Dramatic changes in consumers’ behavior and informational needs caused by the pandemic have been driving content marketing trends and opportunities through the roof.
As consumers shifted online en masse and the world as we knew it was disrupted, a great many questions arose – and people looked to the brands they do business with for answers.
In 2021, 43% of marketers experienced content marketing budget increases, and 66% expect to see it rise again in 2022.
Video, digital and real-world events, owned-media assets, and paid media are among the top areas of content marketing investment for the year ahead, according to CMI’s latest B2B Content Marketing report.
In this column, we’ll take a look at 10 specific content marketing trends driving this increased investment and activity.
For each one, you’ll find tips and takeaways below the infographic to help you capitalize on them for marketing success in 2022.
Google’s core updates, Page Experience and Core Web Vitals, and anti-spam initiatives continue to raise the bar for creators and marketers who want their content to be discoverable in search.
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E-A-T – Google’s desire for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness in searchable content – is a mantra that will continue to weigh heavily on the minds of marketers through 2022.
Because it lacks a quantifiable metric and cannot be measured, the concept of E-A-T is a perpetual challenge in SEO.
And while it certainly matters more in some types of content than others, average content just won’t perform in any vertical where exceptional content is present.
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What’s the intent behind the search?
Marketers and SEO professionals who are still hyper-focused on keywords and their performance are missing the opportunity to truly connect with their audience in meaningful ways.
Understanding not only what people are searching for but why is essential in planning and crafting content that speaks directly to that need.
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Savvy marketers are moving beyond using last year’s (or even last month’s) performance insights as a roadmap going forward.
Today, there are more touchpoints and interactions than marketers can possibly track and analyze on their own.
Your content strategy for 2022 shouldn’t be set in stone come January 1. Rather, your strategy must include having people, processes, and tools in place to analyze and act on data to inform content the whole year through.
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Convincing Google that your content is the best answer for a relevant query is no easy feat.
You can start by ensuring that you’re following Google’s guidelines.
But also be aware of the many opportunities you have to appear at the top of the search rankings, aside from the traditional blue link results.
Featured snippets, People Also Ask, video carousels, image results, Top Stories, and more all present opportunities to be seen.
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Focusing purely on content volume is a mistake. And yet, you cannot rank it if you’re not producing it.
In 2022, challenge yourself and your team to really think about the ways your stories and information are being presented.
Could that article be a more compelling video? Would releasing an audio version help expand your audience?
On mobile and across social channels, consumers are craving interactive, short form, entertaining content. Will you give it to them?
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Tracking in real-time better informs your upcoming campaigns.
But more than that, it provides the fuel for real-time optimizations – which we’ll talk about next.
Real-time monitoring and insights reveal changes that could impact your SEO in the moment so you can take action before it interrupts the customer’s experience.
This is particularly important in enterprise organizations where developers, marketers, IT, and others may be making changes to the website.
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Of course, real-time insights sometimes call for immediate action. This no longer requires that a human is standing by at the ready to make optimizations.
Automated content generation is no longer the stuff of science fiction.
Using an AI-powered and machine learning-based technology enables you to set rules and conditions under which the tool will make optimizations in response to opportunities spotted in real-time, as well.
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Think about the stories you enjoyed as a child. Which ones do you remember most vividly?
Chances are, your fondest memories are those stories you enjoyed in a variety of formats – it wasn’t just the book, but that it was read to you aloud that you remember.
Perhaps your favorite song was acted out in a children’s show, or came from a movie you particularly loved.
This fusion of content formats helps us connect more deeply with the story. When we not only read but also see, hear, or even smell and touch, our emotional reaction to the content is that much stronger.
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Even as we dive deeper into automation in content and SEO, creativity and human connection have never been more important.
Smart marketers are learning to capitalize on the efficiencies and intelligence of machine learning and AI without sacrificing the empathy that drives the best content home in the hearts of its audience.
We need machines to analyze the vast amount of data created by myriad consumer touchpoints. But then we need creative, talented people to craft stories around these insights and messages, as well.
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Account-based marketing, a close collaboration between sales and marketing, is growing increasingly important in B2B.
Consumers are looking for seamless transactions and won’t put up with disconnection between what they’ve already learned or done through marketing content and the experience they have with sales.
Given the impact that getting it right can have on your company’s revenue via upselling and retention, this is an area where you definitely want to sharpen your focus.
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The changing search landscape and ongoing disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic are just a couple of the factors driving new content marketing trends and changes in consumer preferences around content.
And with this changing behavior comes great opportunities for you to exceed searchers’ expectations.
The bar is high; “average” content will no longer do.
Tap into these content trends for a more innovative and ultimately successful marketing strategy in 2022.
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Featured image: Shutterstock/ViewApart
Infographic: Andy Betts and Search Engine Journal
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