Updated: January 4, 2013
2012 was quite a year for SEO and content marketing. We saw Google make sweeping algorithm changes that affected a large number of sites. Some sites suffered from these changes, while others thrived.
Since Google shows no signs of slowing down their efforts to keep search engines working and keep content creators honest, we can likely expect quite a few more changes in the coming year. In that vein, check out our top five predictions for content marketing in 2013.
1. Increased emphasis on content expertise
While we can expect to see continued emphasis on, as Google’s Matt Cutts would say, “great content,” we will likely also see a move toward content with authority. Web content creators will be expected to show their credentials more and more.
While this might strike fear in the hearts of those who produce content for a wide variety of clients, what it should do is encourage content marketers to learn more about the products we are marketing so that we can successfully address relevant topics from a place of authority. At SEOA we already utilize a number of writers with field-specific experience and education for our content marketing. For companies that take this approach, 2013 may simply mean making those credentials public and putting faces with the names.
2. More robust content
This one is more of a continuation of a trend. We’ve been ramping up the quality of website copy for years as an industry, in order to keep up with Google’s expectations. In 2013, we’ll produce lengthier guides and more e-books, in an effort to create a one-stop-shop for searchers.
3. Increased emphasis on personality and voice
This one links back to prediction number one. We are learning more and more through the use of social media that customers want to connect with businesses on a personal level, to feel as though they are dealing with real people and not faceless companies.
Content marketers and the businesses we represent will begin to move toward a more personal approach, and content marketing will need to rise to the occasion by building a cohesive voice and personality for each individual client.
4. More mobile content
More and more users every day are accessing the internet primarily through smart phones and other mobile devices. Content marketers and SEOs that do not make the effort to create mobile-friendly content may risk falling by the wayside.
This doesn’t just mean using a mobile subdomain, either. We need to make it easy for users to comment on blogs from any device, and avoid discouraging participation at all costs.
Mobile content also means giving visitors plenty of shorter sounds bytes interspersed with more robust pieces, so that visitors have something they can consume easily while in line or in waiting rooms. Variety and versatility will be the key to attracting and retaining the growing mobile crowd.
5. The fall of repurposed content
One thing we see with every Google update is an increase in the seeming perceptiveness of these algorithms. Repurposed content is becoming easier to detect, and search engines are becoming more adept at identifying the original producer of the content and giving due credit. Some content marketers are going to need to step up their games and start producing truly original copy.
Content marketing in 2013: Time to step up our game . . . yes, again
At SEO Advantage, we’ve seen more SEOs than we’d like complaining about search engine changes instead of being willing to adapt. That attitude is not only counter-productive, but it displays a lack of passion for the internet from some of its most prolific content creators.
The most successful content marketers in 2013 and beyond will be those who have a true love of all things internet, and who spend a significant amount of their personal time participating in online communities or conducting research for personal interest. These are the content creators who possess both intellectual curiosity and a great respect for what a valuable resource the internet provides.
Remember what it was like to want to learn about something before the internet? Having to scour the card catalogs at the library or, in some cases, just go around not knowing what you wanted to know? If you do, then you are a step ahead of content creators who get annoyed when asked to create honest, quality copy. You understand how the internet revolutionized the entirety of society, and you have a vested interest in protecting it.
What do you think about our predictions? Agree? Disagree? Have a prediction of your own?