Odd Dog Recommends – Top SEO tips for 2022

Search engine optimization is an ever-changing beast and it can be difficult to stay on top of every algorithm change that is made. In 2022, SEO is still a vitally important part of your digital marketing strategy, but it doesn’t have to be daunting or scary. In many ways, it’s even gotten a bit easier for businesses to rank when they follow a few simple guidelines. 

Here is what some of us Odd Dogs recommend to make sure you are on top of your SEO in 2022. If you still aren’t sure how to apply any of these tips, or just need some help, drop us a line!

Danielle’s Tip: Write For People, Not For Search Engines. 

As search engines get more sophisticated, they are able to determine searchers’ intent easier than before and don’t rely on keyword stuffing as much as they used to. Search engines like Google have been rewarding sites that lose the fluff filler text and prioritize providing quick answers to questions. 

Bonus: People like it better too! 

Ryota’s Tip:  Get those Google reviews!

Why are Google reviews important? Not only do prospective customers see your star rating, Google factors your review count and review score into the local pack ranking. Google My Business, also known as Google Business Profile, seems to be growing in importance year after year and reviews are a great way to stay on top. Make sure to ask happy customers to leave an honest review!

Sondre’s Tip: Answer Relevant FAQs & Add FAQ Schema

Are there frequently asked questions related to the topic of your content? Write clear and concise answers to these questions and add FAQ Schema to maximize your search visibility potential and the value to the end-user. High-quality content with FAQ Schema may be rewarded by being featured in the “People also ask” box:

Bart’s Tip: Holistic Link Building

At this point, it is common knowledge that you need links to rank in SEO. Therefore logic would dictate that the more links the merrier, no matter where they come from. This has led to the emergence of backlinking services popping up and filling up your inbox promising links in droves. However, as with a lot of things in life, when it comes to links, quality is greater than quantity. Links are weighted by domain authority. 

When building a backlink strategy I recommend checking local charities, museums, animal shelters, farmers markets, youth programs, or other non-profit organizations for link opportunities. Often nonprofits have high domain authority and if you are going to spend money on backlinks, it might as well go to a good cause!

Jenny’s Tip: Optimizing Citations

Citations are a critical part of local SEO and are a core strategy to improving your off-page website representation. You may ask yourself, “what is a citation?” Citations are any online mentions of your business’ name, address, and phone number (NAP information). The NAP information of your business is typically mentioned on online directories, websites, social media platforms, and maps. By having accurate, up-to-date citations on your business or multiple businesses, people will be more likely to discover your services and drive phone, foot, and online traffic. Also, If citations are managed on a regular basis, they will help your business rank accurately on Google Maps. Check out our blog post: 5 Tricks & Tips For Analyzing Your Competition to learn more about citation research! 

Holly’s Tip (Lead Designer at Odd Dog)  SEO’s Influence on Design.

Create Clear and Engaging H1s, Titles & Leading Content.
Many people can be surprised by the way design and SEO can influence each other in many ways. In our view, they are mutually reinforcing, impacting, and relying on each other to reach powerful results. One of the easiest tips I often see clients overlook is within the content, keywords, and headlines. 

You should use your H1s and headlines to guide users through your content, providing a map of what to expect from each page or section. They should also help to facilitate the clear communication of your company’s mission and vision. These can often be short and simple solutions, but they can take time to develop. Researching top keywords in your industry while working with a copywriter to create content that entices your potential customers to learn more about your business is a great place to start! By finding a compromise between concise and clear SEO-driven content and content that also expresses your brand, you can create a stronger connection with your audience, an increase in leads, and a better overall user experience.  

Talia’s Tip: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Your Primary Category! 

A big new update from late 2021? Google My Business is now Google Business Profile. And, while the name is different (and the acronym is now indisputably more difficult to say), one thing has remained the same: selecting the most effective primary category for your business is critical for supporting local rankings. The primary category you choose to list your business not only significantly impacts how high up in map search results you’ll appear, but also the GBP features fields available to your business; this is especially notable heading into 2022 as Google continues to roll out new fields available only to specific business categories, like products, menus, and a variety of highlights & attributes. 

Select the category that most accurately and specifically matches your services to encourage your listing to appear higher and among relevant competitors. Bonus points if you add on a few relevant additional categories (and I mean actually relevant, or beware the negative impacts of category confusion).

Courtney’s Tip: Think Like Your Users, Be Their Last Click

It’s easy to get caught up in the many elements that make up strong SEO. When it comes down to it, your audience should be front of mind; they are the main factor in driving your digital success. 

If you provide answers to the questions your users are searching for, they won’t need to search further. As the last click, for any given topic, your users will be able to trust you the next time they search up a question and see your website populate in their results. A great user experience brings your audience back to you as a trusted resource over and over again, making it much more likely that you will not only rank at the top but that you will build a strong community of users to support your business. 

Bridget’s Tip: Prioritize Mobile-Friendly Website Optimizations

With the majority of internet usage steadily moving away from desktop computers to mobile devices (surely only helped by the recent glow-up of the QR code 😉), you’ll want to be sure your website is optimized and ready for mobile visitors. While an impressive 68% of global website visits took place on mobile devices in 2020, users spent roughly twice as much time browsing on desktop computers than mobile devices. What does this tell us? We’re eager to visit websites from our phones but likely have a better user experience on desktops, and thus spend more time on the page.

It’s your time to shine! Optimize your website for mobile devices and keep users around longer. Here are a few ideas for your consideration:

1. Communicate information clearly and concisely – No need to lollygag with wordiness, get to the point! Give users the information (or products) they came for with as few clicks as possible.
2. Embrace the sticky header – Give users a convenient way to navigate to different pages of your site without scrolling back to the top of the page.
3. Add helpful CTAs throughout your website – This gives people an easy way to take action swiftly, and drives more conversions for you!
4. Shorten that contact form – No need to gather all that information right now, stick to the most important fields and get the rest in a follow-up conversation. 
5. Consider your audience – Targeting an older demographic that may be less cellphone-savvy? Add a simple “Click to Call” banner at the top of the page and give them a quick and easy way to reach out with questions. 

We can’t wait to see what you do!

There you have it! The insider tips from our very own Odd Dogs!

How are you going to implement these tips into your SEO strategy in 2022? Are you still feeling a bit lost or have some questions about how to apply these tips to your business? Drop us a line – we’re always happy to help!