Years ago blogs were thought of as sloppy, writer's graffiti. Today, they are an essential part of any smart marketing strategy. But blogs need to do more than being written, although writing them is a start. They need to reach an audience. And one of the most impactful ways to successfully reach an audience is through search engine optimization (SEO).

All types of businesses could benefit from hosting a blog section on their website. Through organic SEO your blog will be seen, read, and hopefully resonate with readers. SEO done correctly has the power to also produce a greater return on investment (ROI) over time because your website is being seen by more people, thanks to search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Soon, your audience will return to your website more than once because they view you as a trusted source of information that delivers them quality content they can consume, at no cost to your audience.

SEO should be implemented throughout not only your blog but through the technical building of the blog itself—the backend. This is so search engines grasp the basics of what your blog is about, who your target audience is, and then show your blog to relevant search topics.

Here are eight ways to improve your blog’s organic SEO.

1. Post topics that are evergreen

As you debate what to write about for your blog, consider content that is evergreen as a way to draw in more clicks/readers over time. Unlike timely pieces, which are suitable now and then, evergreen topics ensure that you don’t need to go back and constantly re-edit your blog post. They last longer on search engines if they’re tailored to the right niche. Think about topics such as:

• The best way to accomplish something
• Tips and tricks or how-tos
• Area guides
• Personal thoughts or opinions on a worldwide topic

When you write posts that are time sensitive they eventually become lost in the shuffle as each new day comes, and with it new news.

2. Stick to one or two keywords

Search engines don’t like to be confused. The quicker they can pick up what your blog is about the better they’ll be able to deliver your blog to relevant searches. To accomplish this, stick to one or two long-tail keywords in your blog. They can be anywhere from three to five words, each. The important thing here is to make it short, simple, and to the point.

3. Spread keywords throughout your blog

Once you pick your keywords riddle them throughout your blog post. What you don’t want to do is make keywords feel forced, which has the opposite effect. Search engines will pick up on too many keywords and view it as SEO spam and that is where you’ll lose the organic search. Instead, try and include it every two to three paragraphs, but always in the beginning and at the end of your blog. As you re-read your blog your keywords should flow naturally and not feel forced into the content.

4. Backlink to related web content

An incredibly effective way to improve your blog’s organic SEO is to hyperlink and backlink to related web content. Journalists are familiar with this concept in the form of crediting sources. On the web, hyperlinking to other content becomes a form of source accreditation as well. Think of it this way: you’re writing a blog post and stating a fact, or referencing a business, place, or thing. When you hyperlink that source into the words that are directly associated with what you’re talking about you allow your readers to trust you. You want to be seen as an authority, but not as the only source of information.

5. Create a call to action at the end

Once your blog post is well-written you want to keep your audience on your page a little longer. For a business that might mean purchasing a product. For individuals, that could lead to signing up for a newsletter or reading another blog post. Whatever it is you want your audience to do, create a call to action at the end. When users stay on your website longer SEO picks this up as a website that is delivering relevant content to an audience and notices how long users are staying on your site.

6. Write a concise meta description

Meta descriptions are the sentences below the title of what your blog is about. The subtitle, if you will. A descriptive and short meta description not only tells your audience what the blog is about but will reiterate to search engines what it’s about as well—furthering its ability to direct the right audience your way.

7. Edit your URLs

Once your blog is done it’s time to focus on the backend of things. To increase your blog’s organic SEO customize your URL to something readable. URLs with jumbled numbers and letters have a harder time relaying a blog's message than URLs with descriptions. It might seem minor at the time but in the long run, tailoring your blog’s URL link will likely also increase its share value.

8. Make your content mobile-device friendly

Today, everyone has a smartphone. So, it’s only smart to ensure that your blog content is mobile-device friendly. Test this out on your web browser and phone as a way to ensure your audience can read your content no matter where they are.

Through these eight ways to improve your blog’s organic SEO, you will see greater traffic to your website over some time. Organic SEO means organic, so don’t expect rapid results. However, as you continue to monitor and manage your web analytics you will notice how your blog is being seen and shared.