Content is the fastest-moving trend in marketing. The sector grew by 14.8% in 2022, and is expected to produce $107 billion in revenue by 2026. Website content writing services are a major driving force behind the accelerated growth — let’s take a look at what they did right in 2022 and determine how last year’s trends will affect the content world in 2023.
Created Helpful, Relevant Content
You know the old saying: content is king.
We’d like to propose a slight alteration — quality content is king.
The content-marketing sphere is crowded, and competition is steep. If you want to rank on the first page of the search results, you’ll need to meet higher standards.
In 2022, the most successful content writing agencies rose to the occasion by producing helpful, relevant content. They focused on fulfilling search intent and ensuring that each piece was the best possible resource on the topic.
The focus on quality will intensify in 2023 as Google rolls out an update to its Search Quality Rater Guidelines. The traditional E-A-T framework is now E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust. That’s good news for both brands and content writers; it means that for many topics, Google will consider personal experience when assessing the quality and trustworthiness of a page.
To improve quality and relevance, content writers are:
- Producing original content. It’s no longer enough to regurgitate the ideas in the highest-ranking pages; your content must add substantial value.
- Choosing helpful formats. Select the format that’s most useful for your audience, whether that’s written content, video, audio or a combination.
- Write for people. Create comprehensive content that’s geared toward people rather than the Google algorithm.
As programs such as ChatGPT flood the internet with AI-generated content, originality is more important than ever. Search engines are developing algorithms to detect and penalize AI content, so publishers can thrive in the long run by bringing human-centered value to the online space.
Doubled Down on Written Content
Short-form video has been the star of the content world over the past few years, but 2022 saw a shift toward a more balanced approach. As brands recognized the longevity and power of written content — and the value of owning a platform rather than relying on the whims of a third-party service — content writing services began producing more long-form pieces.
In this latest iteration of lengthy web articles, the “more is more” ideology is a thing of the past. The best content writers aren’t aiming for the longest possible word count; they’re covering a topic in-depth and creating comprehensive, evergreen resources that maximize time on page, minimize bounce rate and send positive signals to Google.
Written content will expand in 2023 as companies look for ways to increase content and audience ownership. Expect to see an increase in ebooks, white papers and other lead magnets that provide value and build engaged mailing lists.
Found New Ways To Personalize Content
Personalization was one of the biggest website content trends in 2022. Writers took steps to connect with readers on a personal level. Driven by extensive keyword and audience research, they created:
- Content that resonates deeply with the ideal customer’s emotions and state of mind
- Topics that correspond to each part of the sales funnel or customer journey
- Calls to action that speak directly to the reader’s immediate needs and pain points
Content intelligence programs are poised to revolutionize the personalization process in 2023 and beyond. Brands and content writing agencies are already using these data-intensive programs to predict the type, topic and format of content that will work best for specific audience segments. AI-driven systems also deploy custom calls to action in real time and trigger specific communication sequences in response to customer signals.
As intelligence platforms become more accessible, SEO content writing services will help brands take full advantage of the technology. This year, expect to see more writers using AI-generated insights and optimization suggestions to create precisely targeted content for specific buyer personas.
Embraced a Broader Content Strategy
The focus on personalization gave way to another content-writing success of 2022: diversification. The best writing services realized that when building lasting connections with a broad range of readers, it’s not enough to rely on a single type of content. They encouraged clients to branch out to a variety of formats, including:
- Informative articles
- How-to guides
- Marketing emails
- Infographics
- Ebooks
- Product reviews
- Case studies
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Social media posts
The most successful content strategies in 2023 will use a mix of formats and topics, particularly for brands marketing to a diverse demographic. The goal is to provide value for audience members at every stage of the journey, whether they need a quick infographic overview or a detailed troubleshooting guide.
Encouraged Niche Topic Selection
Every SEO content writer is familiar with the idea of “niched down” content — media that addresses the needs of a specific audience segment. This type of highly focused content was key in 2022 as brands sought ways to differentiate themselves from competitors.
Niche content is here to stay, especially as more players enter the content-marketing game. Customers are overwhelmed with choices, both for the content they consume and the brands they patronize. Writing services that provide precise keyword selection and target specific queries can help you attract engaged, loyal customers.
Looking back at 2022, it’s clear that content is evolving. Gone are the days of general, broad-focus writing; in 2023, top website content writing services will embrace topics that are tailored to specific profiles and scenarios to help clients succeed.
