The growing importance of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and their impact on the work of SEO specialists and content managers – including the use of these solutions to automate and optimise marketing strategies. Even greater content personalisation and the creation of high-quality content, as well as turning it into interactive experiences, and finally the continued growth of podcasts among influencers and even more live streaming and shorts – that, in a nutshell, is how 2023 is shaping up in the internet marketing industry.

What the past year, 2022, was like and what challenges await content marketing, SEO and influencer marketing specialists, as well as which other trends they believe will gain importance in 2023, is commented on by representatives of the international platform WhitePress, which automates article publication, content creation and cooperation with influencers.

2022 in SEO – AI and machine learning

Artificial intelligence analyses data at a pace no human can match. That is why AI-related issues are starting to dominate SEO strategies more and more each year. And 2022 only confirms this. According to Tomasz Biegun, Head of Content marketing & SEO at WhitePress, the last 12 months in this industry passed under the banner of machine learning and AI, including its impact on the work of SEO specialists and content managers.

2023 in SEO – trends and challenges

AI and machine learning in SEO strategies

Just as the reality around us changes, so too do the directions and challenges in site positioning. Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence will remain an important element of SEO, and this year will bring even faster progress in this area. According to specialists, the greater number of Google algorithm updates per year may also pose a difficulty. Post-pandemic traffic declines in many industries, and consequently online, may also prove to be a problem. What is more, the industry will have to prepare to spend more time analysing data on consumer behaviour from an SEO perspective as well as behavioural factors.

- The SEO trends that will gain importance in 2023 are primarily the growing importance of machine learning and AI in SEO and marketing. This year will definitely bring even faster development of artificial intelligence, which means it will be used increasingly often both in SEO activities and in internet marketing broadly understood. What is more, behavioural data will become more important than ever – in fact, they already are. In recent years we have seen how much user behaviour matters for SERP results. Hence it can be assumed that in 2023 it will be behavioural factors that are key, and thus technical SEO factors may lose some of their importance – comments Tomasz Biegun.

Dominik Fajferek, in turn, is of the opinion that GPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) from OpenAI, as well as the SEO marketplace, metaverse SEO and web3, will be equally significant in 2023.

- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed reports about launching the aforementioned GPT-4 model, which according to assumptions is to be smaller but will work better. Many specialists will undoubtedly await this premiere impatiently. On the other hand, the term "metaverse SEO" sounds quite exotic, because it is difficult for us to imagine at this point what the metaverse world might look like, let alone how search engines will function within it – he adds.

It appears that next year specialists will also struggle with site indexing. In this challenge, a major role will be played by portals built on very popular JavaScript frameworks and content mass-generated by AI. Google and other search engines must cope with highly dynamic environments that need to be understood and indexed.

2022 in the content marketing industry

Content marketing: personalisation and new forms of communication

Content marketing is currently one of the more popular marketing strategies used by marketers, allowing companies to establish a presence online. But for that to happen, valuable content must be created that the audience will want to read, watch or listen to. And although content, according to many, "is still a king", the trends in this area change from year to year. So how did content marketing look on the marketing landscape in 2022, and what awaits specialists in the coming years? These questions are answered by Joanna Godzic, Content Premium Manager, and Anna Jaroszewska, Head of Content Marketing at WhitePress.

- 2022 in the content marketing industry was undoubtedly marked by personalisation and artificial intelligence. Brands cared about providing their audiences with an individualised experience. We could also observe very rapid development of tools for creating content with AI – says Joanna Godzic.

For Anna Jaroszewska, in turn, the key thing in 2022 was seeking new forms of communication, because those used until then could be somewhat limited by the surrounding reality.

- While in 2020 and 2021 the pandemic was such a challenge, in 2022 it became the war – and suddenly it turned out that part of the media message began to be inappropriate due to the situation in Ukraine. These events showed how important the values that brands follow are to the average consumer. The pressure on large brands to leave Russia or the boycott of those that did not do so shows that for audiences it is not only price and quality that count, but also companies' ethics – comments Anna Jaroszewska.

What will 2023 bring in the CM industry?

Key marketing trends 2023 – summary and forecasts

According to a WhitePress report conducted in 2022, as many as 6 out of 10 specialists admitted that they use AI solutions to create content, and everything indicates that this trend will strengthen in the coming year.

- The GPT-3 text-davinci 003 model released to the market by OpenAI made a phenomenal impression on users at first reception. On this basis we can conclude that all tools using this technology may significantly accelerate the pace of generating content of even better quality than what we have observed so far. Secondly, AI for generating content will be used on a large scale. As we know, artificial intelligence is able to create content only on the basis of collected data. Therefore, for Google such content will not bring anything new. That is why in the coming years the direction is likely to develop in which content created by AI will be polished by a copywriter with experience in a given subject – comments Joanna Godzic, WhitePress.

- The development of services in this area is so great that I will mention just our home market: among others, Content Planner and then Content Writer from Senuto show how strong this trend and need is. Does this mean AI will replace copywriters? I think rather not, but a certain change in the way they work will be required of them – adds Anna Jaroszewska, WhitePress.

Challenges in content marketing for 2023

Content marketing faces various challenges, so we have selected those that will be most important this year and for which it is worth preparing appropriately.

- Above all, some of the greater difficulties facing the industry are: adapting content to changing platforms and devices, but also creating quality content that will additionally be a kind of "interactive experience". The use of AI and machine learning to automate and optimise content marketing strategies will also become an important element – notes Joanna Godzic.

2022 in the influencer marketing industry

According to Monika Ćwiertnia, Head of Influencer Marketing at WhitePress®, in the previous year the industry was significantly affected by: recommendations and regulations introduced by UOKiK [the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection] in the context of ordering how influencers label advertising content on social media.

- For several months now every influencer has the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the legal issues that apply to them and can quickly verify what they need to comply with. Brands and marketers themselves are increasingly turning to cooperation with online creators whose reach ranges from several to several dozen thousand followers. In 2022 there was also no shortage of interest in micro-influencers, who thanks to their engaged community reach the group of audiences that companies care about very much – she adds.

2023 in influencer marketing – trends and challenges

Influencer marketing trends for 2023

Although some time ago there was much talk in marketing discussions that influencers would soon cease to play such an important role in marketing strategies, industry forecasts and the number of collaborations brands conclude with "internet stars" do not indicate this at all. So in which direction will influencer marketing develop in 2023?

- The key trend will definitely be the spread of even more podcasts created by influencers, as well as valuable no-compromise conversations. More and more online creators not only take part in podcasts, but also create them as a new channel through which advertising can be "woven in" in a very natural way, thereby presenting, for example, the sponsor of a given episode. Moreover, one of the most credible forms of advertising is becoming long-term or cyclical cooperation with influencers, as it becomes fixed in audiences' memory and also increases brand awareness and conversion. An even greater number of live broadcasts and video content, which invariably attract viewers' attention, will be noticeable – adds Monika Ćwiertnia, WhitePress®.

In turn, one of the bigger challenges in influencer marketing in 2023 will be creating reliable, quality content that consumers will want to engage with.

- Moving away from conveying only a product review in the traditional way may prove problematic. Audiences expect specific, specialist advice, but in an accessible, interesting and short form. More and more companies are commissioning influencers to produce original formats recorded in various shots and locations. That is why the popularity of creating high-quality video such as Instagram Reels, which are now already produced by specialists with professional equipment, will continue to grow. It is worth mentioning that the economic situation will also leave its mark on the industry in question, so an increase in influencers' rates can be expected – she adds.

In summary, 2023 in content marketing means above all the continued development of AI and its generation of content on a much larger scale than before. In the SEO industry, in turn, behavioural factors will be important, especially in terms of user behaviour on brands' websites and in SERP results, while in influencer marketing podcasts, live streaming and shorts will gain importance.

Edited by: PN

Summary

2023 in internet marketing will pass under the sign of the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning, which will dominate SEO and content marketing strategies. WhitePress experts emphasise the growing importance of behavioural factors in search results and the need to create high-quality content that will be an interactive experience for audiences. In influencer marketing, podcasts, live streaming and shorts will gain popularity, as well as long-term cooperation with micro-influencers. The industry must prepare for challenges related to indexing JavaScript-based sites and content mass-generated by AI.