we analysed, making it eighth on the list.

The headlines below are examples of article titles that include the word ‘data’:

• Route 66: Best Road Trip in North America, Instagram Data Shows (Four States)
• Bitcoin’s Meteoric Rise: Inflation Data and Fed Speculations Drive Crypto Surge (Wickie)
• Average UK Graduate Salary 2022 | Latest Data and Analysis (2023) (Ephort)
• These Are The Most Common Dreams, According To Google Data (IFL Science)
• These Are the Best Workout Songs According to Spotify Data (Lifestyle Asia)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• The Most Common Dream in Every Country (Zoma Sleep)
• The Most Popular Home Workout Songs (PureGym)

9. Revealed (0.54%)

Also making the top 10 most common words in digital PR headlines is ‘revealed’. This word is commonly linked to findings from various studies and surveys, and adds an element of intrigue that makes you want to click and find out exactly what has been revealed.

Some of the digital PR headlines including the word ‘revealed’ are:

• The Financial Struggles of UK Gig Workers Revealed (Global Banking and Finance)
• The Best and Worst Countries for Paid Annual Leave Revealed (PA Life)
• Europe’s Most LGBTQ+-Friendly Countries Revealed (TimeOut)
• Revealed: The Nintendo Switch is Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat (Rectify Gaming)
• The Best Rated Restaurants in Ireland Have Been Revealed (Irish Mirror)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• The Busiest Cities in the World (Preply)
• The Rainbow Map

10. Finds (0.51%)

The word ‘finds’ rounds off the top 10 list of most common words in digital PR headlines, featuring in 0.51% of headlines analysed in this study. Typically these campaigns reveal findings from different types of research including surveys and primary data collection. Many of these headlines also include some of the other top 10 words in this list, like ‘study’ and ‘report’.

Take a look at some of the headline examples we found that include ‘finds’:

• A New Report Finds That Uber Eats Is The Most Expensive Holiday Delivery Service (Mashed)
• End of Lockdown and Charity Shops: Study Finds the Most Charitable Cities in the UK (Psych Reg)
• Study Finds Ohio City the Second ‘Most Charming Small Town’ in the USA; Two Other Ohio Cities in Top 10 (614 Now)
• Bank Branches Will Be Extinct by 2034, Fintech Study Finds (Banking Dive)
• Homeless “Sweeps” Increase Mortality Rates of Unhoused People, Research Finds (Truth Out)

Examples of campaigns that generated these headlines include:

• Charity Shopping: Where Are the Biggest Charity Hubs? (Savoo)
• How Many Houses Are in the U.S? Homelessness Vs Housing Availability (United Way NCA)

It’s no surprise that lists appear in a lot of headlines; content surrounding lists can make for extremely clickable headlines that you just can’t resist. Think “The 100 Greatest Films of All Time”, “20 Healthy Breakfast Recipes”, or “40 Easy Money Saving Tips”. Having a number in a headline demonstrates the value of the article straight away and shows readers that they can expect clear and digestible pieces of information.

The most common themes of digital PR headlines

When analysing the words in this study, we broke the words down into the following categories based on the intent of the words and the theme of the headline:

• Lists
• Informative
• Fear-inducing
• Urgent
• Entertaining

The most common theme of words in the top ten list is ‘informative’ with seven of the top ten words falling into this category including words like ‘data’, ‘survey’ and ‘revealed’.

Themes of digital PR headlines over time

The themes mentioned above have featured in digital PR headlines in varying degrees over time. Typically, informative headlines and list-based headlines (including words like best and top) have appeared the most. Words relating to lists appeared in 44.1% of headlines in 2024, while informative words appeared in 43.4% of headlines. 

It’s no surprise that lists appear in a lot of headlines; content surrounding lists can make for extremely clickable headlines that you just can’t resist. Think “The 100 Greatest Films of All Time”, “20 Healthy Breakfast Recipes”, or “40 Easy Money Saving Tips”. Having a number in a headline demonstrates the value of the article straight away and shows readers that they can expect clear and digestible pieces of information.

Methodology

We analysed 405 digital PR campaigns across various industries from 2018 to 2024 to find the most common keywords in the headlines they generate. These campaigns included some of Root’s own client campaigns, as well as many campaigns from across the Digital PR industry. We used Ahrefs to collect data from 39,560 headlines using 86 source words in February 2025.