Blogging is one of the simplest ways to begin creating more content to reach your customers and prospects. Blogs also power organic search: companies that blog receive on average 55 percent more website visitors than companies that don’t, according to HubSpot.

But just like all the rest of your online content, blogs need to be optimized for search. Here are our top five strategies for driving organic readership.

1. The Title Counts
Just like the title tag of a website, the title of your blog post is the most important aspect for search. Include your keywords and phrases in the title, as early as possible, and make sure they’re included in the first 70 characters.

2. Social Signals and ‘Sharability’
Make sure your blogs are easily sharable via social media. Google now pays attention to social signals – how many times your content has been Tweeted, Liked on Facebook or shared on LinkedIn or Google+.

3. Tag Your Posts
Every tag gets its own keyword-specific URL – which is crucial for search.

4. Video Rules
Writer’s block? Try recording a 30-60 second blog. According to a 2011 Cisco study, by year-end 2012, internet video will count for more than 50% of consumer internet traffic.

5. Optimize for Keywords, Trends and Hot Topics
When relevant, writing on recent events and including hot button keywords (like what’s trending on Twitter) will help you get found, but don’t make this keyword mistake. Aim to include your keywords in the content 2-5 times, depending upon the length of your post.

By: Greg Hakim
Twitter: @DreamHakim