{"id":19172,"date":"2020-06-15T12:31:18","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T09:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cognitiveseo.com\/blog\/?p=19172"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:24:33","slug":"content-marketing-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cognitiveseo.com\/blog\/19172\/content-marketing-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Content Marketing Trends That Will Affect Your SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

The digital marketing industry is continuing to evolve, and you need to keep up with the content marketing trends that appear. SEO and content marketing should always be best friends, one should not live without the other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s how we come to the idea of searching the trends in content marketing which influence SEO so you know what to expect and how to place yourself on the wave and not against it.<\/p>\n

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\"11_Content_Marketing_Trends_That_Will_Affect_Your_SEO\"<\/p>\n

We’ve talked about the importance of content on our blog on multiple occasions, especially since Google started to focus their ranking signals on content. We even researched how you can rank on top Google positions without links with a proper content strategy<\/a> in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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With so many trends to choose from the content marketing area, we had a hard time narrowing down the ones that will have a high impact on SEO, but nevertheless, here they are:<\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. Natural Language Search & Voice Search Content<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Optimized Content for User Search Intent<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Personalized Content Experiences<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Content Creation Process Has Reconfigured Its Steps<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Content Marketing Will Be Written Only for Content Marketers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Context Is the New Era of SEO<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. Influencer Marketing Has More Power<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. Customers Expect Full Transparency\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. Video Content Is the Most Preferred Type of Content<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  10. Native Advertising Is Rising Rapidly<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  11. Bite-Sized Content Revolution<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Having such a handful list of goodies, it\u2019s time to make the content marketing strategy, prepare our tools and get to work. Now that we are passed the springtime and we\u2019re heading into the sunny summer, we have to be prepared, otherwise, we risk getting burnt. We don\u2019t need just suncream but also our bag of knowledge and the life ring to help us stay above the water.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Content has been a highly debated topic since Google said it is one of top three ranking signals. Especially if your brand is focused on the strategy direct to consumer and you sell directly to the end customers then your content is an asset. Your website content needs to be correctly optimized and highly accurate to drive content traffic and then sales. That’s why you need be aware of the trends to make your content stand up.<\/p>\n

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    1. Natural Language Search & Voice Search Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    <\/section>\n

    Voice search is one of the content marketing trends that is increasing viciously. According to Google, 20% of mobile searches<\/a> are now voice searches. Moreover,\u00a0 voice-activated content has constant growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \"Google<\/p>\n

    \u00a0This trend has a high influence on SEO. In the screenshot below you can see how much the voice search accounts from all the searches performed on the search engines.<\/p>\n

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    \"mobile<\/p>\n

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    The printscreen is taken from a study on the effect of voice search on SEO<\/a><\/strong> we conducted some time ago. You would be surprised what we discovered!<\/p>\n

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    An increasing number of people in the United States are using voice to conduct searches. An Emarketer study shows that one-third of the US population<\/a><\/strong> uses voice search. A comparison beside search typed queries and. 71 percent of consumers prefer to use voice searches (PricewaterhouseCoopers).<\/p>\n

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    \"One\"Voice<\/p>\n

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    We performed some searches in Google trends to understand the evolution and to have a clearer understanding of how voice search can revolutionize the SEO world (and if that\u2019s a true fact).<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"near<\/p>\n

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    We then added some other search terms to compare. We wanted to see if there is a difference between an organical growth and an explosive one.<\/p>\n

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    \"organic<\/p>\n

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    We discovered that SEO was on the safe side, but not for long.\u00a0We can still use our SEO and digital marketing knowledge as the voice revolution might be close but not yet underway.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    As a recommendation, I would suggest using natural language and create relevant content that is easy to read, just like you are talking with somebody and not over-optimizing for the sake of SEO \u201csuccess\u201d. Build a content strategy optimization for voice search and use conversational marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    For example, if you want to use chatbots make sure they have a natural language (conversational marketing) and they are easy to implement and relevant to your website.<\/p>\n

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    When asking a question in your article, try to respond to it in a full sentence, giving a specific response, make it easy to skim and invest in building trust. Try using a conversational tone in your content and optimize for long phrases or even questions. Keyword tool<\/a><\/strong> has an option that allows you to receive a recommendation based on your search terms. And you can choose to see all the questions and the metrics attached to them.<\/p>\n

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    \"Keyword<\/p>\n

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    Some other thing you should do is optimizing for local searches since they started to take a hike in searches. As you could see from our study on voice search, there were a lot of \u201cnear me\u201d searches.<\/p>\n

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    \"containing<\/p>\n

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    2. Optimized Content for User Search Intent<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    Content and search engines together changed the way they work.\u00a0 They are now in sync, have strict rules are are definitely content marketing trends you should follow. The trend in content shifted the focus on the user, and Google is trying to deliver better optimized and personalized content to each user – hence the user search intent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    To understand the user search intent you need to perform a lot of keyword research. If you understand what your users want and what their intent is when they are searching for a specific query, half of the job for ranking on that keyword is done.<\/p>\n

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    To better understand your audience, perform keyword research, look through analytics and conduct studies to find out what is their paint point, if they find what they need on your website. If the bounce rate is high that means they don’t find what they are looking for (based on the keyword they search and got on your page). Then check your content and see if it is misleading, answers to the title\/topic you’re targeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    See what keywords do they look for on your website search box, then follow their path through the pages they navigate and design the customer journey map. There are lots of ways to better understand your audience and optimize your content for user search intent. We’ve conducted a thorough guideline on how to identify & best optimize for user search inten<\/strong>t<\/a> based on three types of user search intent: informational, navigational and transactional.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \"search<\/p>\n

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    3. Personalized Content Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    Personalized content is the new buzzword in the content marketing trends world. Studies have shown that this year we\u2019ll have more content than before, and this story has been around for some years. Several dozens of pieces of content might be published until the end of this year. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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    For example, Domo, the American software company which specializes in business intelligence software, performed their research and shared the results through their Data Never Sleeps 7.0<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0project (the fifth year since it started). In the graph below you can see how much data is flooding the internet every minute of the day.<\/p>\n

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    \"data-never-sleeps-7\"<\/p>\n

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    Personalized content creates a connection between the brand and the customer and has lots of benefits. According to Evergage\u2019s 2019 Trends in Personalization Survey Report<\/strong> respondents saw that personalized content delivers better customer experiences.<\/p>\n

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    \"Drivers<\/p>\n

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    That being said, with all the data coming around and bombarding the reader with information from all sides, your content must stand out. That\u2019s how the personalized content appeared. The readers feel important when you address them in person.<\/p>\n

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    Studies show that personalized content is more effective and powerful and website visitors convert better when they are targeted through customized content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
    88% of U.S. marketers<\/a> reported seeing measurable improvements due to personalization.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00a0<\/td>\nEvergage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
     <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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    Personalization has started to become critical in the future of content marketing. It is a content marketing trend that has a big influence on SEO. That means more appropriate content for each user, based on their last searches on site, on their last activity on social media, on the actions taken on-site and so on.<\/p>\n

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    For example, one user downloads an e-book from your site. Next time you could offer similar e-books, or you could welcome them by name on your site. Go further, and send them personalized emails. It is more personal, and you get a chance to fulfill your readers\u2019 needs. Creating personalized experiences through adaptive content can increase your results and bring more conversions. If you’re a B2B, here’s a content marketing strategy<\/a> you can get inspiration from.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Adidas used the personalization technique to send different emails to women and men, which was very smart and appealed better to each gender. Below you can see an example:<\/p>\n

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    \"Personalization\"

    Source: www.campaignmonitor.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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    Personalized emails experienced an increase of 26% open rate<\/strong><\/a>. And the nice part is that everyone can take advantage of this technique. And this is just one example.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \"Personalization<\/p>\n

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    You can create content only for your users, or you can offer special prices for them, depending on your digital business<\/a><\/strong>. For example, Answer applies special discounts in the checkout step for users who are the in VIP club, meaning those who passed their first purchase.<\/p>\n

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    If you\u2019re using personalized content, you\u2019ll have higher scores and in the end, a strong and good impact on SEO. Not to mention you’ll improve the user experience. You\u2019ll need to rely on automatization and create segments, and collect behavioral data to maximize your SEO efforts.<\/p>\n

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    4. Content Creation Process Has Reconfigured Its Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    We all know that people used content creation by starting with a keyword they wanted to rank for (usually a long tail one, to get a high volume of traffic) and creating content around it. The deceiving part of this content creation process was that it started to attract a lot of thin content just for the sake of ranking high in Google, with no intention of serving the user.<\/p>\n

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    The content creation process changed and now follows a more natural and more user-friendly path. Now you have to start with finding a content gap or a problem and getting the answers to that through your content. Then perform a keyword search for your topic, optimize it, promote it and so on.<\/p>\n

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    If a few years ago people started with the keyword, now they are beginning with the topic by looking on social media sites; forums or client\u2019s questions, reviews, feedback, comments or support questions. There is a lot of content at the moment, and having an article that addresses a pertinent question and has answers to readers\u2019 needs, will secure you a safe place in Google. It is a necessity. Following high rankings in Google with no value content is no longer an option.<\/p>\n

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    Google trends is an option for following popular topics, based on their searches. Follow popular websites in your industry, or follow trending hashtags on Twitter.<\/p>\n

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    \"Trends<\/p>\n

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    Another way to get ideas would be to steal the spotlight from your competitors. BrandMentions<\/a><\/strong> can you where your competitors are mentioned, what influencers endorse them, top website and resources where they are featured.<\/p>\n

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    \"BrandMentions<\/p>\n

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    The new content creation process can bring you lots of benefits if you try to respond to the questions and needs of your audience, instead of following keywords to rank for with no value-added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Another influencer marketing software you could use is OSI Affiliate Software<\/a>.<\/strong> You can easily manage any referral program to generate more traffic and conversions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    5. Content Marketing Will Be Written Only for Content Marketers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    We are living hard times, especially in the content marketing world. Unfortunately, content marketing is starting to be addressed to content marketers. How will this affect SEO you might ask? Tremendously.<\/p>\n

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    The Marketoonist<\/a><\/strong> said the evolution of content marketing is simple: we write content for content marketers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \"content<\/p>\n

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    We got to the point where there is so much content written from one minute to another, that I\u2019m sure a lot of content is rewritten in some parts. Let\u2019s think of it this way. You go to a conference where lots of experts gather and start talking on a topic, and for sure multiple ideas will pop-up and at least 5 people will write about what was discussed. Each has a unique style, that\u2019s for sure, but inevitably some ideas will be similar. You can\u2019t avoid it.<\/p>\n

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    On top of that, there are a lot of people who use tools for rewriting content that already exist on the web. That falls into the dark hat category. We all know that article spinning is not accepted.<\/p>\n

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    If you are using this technique, you are putting your website in danger. Instead, if you\u2019re trying to offer valuable content and write content for the content marketers, you must keep up with it. There is a high competition out here, you must have information that educates the audience and offers engaging content. Attract and retain your potential customers. You must be prepared to play in the big league. Don\u2019t write what is already there. Make it personal and talk from your experience.<\/p>\n

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    6. Context Is the New Era of SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    A new content marketing trend is embracing the content culture and the knowledge-sharing industry. It is about the patents that talk about context and how search will change its form. The trend started with the saying \u201ccontext is king<\/strong><\/a>\u201d. After all the time we heard content is king, now the times changed and a new concept will rule the whole kingdom.<\/p>\n

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    Google\u2019s attention on the user intent when searching started to have a high significance because context is something beyond keywords. Now, Google is trying to focus on user intent to offer more accurate and personalized results. We discussed previously the patents that concern the context topic and we discovered the role it has and if it can impact SEO.<\/p>\n

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    Through context, Google aims to show topical search results, which is very well exemplified in the next screenshot:<\/p>\n

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    \"Topical<\/p>\n

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    After we explored the patent and tested out ourselves to see how search results look like, we thought of the implications it might have on search engine optimization.<\/p>\n

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    We should focus on lots of other indicators, besides keywords. We need to create a relationship between terms and concepts in content. For example, if we are writing about \u201cVolleyball rules\u201d, then you need to think of all the keywords and phrases that are related to your topic and include them there. Make sure you think of the users\u2019 intent. What are they trying to find out? What are their questions? And try to offer responses in a friendly tone, depending on your topic.<\/p>\n

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    The content must answer to the title. You should use synonyms of your title, and not repeat the focus keyword hundreds of times.<\/p>\n

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    7. Influencer Marketing Has More Power<\/strong><\/h2>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \u00a0Influencer marketing is a popular tactic and a growing trend. According to a study by Nielsen, 83% of consumers<\/strong><\/a> trust recommendations from their peers over advertising. People trust recommendations from individuals over brands.\u00a0Another research on the same topic by NoGre<\/a><\/strong>, a graduate education community, says that 88% of consumers trust online recommendations as much as personal ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Moreover, Celebrity Intelligence conducted a study where they saw that the ROI generated by influencer marketing is 11x times higher<\/strong><\/a> than banner ads. Another study says that influencer marketing\u00a0yields a $6.50 return on investment for every dollar spent.<\/p>\n

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    Lots of brands already use influencers for promoting their services, because influencers influence the decisions of the people who follow them. Besides that, they bring a lot of benefits, such as:<\/p>\n