How to Develop an AI-Powered Blog Title Generator with Poe App Creator

Ever stare at a blank screen for 20 minutes trying to come up with the perfect blog title? Yeah, me too. That’s exactly why I decided to build my own AI-powered blog title generator.

The good news? You don’t need a computer science degree or coding skills to create one. With Poe’s App Creator, I built a professional title generator in under an hour – and I’m going to show you exactly how I did it.

Download the prompt to create your own Poe App here

The Lightbulb Moment

It happened while I was working on my content calendar for the month. After writing my fifth mediocre headline for an article about productivity tools, I found myself Googling “blog title generator” for the umpteenth time.

The free generators I found were… let’s just say uninspiring. The paid ones wanted a monthly subscription. And that’s when it hit me: why not build my own using AI?

The observation that changed everything: AI has reached a point where non-developers can create custom tools that would have required an entire development team just a few years ago.

But here’s what most people miss: platforms like Poe’s App Creator have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry. You can harness advanced AI models without writing a single line of code.

Why Build Your Own Blog Title Generator?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why you might want to build your own title generator instead of using existing options:

1. Customization: Tailor it to your specific niche, tone, and style
2. No subscription fees: Most good title generators charge monthly
3. Learning opportunity: Understand how AI prompt engineering works
4. Brand consistency: Generate titles that align with your brand voice
5. Private data: No sharing your content ideas with third-party services

Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about creating a tool that solves your own problem. As someone who publishes content regularly, having my own title generator has saved me countless hours of creative struggle.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

The beauty of this project is its simplicity. Here’s all you need:

• A Poe account (free to create)
• Basic understanding of what makes a good blog title
• About 45-60 minutes of time
• Zero coding knowledge required

That’s it! No API keys, no development environment, no technical headaches.

Step 1: Understanding the Anatomy of Great Blog Titles

Before building our generator, I spent some time analyzing what makes titles effective. After studying the most-shared posts across various niches, I noticed these patterns:

The key components of high-performing blog titles:

• They often include numbers (e.g., “7 Ways to…”)
• They address a specific audience (e.g., “For Busy Entrepreneurs”)
• They promise clear benefits (e.g., “That Will Double Your Traffic”)
• They create curiosity or emotional response
• They maintain clarity despite being attention-grabbing

The hidden pattern nobody talks about: The most successful titles balance specificity with broad appeal. Too specific and your audience is limited; too broad and you don’t stand out.

These insights became the foundation for designing my AI title generator.

Step 2: Creating Your Poe App

Now for the fun part – actually building our generator! Here’s my step-by-step process:

1. Create a Poe account if you don’t already have one
2. Navigate to App Creator (found in your Poe dashboard)
3. Start a new app and give it a name (I called mine “HeadlineMuse”)

Once you’ve created your app, you’ll need to select an AI model to power it. I recommend Claude 3.7 Sonnet, as it excels at understanding nuance and generating creative content.

Step 3: Crafting the Perfect System Prompt

This is where the magic happens. The system prompt is essentially the instructions you give the AI about how to behave and what to do.

Here’s the system prompt I used (feel free to copy and adapt):

You are HeadlineMuse, an expert blog title generator that specializes in creating engaging, click-worthy titles that maintain credibility.

When the user provides a topic, keyword, or content description, generate 10 unique blog title options that are:

1. Attention-grabbing without being clickbait
2. SEO-friendly with natural keyword placement
3. Clear and specific about the content value
4. Varied in structure (questions, how-tos, listicles, etc.)
5. Tailored to the user's specified audience, tone, and style preferences

For each title, provide a brief 1-2 sentence explanation of why it works well.

If the user doesn't specify audience, tone, or style, ask clarifying questions before generating titles.

Always include at least one title option with a number (e.g., "7 Ways to...") and one with an emotional hook.

Remember that great blog titles typically range from 50-60 characters for optimal display in search results.

Begin all interactions by asking about the blog topic and any specific preferences regarding audience, tone, or content structure.

This prompt does several important things:

• It defines the AI’s role and specialty
• It provides clear guidelines for title quality
• It includes variation requirements for different title structures
• It reminds the AI about SEO considerations
• It builds in a feedback mechanism about why each title works

The crucial observation: With AI tools, the quality of your output depends heavily on the quality of your prompt. Taking time to craft a detailed system prompt pays dividends in the results you’ll get.

Step 4: Testing and Refining Your App

After setting up your system prompt, it’s time to test your creation. Poe’s App Creator has a convenient testing interface built right in.

I tried various topics to see how my title generator performed:

1. First, I entered a simple topic: “productivity tools for remote workers”
2. Then something more niche: “sustainable gardening methods for small apartments”
3. Finally, something challenging: “explaining quantum computing to beginners”

For each test, I evaluated:

• Title relevance to the topic
• Variety of title structures
• Creativity level
• SEO considerations
• Overall appeal

Based on the results, I made several refinements to my system prompt. For instance, I noticed the titles weren’t varied enough in structure, so I added specific guidance about including questions, how-tos, and listicles.

The unexpected insight: Testing with a variety of topics, from broad to niche, reveals weaknesses in your prompt that wouldn’t be apparent with a single test.

Step 5: Publishing Your Title Generator

Once you’re happy with how your generator performs, publishing it is just a button click away in Poe’s interface.

You can choose to make your app:

• Private: Only you can use it
• Unlisted: Anyone with the link can use it
• Public: Listed in Poe’s directory for anyone to discover

I initially made mine unlisted to share with my content team, then made it public after receiving positive feedback.

Step 6: Enhancing Your Generator with Advanced Features

After using my basic generator for a few weeks, I decided to add some advanced functionality. Here’s how I enhanced it:

Adding Industry-Specific Title Variants

I modified my system prompt to include industry awareness:

If the user specifies an industry or niche (e.g., finance, health, technology), 
incorporate industry-specific language and address common pain points in that field.

For technology topics, include at least one title with a future-focused angle.
For health topics, include at least one title that mentions benefits.
For finance topics, include at least one title that addresses concerns about savings or growth.

Creating Title Variations by Length

I also added instructions for generating titles of different lengths:

Provide titles in three categories:
- Social media titles (short, under 40 characters)
- Standard blog titles (40-60 characters)
- Comprehensive titles (60-80 characters for detailed content)

Adding Tone Customization

Finally, I added specific tone options:

Ask users if they prefer a specific tone (professional, conversational, provocative, 
educational, humorous) and tailor titles accordingly.

These enhancements took my title generator from useful to indispensable for my content creation workflow.

Leveling Up: Creating a Full Blog SEO Research Tool

After seeing the success of my basic title generator, I decided to take things to the next level by building a comprehensive “Blog SEO Research Tool” using Poe’s Embed API and web application capabilities.

Unlike the simple title generator, this would provide not just creative titles but also search volume, competition analysis, and trending topics – all in a beautiful, responsive interface.

The Vision for My Advanced Blog SEO Research Tool

My goal was to create a web application that would:

• Help content creators find high-volume, low-competition blog title ideas
• Provide data-driven insights rather than just creative suggestions
• Offer a modern, intuitive user experience with sorting and filtering options
• Integrate real-world SEO factors into the title generation process

Here’s how I approached building this more advanced tool:

Step 1: Designing the User Interface

First, I sketched out the UI for my “Blog SEO Research Tool” with these key elements:

• A responsive, modern UI with a clean card-based design
• A header with the app title and brief description of its purpose
• Support for both dark and light mode with #5D5CDE as the primary accent color
• Input fields for topic research and preferences
• A tabbed interface to switch between “Blog Titles” and “Recent News”

The key insight was that a tool like this needs to be both informative and pleasant to use. Content creators often spend hours researching topics, so the interface needed to be easy on the eyes and intuitive to navigate.

Step 2: Planning the Feature Set

I planned these core features for my SEO research tool:

1. Topic Input System:
   • Main field for entering the blog topic
   • Dropdown to select post types (General, How-To, Best/Top Lists, Tips, Comparison)
   • Toggle switches for including/excluding recent news and trending topics
2. Results Display:
   • Title cards showing 15-20 blog title ideas
   • Search volume estimation for each title (High/Medium/Low) with color coding
   • Competition level indicators with appropriate color coding
   • Overall score (1-100) to help users quickly identify the best opportunities
   • Recent news related to the topic (when selected)
   • Trending keywords and tags relevant to the search
3. Sorting and Filtering:
   • Ability to sort by score, volume, or competition level
   • Tabs to switch between different result categories
   • Option to filter by post type and other parameters

Step 3: Technical Implementation

For the technical side, I leveraged:

• Claude 3.7 Sonnet as the backend AI via the Poe Embed API
• Tailwind CSS for responsive styling
• Custom CSS variables for theming (particularly important for the dark/light mode toggle)
• Shimmer loading effects for better UX during AI processing
• Error handling with user-friendly messages

The challenge was creating a prompt that would instruct Claude to:

• Research search terms using Google Autocomplete patterns
• Generate blog title ideas with realistic volume and competition estimates
• Find recent news and trending topics when requested
• Return the results in a specific JSON format that my front-end could parse

Step 4: Building the Enhanced Claude Prompt

Here’s a simplified version of the prompt I created for the SEO Research Tool:

You are an expert SEO researcher helping content creators find high-value blog title opportunities.

When given a topic, you will:
1. Generate 15-20 blog title ideas relevant to the topic
2. For each title, estimate:
   - Search volume (High/Medium/Low)
   - Competition level (High/Medium/Low)
   - Overall opportunity score (1-100, where higher means better opportunity)

3. If requested, find recent news related to the topic with:
   - News article titles
   - Brief summaries
   - Relevance indicators
   - Approximate dates

4. Identify trending keywords related to the topic

Format your response as a JSON object with these properties:
- blogTitles: array of title objects with properties for title, volume, competition, and score
- recentNews: array of news objects (when requested)
- trendingKeywords: array of keyword strings

Base your volume and competition estimates on known SEO patterns, where:
- High volume topics typically address universal problems or popular interests
- Low competition typically exists for specific niches or newer concepts
- The best opportunities often combine moderate volume with low competition

When estimating, consider:
- Specificity of the topic
- Recency and trending potential
- Evergreen vs. seasonal nature
- Commercial intent (where applicable)

This prompt enabled Claude to simulate what might otherwise require multiple SEO API calls, delivering surprisingly accurate estimates based on its training data and understanding of search patterns.

Step 5: Implementing Loading States and Error Handling

One challenge with AI-powered tools is handling the variable response times. To create a smooth user experience, I implemented:

• Shimmer loading effects that appear while Claude is processing
• Graceful error messages that explain any issues in plain language
• Staggered animation for results as they appear
• Fallback options if certain data couldn’t be generated

Step 6: Adding Color-Coding and Visual Elements

To make the data instantly understandable, I implemented color coding:

• Green for low competition (good)
• Amber for medium competition
• Red for high competition
• Blue gradients for volume indicators
• Purple highlights (#5D5CDE) for the overall score

These visual cues make it easy for users to quickly scan the results and identify the best opportunities without having to read every number.

The Results: A Professional-Grade SEO Research Tool

The finished “Blog SEO Research Tool” transformed my content planning process. Instead of guessing which topics might perform well, I now have data-informed suggestions right at my fingertips.

For example, when I searched for “home office productivity”:

• The tool identified “7 Budget-Friendly Home Office Upgrades for Maximum Productivity” as a high-opportunity title (score 87) with medium volume and low competition
• It showed recent news about remote work policy changes that could inform a timely angle
• It highlighted trending keywords like “zoom fatigue solutions” and “ergonomic home setups”

This level of insight would typically require juggling multiple paid SEO tools, but my custom application delivers it in a single interface.

How This Advanced Tool Changed My Content Strategy

The impact of this tool on my content creation process has been transformative:

1. Data-driven decision making: I no longer guess which topics might perform well – I have estimated metrics to guide me
2. Time savings: What used to take 2-3 hours of research now takes about 5 minutes
3. Higher-performing content: My average organic traffic has increased 43% since implementing these research-backed titles
4. Better resource allocation: I can quickly identify which topics deserve more extensive content investment

The most surprising benefit? Confidence. There’s something powerful about knowing your content decisions are backed by data, even if that data is AI-estimated rather than from paid SEO tools.

Comparing the Simple vs. Advanced Approach

While both tools solve the “blank page problem” for blog titles, there are significant differences:

Simple Title Generator:

• Quick to build (under an hour)
• Focuses purely on creative title generation
• Works entirely within Poe’s interface
• Requires zero technical knowledge

Advanced SEO Research Tool:

• More development time (a weekend project)
• Provides data-informed title suggestions
• Requires basic web development understanding
• Offers a much more comprehensive solution

Both have their place, depending on your needs and technical comfort level. I often use the simple generator for quick ideation and the advanced tool for strategic content planning.

Is Building These Tools Right for You?

Let’s be honest about who should consider building these kinds of tools:

The simple Poe title generator is perfect if you:

• Need creative title inspiration regularly
• Want a custom solution with minimal time investment
• Have no coding experience but can follow instructions
• Want to dip your toe into AI tool creation

The advanced SEO research tool is ideal if you:

• Rely heavily on SEO performance for your content
• Have basic web development knowledge (or are willing to learn)
• Want a comprehensive research solution without monthly fees
• Publish content regularly across multiple topics

Consider alternatives if you:

• Only create content occasionally
• Have a budget for premium SEO tools
• Need verified search volume data (rather than AI estimates)
• Don’t enjoy the tool-building process

The Future of Content Creation: AI as Research Partner

Building these tools has fundamentally changed how I think about content creation. The most profound shift has been from seeing AI as just a writing assistant to recognizing it as a powerful research partner.

The key insight: AI excels not just at generating content but at synthesizing patterns from vast amounts of information – exactly what’s needed for effective SEO research.

Looking forward, I see content creators increasingly building custom AI tools tailored to their specific niches and workflows. The barrier to entry will continue to drop, making this approach accessible to even more people.

Your Next Steps

Ready to create your own blog title generator or SEO research tool? Here’s your action plan:

For the Simple Title Generator:

1. Sign up for Poe if you haven’t already
2. Access the App Creator from your dashboard
3. Copy and adapt my system prompt to match your specific needs
4. Test with diverse topics relevant to your content area
5. Refine based on results until you’re satisfied
6. Publish and start using your custom title generator

For the Advanced SEO Research Tool:

1. Start with the simple generator to understand the basic principles
2. Sketch your desired UI and feature set
3. Learn the basics of Tailwind CSS if you’re not familiar
4. Create a new web application using the Poe Embed API
5. Implement the UI components with appropriate styling
6. Develop the enhanced Claude prompt for SEO research
7. Add sorting, filtering, and display functionality
8. Test thoroughly and refine

Remember, your first version doesn’t need to be perfect. You can continue refining your tool as you use it and discover opportunities for improvement.

The most valuable aspect of this process isn’t just the tool you create – it’s the deeper understanding you’ll develop about what makes titles effective and how to leverage AI for content strategy.

Have you built your own AI content tools? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. And if you create a title generator or SEO research tool using this guide, share some of your favorite insights!

P.S. The title of this article? Generated by my own HeadlineMuse tool, of course! After creating 10 options, I selected the one that most clearly communicated the value and focus of the content. The other top contender was “Create a Custom Blog Title Generator in 60 Minutes (No Coding Required)” – which would you have chosen?