The Top Digital Marketing Trends of 2024
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The realm of digital marketing is evolving faster than ever as we move into 2024. New technologies, platforms, and strategies seem to hit the market every day, and marketers are forced to respond nimbly or risk falling behind.
For today’s businesses, an outdated marketing strategy can easily mean losing customers to more innovative competitors. That’s why it’s crucial to understand where digital marketing is headed in the coming year – and what you can (and should) do about it.
Below, we will talk about:
- The shift towards user-centric, ethical, technically advanced strategies in SEO.
- Google’s E-E-A-T framework as one of the core ranking factors.
- Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Conversational SEO
- Technical SEO and performance metrics for holistic SEO strategies
- Shifting focus from rankings to organic traffic, direct traffic, and revenue per visit.
- Optimizing for voice search, utilizing local service ads, mobile optimization, online reviews, and Apple Business Connect.
- Optimizing content strategies for the right social channels.
- Focusing on short-form content, integrating AI in social media, and measuring ROI.
- Becoming an industry authority, satisfying search intent, and creating situational content.
- AI and machine learning offer opportunities for personalization, automation, and optimization.
- Human marketers are essential in combining AI’s capabilities with strategic thinking and creativity.
- Enhancing ads with better visuals, keeping landing pages concise, increasing the use of video, and captivating the audience immediately.
At Foxxr, we do our best to keep our finger on the pulse of the industry. By staying up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends, we ensure our clients have the tools and knowledge needed to adapt and thrive.
So, what should you know going into 2024? Here are some of the biggest trends poised to shape the digital marketing strategies of tomorrow.
General SEO Trends
Just as you do every year, you need to know what’s changing in the search engine optimization landscape. Overall, we’re seeing a significant shift toward SEO strategies that are more user-centric, ethical, and technically advanced.
Although we could spend an entire blog post diving deeper into 2024’s SEO trends, there are three notable concepts you need to pay special attention to:
Google’s E-E-A-T Framework & Focus on Ethics
For years, Google has primarily sought to provide users with trustworthy search results. Their E-E-A-T framework supports this objective by emphasizing Experience Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness as core ranking factors.
Google provides several examples in its Quality Rater Guidelines to illustrate this point.
That means to rank well in 2024, content should demonstrate in-depth expertise, come from authoritative sources, and promote user trust. It also means that unethical SEO practices are more discouraged than ever, including things like…
- Keyword stuffing
- Hidden webpage text
- Spammy backlinking
- Sneaky redirects
Google is cracking down on these with updates like the Spam Report, so trust us when we say that slimy SEO tactics won’t get you far. Instead, focus on proactively optimizing for expertise and transparency. Search engines and humans alike will appreciate it.
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)
A groundbreaking recent SEO development is Google’s ability to generate entirely new responses to queries, thanks to BERT. Rather than merely retrieving and ranking pre-existing pages, Google is answering questions for searchers – and that’s huge.
This development means that useful, tailored answers can be given even in cases where a site’s content doesn’t perfectly match. In terms of your content strategy, you should now be focusing on creating high-quality content that can play a role in Google’s dynamic responses to search queries.
Conversational SEO With AI Technology
The impact of artificial intelligence has been felt throughout the world of marketing, and its influence on SEO is significant.
AI now allows search engines to understand natural language queries more like a human would. For example, Google is developing systems like BERT that parse search intent from full sentences rather than just keywords.
This means optimizing for conversational, natural language is vital in 2024. Site content should adopt words and phrases that people actually use in speech, including long-tail and conversational queries.
Think about it this way: when you pick up your phone to ask Google something, you likely aren’t saying, “Dry cleaner near me.” You’re probably saying something like, “Hey Google, where’s the closest dry cleaner that’s open on Sundays?”
Technical SEO & Performance Metrics
This year, SEO will be viewed in a broader context beyond just search rankings. Technical factors that affect overall user experience and site performance will become integral parts of any holistic SEO strategy.
In other words, it’s not just about your rankings – it’s about improving your site’s performance. More specifically, there are three key performance metrics you need to focus on this year:
Organic Traffic
This reflects how often search engines send visitors to your pages for relevant queries. If you are reeling in plenty of organic traffic, your content is (a) discoverable and (b) satisfies the intent for many important searches. It also reveals opportunities to target valuable keywords and improve your website’s “findability.”
Direct Traffic
Do you have visitors who repeatedly type your URL directly or bookmark your site? If so, that indicates strong brand loyalty and awareness. High direct traffic shows your branding efforts, and overall user experience inspires visitors to return.
Revenue Per Visit
eCommerce sites can track how much revenue is earned on average for each visit. This shows how effectively your site converts visitors into real, paying customers. Technical SEO often plays a huge part in this by helping to reduce bounce rates and improve conversions (if you play your cards right).
Throughout the coming year, integrating technical SEO with public relations campaigns will also maximize your brand’s reach. Press releases can drive traffic, while SEO improves the discoverability of this earned media coverage.
Ultimately, you want the “public perception” of your brand to help boost your online reputation, and elements of technical SEO will certainly play a role in that.
Local SEO Trends
Local SEO differs from broad SEO in that it optimizes specifically for customers searching for businesses and services in their immediate geographical area. There are many ways you can rank for local searchers – by physical location, with local content, via local reviews, etc.
As we look at digital marketing trends in 2024, we also need to pay attention to:
Optimizing for Voice Search
Voice searches are rapidly increasing, especially in local contexts like “find restaurants near me.”
In fact, it’s estimated that over half of Americans (18+) use a voice assistant on any device, including smartphones, smart speakers, and in-car systems. According to Synup, “Voice search drives more than $2 billion in sales, and making voice search optimization part of your strategy will help you sell more and boost revenue.”
As we just discussed, these spoken queries use natural language and conversational phrases – and your digital marketing strategies need to account for that.
Start by optimizing content for commonly asked questions and commands users make to virtual assistants. This will help your content become more visible to search engines handling voice requests.
Local Service Ads
In the past year, local service ads (LSAs) have become increasingly important in the landscape of local SEO strategies. If you run a service-based business, you want your name to occupy prime real estate in search engine result pages (SERPs) – and LSAs can help with that.
LSAs are typically displayed at the top of SERPs, advertising services such as landscaping, HVAC repair, or plumbing. As a bonus, these paid search ads can also be incorporated into your Google My Business Profile, further enhancing the business’s online presence.
One key reason LSAs matter to local SEO in 2024 is their ability to target highly specific geographic areas, allowing businesses to reach local customers precisely when they’re actively searching for relevant services.
Unlike traditional pay-per-click (PPC) ads, LSAs are tailored to local intent, meaning they prioritize businesses that are physically located near the user’s search location or serve the user’s specified service area. This hyper-local targeting ensures that businesses can effectively connect with nearby customers who are more likely to convert.
Mobile Optimization
At this point, telling you that mobile optimization is important probably sounds a lot like “water is wet.” It’s obvious, but believe us when we say that this is more important to local SEO in 2024 than ever before.
With roughly 58% of internet traffic originating from mobile devices, search engines like Google have prioritized mobile-friendly websites even more heavily in their rankings. Mobile optimization isn’t just encouraged for local businesses – it’s practically required.
Online Reviews
This year, online reviews continue to play a pivotal role in local SEO for several reasons.
Firstly, search engine algorithms view online reviews as a key factor in understanding the relevance and credibility of a local business. Positive reviews signal to search engines that a business is trustworthy and provides quality products or services, thus influencing its ranking in local search results.
Secondly, online reviews serve as a form of social proof that directly impacts consumer behavior in the digital age. Up to 72% of consumers say that positive online reviews make them trust a local business more.
Positive reviews not only influence potential customers’ perceptions of a business but also encourage them to take action, such as visiting the business’s website or physical location.
Apple Business Connect
Another element making big waves in 2024 is Business Connect – a new platform launched by Apple to help businesses manage their presence and profiles in Apple maps.
Companies can create free verified business listings – similar to those of Google Business Profile. This makes their business name, location, contact info, photo, and other details more visible to people who use Apple Maps.
Considering that Apple Maps is the second most popular mobile map app, having a claimed and optimized Business Connect listing is a huge step for local companies in 2024.
With billions of active users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more, social media marketing remains extremely influential (as you likely already know).
However, in 2024, brands are steering clear of social strategies that essentially throw things at the wall to see what sticks. Smart companies are focusing on optimizing content strategies to perform well on the RIGHT social channels.
This includes paying attention to trends like…
Short-Form Content
Attention spans are shorter than ever, largely thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Social posts under 60 seconds – such as brief videos, photos, or illustrations – tend to be most engaging.
This year, steer clear of long-winded explanations or in-depth tutorials, favoring instead easily digestible tidbits of information.
AI in Social Media
Artificial intelligence tools in 2024 aren’t just helping marketers make and refine content – they’re helping them learn. AI can suggest timely social topics, auto-generate and edit posts, determine best posting times, and provide advanced performance analytics.
The ROI Trend
Rather than looking at vanity metrics like followers or likes, many brands in today’s market are zeroing in on measurable ROI stats from social media. As we move further into 2024, we expect to see a growing emphasis on tracking more tangible business impacts like leads, sales, and website traffic – not just the number of “hearts” an Instagram story receives.
Product Discovery
Before we move off the topic of social media marketing, we need to talk about its role in consumer product discovery. Users increasingly discover and even purchase products they learn about for the first time on social media.
This is especially true for Gen Z, of whom 46% have discovered a new product on social media in the past three months. Even Boomers and Gen X are jumping on the bandwagon, so in 2024, you’ll want to focus heavily on optimizing your social platforms for better product and service awareness.
Content Marketing Strategies
Ah, content – the long-reigning king of digital marketing. The content marketing industry is estimated to be worth at least $600 billion this year, and despite whispers that the kingdom is in upheaval, market growth is predicted to accelerate.
Content marketing is far from dead, but its trends are changing and evolving. Now, more than ever, brands need to focus on:
Becoming an Industry Authority
Creating thought leadership content is arguably the best way to establish your brand as a trusted authority. In 2024, you want to become a go-to resource for customers. For example, provide value by sharing data trends in your industry or insights from original research. Offer them something your competitors can’t.
Satisfying Search Intent
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, remember: search engines like Google prioritize delivering the most relevant and useful results to users based on their search queries, rather than just matching keywords.
This shift towards understanding search intent means that content creators need to focus not only on incorporating relevant keywords but also on addressing the underlying needs and motivations behind user searches.
Moreover, user expectations for online content have evolved, with an increasing emphasis on quality, depth, and relevance. Users are seeking content that directly addresses their questions, concerns, or interests – and they expect quick, concise, and authoritative answers.
Here are the latest figures for the various content formats utilized by B2C marketers to give you an idea of the type of content you can create to satisfy diverse search intent.
Creating Situational Content
With the proliferation of digital devices and platforms, consumers are inundated with an abundance of content every day. To cut through the noise, the most successful businesses in 2024 will be those that tailor their content to specific situations, contexts, or moments that resonate with their target audience.
Situational content allows brands to connect with consumers on a deeper level by addressing their immediate needs, concerns, or interests in real-time, fostering a sense of relevance and authenticity.
As a bonus, situational content also gives your team the chance to capitalize on emerging trends, events, or cultural moments, tapping into timely conversations and capturing audience engagement.
AI & Machine Learning
This is probably the section you’ve been waiting for. As many agencies and institutes have already said, AI is THE topic of conversation for 2024 regarding almost every aspect of digital marketing.
We’ve already touched a bit on the impact of AI on other categories, but this is such a big trend that it’s worth diving into more deeply.
The Challenges and Opportunities of AI
AI provides undeniable opportunities to improve personalization, predictions, automation, optimizations, and more. However, marketers must ensure consumer data and AI systems themselves are handled responsibly.
In the coming months, we expect to see industry-changing discussions around AI-related concerns such as perpetuating biases, maintaining transparency, and protecting privacy.
For the last couple of years, many of us have experimented with AI tools lightly – but now, most marketers say they’ve tried AI at work. This is a year of change, and any marketer who knows their stuff will need to stay on top of evolving AI trends and challenges.
The Role of Human Marketers in AI
We often get asked, “Where do humans fit into all this AI stuff?”
Some fear AI will replace human marketers, but if you ask us, the true power of AI lies in its augmentation of human capabilities. Strategic thinking, creativity, empathy, and ethics are innately human strengths. When these strengths are combined with AI’s scale, speed, and personalization, marketers can craft remarkably impactful campaigns.
AI also enables marketers to focus more on strategy by automating tedious tasks. Rather than wasting hours on topic ideation or outline preparation, 2024’s marketers can get to the meat of their work, cutting out the unnecessary fat.
According to IDC, global spending on AI is projected to grow at over 40% CAGR through 2025, becoming a $500 billion market by 2027. With its tremendous potential, AI adoption in marketing will continue to rise dramatically. We just need to stay in tune with and on top of its evolution.
Paid Advertising Trends
Last but certainly not least, we want to touch on the state of paid advertising in 2024. Things are changing, and businesses are increasingly focusing on snagging customer attention in just the right way.
Let’s talk about some of the biggest trends dominating the paid ad field today:
Increasing the Use of Video
Online video consumption has skyrocketed in the last decade to the point where many studies put it ahead of traditional TV in terms of engagement. As a result, video has also steadily crept into the world of paid advertising.
According to Hubspot, short-form videos provide the highest ROI and are projected to experience substantial growth compared to other marketing content formats by 2024.
In 2024, we expect to see far more advertisers relying on video to market their products on social media, as well as on streaming platforms. This is especially likely considering that paid ad costs have been dropping, and production tools are becoming increasingly accessible to small businesses.
Catching Audience’s Attention Immediately
Recent user experience data tells us that most companies have a maximum of only 8.25 seconds to grab a customer’s attention. Whether you’re capitalizing on a trending local service ad or a flashy paid TikTok video, your content needs to work fast in today’s lighting-quick market.
Enhancing Ads With Better Visuals
The digital landscape is saturated with content, so if you want to stand out, you can’t rely on mediocre-looking ads – especially on visually oriented social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.
High-quality ad visuals do more than just grab attention; they also convey brand messaging and values more effectively, fostering stronger emotional connections with audiences. Additionally, in an era where mobile usage continues to soar, visually engaging paid ads are better suited to the smaller screens and shorter attention spans prevalent in mobile browsing.
Keeping Landing Pages Concise & Focused
With attention spans becoming shorter and competition fiercer, modern businesses need to build landing pages that deliver clear, relevant information quickly to capture and retain user interest. Concise, focused landing pages provide a seamless browsing experience – but they also contribute to higher conversion rates by guiding visitors directly to their desired destinations.
Stay on Top of 2024’s Trends with Foxxr
If you feel like we just threw a lot of information at you, you’re not wrong – but you’re also not alone. We’re here to help you stay on top of all the emerging digital marketing trends in 2024.
Get in touch with our team today. We’ll set up a free consultation to assess your digital marketing needs and then provide you with a path toward better online visibility and higher conversion rates.
The realm of marketing is always changing, and you need a partner who can anticipate and capitalize on these shifts. Don’t wait to schedule your free audit with Foxxr.
