Here, from socialmediatoday.com is advice on how to attract readers with headlines that lie:
"Good headlines make the content seem interesting and useful. Sometimes a headline might introduce a little mystery. I’m sure you’ve seen the ones that set up a narrative and then a mystery, like this, “A Chimp and a Tiger Met in the Waiting Room at the Vet and You Won’t Believe What Happened Next.” You click on it. And maybe you are not surprised about what happened next, but the headline proved effective nonetheless."
Effective? Really?
Suppose I offer to sell you a candy bar. It's called, "The Candy Bar So Tasty It Will Change Your Life!" You buy it. You taste it. It isn't tasty.
Success! I got you to pay me for it.
But you're never going to buy from me again.
I guess people are more gullible when it comes to headlines, but surely there'll be a point when they realize that nothing happened next (or the tiger ate the chimp, which isn't surprising), that the ten amazing ways you can lose weight aren't amazing and you won't be shocked when you read number six, and the seven things you don't know about what women or men want in bed are all things you do already know.
Good headlines don't make the content SEEM interesting and useful. Good content IS interesting and/ or useful. Then the headline can be honest.
Honesty: what a concept! Let's hope it catches on.