SEO
10 Content Marketing Trends To Watch In 2023

Check out these content marketing trends you’ll want to have on your radar as you strategize for a successful 2023.
A triage of increased consumer demand, search and content convergence, and AI awareness makes 2023 a challenging but opportunistic year for content marketers.
As the demand for content hits an all-time high, quality and helpful content is becoming a number one priority.
This, combined with a meteoric rise in AI-generated content, represents a paradigm shift in how marketers approach content.
Content Marketing Trend For 2023: A New Content Battleground
Many of the content trends we identified last year still remain vital and have not changed.
For example, the focus on intent and proving value, the fusion of multiple media formats, and the emphasis on the processing and utilization of data as an informer have not changed.
The same applies to the vital art of storytelling and account-based content marketing. However, as content production surges, a lot has changed.
The content marketing market is poised to grow by $584.02 billion during 2023-2027.
2023 represents a new content battleground for content marketers, with billions of pieces published by brands, individuals, and machines.
As a result, ensuring your content is discovered and consumed by its intended audience will be more challenging.
Marketers are competing on a new content battleground where quality meets quantity, and organizations need to compete for consumers’ attention in different ways.
Let’s take a look at 10 content marketing trends in 2023.
1. Digital And Content Evolution
For all the talk over the last few years around digital disruption, the reality is that it has already happened. We are now in a period of evolution, meaning content marketers must change mindsets and skill sets.
As more organizations focus on personalization and the user experience, old content strategies must be updated for multiple new digital experiences across critical moments in the customer journey.
With so much online content that addresses the top of the funnel, are marketers missing the mark at the bottom? After all, executives want to see content that converts and helps the sales cycle.
In addition, while marketers experiment with new technologies, are they utilizing their existing ones?
Content creates data. According to the IDC, the Global DataSphere is expected to more than double in size from 2022 to 2026.
Are marketers using what insights they currently have access to or focusing on what is new?
Tips
- Tap into your existing digital technologies for real-time search and data insights to better understand what motivates your prospects.
- Balance utilizing what you have vs. what you may want in the future.
- Keep an eye on your data and understand what you have before you create more.
- Let the data you have now help inform future decisions.
Read more on SEJ:
2. AI Growth And Conversational Infusion
The introduction of OpenAI and ChatGPT allows marketers to interact with technology in a conversational manner for the first time.
As a result, AI will be infused into content marketing strategies at a scale never witnessed in our lifetime.
ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly active users just two months after launch.
While this is not another ChatGPT post (there is plenty out there!), I believe it is essential to understand how AI has evolved and what it is before you build content and generative AI strategies.
Tips
- Understand before you experiment.
- Experiment and balance this with what content goals you currently have.
- Exercise caution with generative AI and ensure it has human supervision.
- Do not create for content’s sake; think of the reader, not the robot.
- Follow Google’s guidelines on Helpful Content Update and E-E-A-T.
Read more on SEJ:
3. Content, Search, And SEO Fusion
Recent search engine guidelines such as the Helpful Content Update and Product Review Updates mean marketers need to be more thoughtful about the content they create.
Content needs to be created for the human reader rather than a search engine ranking to stand out from the noise.
As content, search, and SEO strategies fuse, marketers must rethink what they write and how SEO, content, search, and digital teams work together – and with AI.
The introduction of ChatGPT has caused a stir.
Personally, I believe too many marketers are reading and experimenting, offering opinions, and sharing clippings. The worry here is that both SEO professionals and content marketers lose focus on the now.
With over 90% of organizations planning to utilize SEO more this year, it is essential to focus on high-impact strategies and consider how and where AI-generated content fits in.
Tips
- Think about who will want to read your content before you start.
- Utilize SEO insights to inform content strategies for PPC.
- Combine SEO and PPC to have more control over the customer experience.
- Leverage AI but approach generative AI with caution and supervision to avoid penalties.
- Embrace automation for SEO tasks that do not need a manual touch.
Read more on SEJ:
4. Purpose And Differentiation
Content that lacks purpose will struggle to compete on the search engine results pages (SERPs). To ensure content is discoverable and found online, differentiation is needed.
Marketers need to rethink why they are producing, how, and who for.
They also need to ensure that branded content and messaging are relevant to the intent of their target audience and meet their needs and wants.
Changes to SEO/search algorithms (64%), changes to social media algorithms (53%), and data management/analytics (48%) are among the top concerns for B2C marketers.
As more content goes online, consumers can find it hard to find the information they really want and need. As a result, marketers will need to find new ways to differentiate their content with creativity, new formats, research, and unique approaches.
For example, let’s be honest, at the moment, the internet is awash with articles on AI and ChatGPT. However, I only read 20% from sources I trust, as everyone seems to be an AI expert at the moment.
Content will be being duplicated at scale, and we should expect a rise in spam, content detection, and copywriting technologies very soon!
Tips
- Write with purpose and passion, something AI cannot replicate.
- Think about how you can combine multiple content formats in major assets.
- Utilize visuals to complement text.
- Know your market, product, message, and goals before writing anything.
- Think how you can be different compared to others who will be covering similar topics.
Read more on SEJ:
5. Visual Variation
Visual content is in demand, from visuals for search experiences and ranking to infographics, images, and charts.
With the explosion of text-based content online produced by humans and machines, visual content marketing can help simplify content. It also offers alternative ways to interact with consumers.
For example, video is the top channel for B2B marketing, and the hot new trend is short-form video. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are now some of the most popular media for brands.
Harnessing the power of video SEO can dramatically increase the visibility of your content across search engines. In addition, you can optimize your videos for higher rankings by refining and adjusting specific elements.
Tips
- Look at YouTube suggest and SEO keyword research for ideas and recommendations.
- Match your content so it is relevant for the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel – demo videos work very well at the bottom of the funnel.
- Create short-form video content (60 seconds) so you don’t lose consumers’ attention.
- Repurpose long-form videos.
- Share and promote.
Read more on SEJ:
6. AI Experiments Vs. Experience
As I mentioned earlier in his article, experiment with new technologies.
With ChatGPT reaching 1 million users in just under two months, marketers are experimenting with AI-generated content at a massive scale.
The best content marketers will learn how to work with AI.
This means understanding limitations and exercising caution while adding their experience to produce and supervise AI content tools set to flood the market.
Only 10% of marketers currently use AI to generate content, but over 58% plan to increase their usage this year. This shows that many marketers are exercising caution while they see:
- How generative AI and new tools/applications perform and where and when to use them.
- How new AI features will be baked into search engines, and what this means.
Undoubtedly, we will see a super-accelerated use of AI, but it’s also vital that experience content marketers drive experimentation and selection and supervises its usage.
Tips
- Find time to experiment with ChatGPT with a lens on how it can help with your specific content needs.
- Remember to look at the plethora of tools that help with creation, distribution, and measurement – think full cycle.
- Before publishing anything, fact-check, edit, and copy-check – add your personality.
- Keep a very close eye on how it is showing on the SERPs and its performance.
Read more on SEJ:
7. Focus And Process
The core fundamentals of good content marketing have not changed. Marketers should not lose focus on that.
In 2023, production and approval processes will need to change. Organizations will need to adapt to the fact that AI is going mainstream. They must adapt processes to accommodate AI to help inform and assist content marketing strategies.
40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy; 33% have a process, but it’s not documented, and 27% have no plan.
When anything new, it is natural (and essential) that humans want to experiment. However, marketers also have current goals to achieve, so balance is needed.
Managing time and resources will become necessary to balance the scales. Do not lose focus on what you need to do now while keeping an eye on the future.
Tips
- Do not lose focus on your current goals.
- Look at the best use cases for the usage of AI and where in your content marketing funnel it fits.
- Insert this into your process – once you are certain you have selected the right technologies.
- Ensure you have a content marketing expert supervising inputs and approving outputs.
Read more on SEJ:
8. Consistency, Consumption, And Value
Consistently producing content for content’s sake will not reap the rewards. Instead, quality over quantity will lead to better engagement in 2023.
Too much content can confuse consumers. This is especially true for content with no relevancy, shows no authority, and offers little value.
83% of marketers say focusing on quality rather than quantity of content is better, even if it means posting less often.
If people don’t consume your content, there is no value in creating it in the first place.
Furthermore, people don’t consume media in silos, so it’s important to distribute your content in multiple formats across multiple channels.
Tips
- Ensure you are consistent in your tone, voice, and messaging per your marketing personas.
- Test a few different formats for your content (i.e., blog vs. video) and see what performs.
- Measure value beyond traffic and look at bounce rates, engagements, and conversions.
- Ensure stakeholders are aware of brand value and lift if messaging is a key goal.
Read more on SEJ:
9. Intelligent Automation
Conversational and generative AI has taken most column and opinion pieces over the last few months. However, the use of AI automation for many other use cases has been on the rise for years.
This includes use cases such as the intelligent automation (IA) of website error detection and automated fixes, curation, distribution, and reporting.
68% of B2B marketers implement automation in their marketing strategy.
In the current content climate, it’s essential to know how generative and conversational AI differs from other AI applications, as per point No. 2 earlier in this article.
AI can be used for various tasks, such as generative applications, image recognition, etc.
Furthermore, intelligent automation takes this capability further by analyzing output from the decision-making process to execute increasingly complex workflows without manual labor.
This goes beyond what standalone generative and conversational AI offers.
When comparing intelligent automation vs. artificial intelligence, one could not exist without the other; they must go hand in hand if businesses want the best results possible.
Tips
- Ensure you list standalone AI tools vs. platforms that already have AI baked into their tech stack.
- Utilize intelligent automation for backend web fixes, internal linking, and reporting.
- Use automation technologies that can give insights and automate time-consuming technical tasks.
Read more on SEJ:
10. Human And Machine Symbiosis
AI will not replace humans. Nothing can beat human empathy, judgment, and creativity. If humans and machines work together, it will not replace content marketers’ jobs.
Content marketers’ jobs are not at risk for those who are thoughtfully embracing AI to A (assist) and I (inform).
AI is not ready to make unsupervised decisions.

Success lies in balancing human input, supervision, judgment, and skill.
Expect to see an increased focus on collaboration between humans and machines. AI should aim to augment human capabilities and improve overall content marketing performance.
Read more on SEJ:
Conclusion
The bar is high in the new content marketing battleground; “average” content will no longer do.
We are set to see a content explosion on the web, and only those who create unique, helpful, and differentiated content will stand out and win.
Embracing and utilizing AI is an obvious must, but so is exercising caution and aligning it with human capital.
The link bait headlines titled “AI is here to replace…” is fluff in marketing!
Processes need to change; marketers will adapt, and those who can balance current and future focus will progress professionally and personally.
Tap into these content trends for a more innovative and ultimately successful marketing strategy this year.
More Resources:
Featured Image: 3rdtimeluckystudio/Shutterstock
SEO
4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

In a significant leap in large language model (LLM) development, Mistral AI announced the release of its newest model, Mixtral-8x7B.
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:5546272da9065eddeb6fcd7ffddeef5b75be79a7&dn=mixtral-8x7b-32kseqlen&tr=udp%3A%2F%https://t.co/uV4WVdtpwZ%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=http%3A%2F%https://t.co/g0m9cEUz0T%3A80%2Fannounce
RELEASE a6bbd9affe0c2725c1b7410d66833e24
— Mistral AI (@MistralAI) December 8, 2023
What Is Mixtral-8x7B?
Mixtral-8x7B from Mistral AI is a Mixture of Experts (MoE) model designed to enhance how machines understand and generate text.
Imagine it as a team of specialized experts, each skilled in a different area, working together to handle various types of information and tasks.
A report published in June reportedly shed light on the intricacies of OpenAI’s GPT-4, highlighting that it employs a similar approach to MoE, utilizing 16 experts, each with around 111 billion parameters, and routes two experts per forward pass to optimize costs.
This approach allows the model to manage diverse and complex data efficiently, making it helpful in creating content, engaging in conversations, or translating languages.
Mixtral-8x7B Performance Metrics
Mistral AI’s new model, Mixtral-8x7B, represents a significant step forward from its previous model, Mistral-7B-v0.1.
It’s designed to understand better and create text, a key feature for anyone looking to use AI for writing or communication tasks.
New open weights LLM from @MistralAI
params.json:
– hidden_dim / dim = 14336/4096 => 3.5X MLP expand
– n_heads / n_kv_heads = 32/8 => 4X multiquery
– “moe” => mixture of experts 8X top 2 👀Likely related code: https://t.co/yrqRtYhxKR
Oddly absent: an over-rehearsed… https://t.co/8PvqdHz1bR pic.twitter.com/xMDRj3WAVh
— Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) December 8, 2023
This latest addition to the Mistral family promises to revolutionize the AI landscape with its enhanced performance metrics, as shared by OpenCompass.
What makes Mixtral-8x7B stand out is not just its improvement over Mistral AI’s previous version, but the way it measures up to models like Llama2-70B and Qwen-72B.
It’s like having an assistant who can understand complex ideas and express them clearly.
One of the key strengths of the Mixtral-8x7B is its ability to handle specialized tasks.
For example, it performed exceptionally well in specific tests designed to evaluate AI models, indicating that it’s good at general text understanding and generation and excels in more niche areas.
This makes it a valuable tool for marketing professionals and SEO experts who need AI that can adapt to different content and technical requirements.
The Mixtral-8x7B’s ability to deal with complex math and coding problems also suggests it can be a helpful ally for those working in more technical aspects of SEO, where understanding and solving algorithmic challenges are crucial.
This new model could become a versatile and intelligent partner for a wide range of digital content and strategy needs.
How To Try Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Demos
You can experiment with Mistral AI’s new model, Mixtral-8x7B, to see how it responds to queries and how it performs compared to other open-source models and OpenAI’s GPT-4.
Please note that, like all generative AI content, platforms running this new model may produce inaccurate information or otherwise unintended results.
User feedback for new models like this one will help companies like Mistral AI improve future versions and models.
1. Perplexity Labs Playground
In Perplexity Labs, you can try Mixtral-8x7B along with Meta AI’s Llama 2, Mistral-7b, and Perplexity’s new online LLMs.
In this example, I ask about the model itself and notice that new instructions are added after the initial response to extend the generated content about my query.


While the answer looks correct, it begins to repeat itself.


The model did provide an over 600-word answer to the question, “What is SEO?”
Again, additional instructions appear as “headers” to seemingly ensure a comprehensive answer.


2. Poe
Poe hosts bots for popular LLMs, including OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL·E 3, Meta AI’s Llama 2 and Code Llama, Google’s PaLM 2, Anthropic’s Claude-instant and Claude 2, and StableDiffusionXL.
These bots cover a wide spectrum of capabilities, including text, image, and code generation.
The Mixtral-8x7B-Chat bot is operated by Fireworks AI.


It’s worth noting that the Fireworks page specifies it is an “unofficial implementation” that was fine-tuned for chat.
When asked what the best backlinks for SEO are, it provided a valid answer.


Compare this to the response offered by Google Bard.


3. Vercel
Vercel offers a demo of Mixtral-8x7B that allows users to compare responses from popular Anthropic, Cohere, Meta AI, and OpenAI models.


It offers an interesting perspective on how each model interprets and responds to user questions.


Like many LLMs, it does occasionally hallucinate.


4. Replicate
The mixtral-8x7b-32 demo on Replicate is based on this source code. It is also noted in the README that “Inference is quite inefficient.”


In the example above, Mixtral-8x7B describes itself as a game.
Conclusion
Mistral AI’s latest release sets a new benchmark in the AI field, offering enhanced performance and versatility. But like many LLMs, it can provide inaccurate and unexpected answers.
As AI continues to evolve, models like the Mixtral-8x7B could become integral in shaping advanced AI tools for marketing and business.
Featured image: T. Schneider/Shutterstock
SEO
OpenAI Investigates ‘Lazy’ GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X

OpenAI, the company that launched ChatGPT a little over a year ago, has recently taken to social media to address concerns regarding the “lazy” performance of GPT-4 on social media and Google Reviews.

This move comes after growing user feedback online, which even includes a one-star review on the company’s Google Reviews.
OpenAI Gives Insight Into Training Chat Models, Performance Evaluations, And A/B Testing
OpenAI, through its @ChatGPTapp Twitter account, detailed the complexities involved in training chat models.


The organization highlighted that the process is not a “clean industrial process” and that variations in training runs can lead to noticeable differences in the AI’s personality, creative style, and political bias.
Thorough AI model testing includes offline evaluation metrics and online A/B tests. The final decision to release a new model is based on a data-driven approach to improve the “real” user experience.
OpenAI’s Google Review Score Affected By GPT-4 Performance, Billing Issues
This explanation comes after weeks of user feedback about GPT-4 becoming worse on social media networks like X.
Idk if anyone else has noticed this, but GPT-4 Turbo performance is significantly worse than GPT-4 standard.
I know it’s in preview right now but it’s significantly worse.
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) November 8, 2023
There has been discussion if GPT-4 has become “lazy” recently. My anecdotal testing suggests it may be true.
I repeated a sequence of old analyses I did with Code Interpreter. GPT-4 still knows what to do, but keeps telling me to do the work. One step is now many & some are odd. pic.twitter.com/OhGAMtd3Zq
— Ethan Mollick (@emollick) November 28, 2023
Complaints also appeared in OpenAI’s community forums.


The experience led one user to leave a one-star rating for OpenAI via Google Reviews. Other complaints regarded accounts, billing, and the artificial nature of AI.


A recent user on Product Hunt gave OpenAI a rating that also appears to be related to GPT-4 worsening.


GPT-4 isn’t the only issue that local reviewers complain about. On Yelp, OpenAI has a one-star rating for ChatGPT 3.5 performance.
OpenAI is now only 3.8 stars on Google Maps and a dismal 1 star on Yelp!
GPT-4’s degradation has really hurt their rating. Hope the business survives.https://t.co/RF8uJH1WQ5 pic.twitter.com/OghAZLCiVu
— Nate Chan (@nathanwchan) December 9, 2023
The complaint:


In related OpenAI news, the review with the most likes aligns with recent rumors about a volatile workplace, alleging that OpenAI is a “Cutthroat environment. Not friendly. Toxic workers.”


The reviews voted the most helpful on Glassdoor about OpenAI suggested that employee frustration and product development issues stem from the company’s shift in focus on profits.


This incident provides a unique outlook on how customer and employee experiences can impact any business through local reviews and business ratings platforms.


Google SGE Highlights Positive Google Reviews
In addition to occasional complaints, Google reviewers acknowledged the revolutionary impact of OpenAI’s technology on various fields.
The most positive review mentions about the company appear in Google SGE (Search Generative Experience).


Conclusion
OpenAI’s recent insights into training chat models and response to public feedback about GPT-4 performance illustrate AI technology’s dynamic and evolving nature and its impact on those who depend on the AI platform.
Especially the people who just received an invitation to join ChatGPT Plus after being waitlisted while OpenAI paused new subscriptions and upgrades. Or those developing GPTs for the upcoming GPT Store launch.
As AI advances, professionals in these fields must remain agile, informed, and responsive to technological developments and the public’s reception of these advancements.
Featured image: Tada Images/Shutterstock
SEO
ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

ChatGPT Plus subscriptions and upgrades remain paused after a surge in demand for new features created outages.
Some users who signed up for the waitlist have received invites to join ChatGPT Plus.

This has resulted in a few shares of the link that is accessible for everyone. For now.
Found a hack to skip chatGPT plus wait list.
Follow the steps
– login to ChatGPT
– now if you click on upgrade
– Signup for waitlist(may not be necessary)
– now change the URL to https://t.co/4izOdNzarG
– Wallah you are in for payment #ChatGPT4 #hack #GPT4 #GPTPlus pic.twitter.com/J1GizlrOAx— Ashish Mohite is building Notionpack Capture (@_ashishmohite) December 8, 2023
RELATED: GPT Store Set To Launch In 2024 After ‘Unexpected’ Delays
In addition to the invites, signs that more people are getting access to GPTs include an introductory screen popping up on free ChatGPT accounts.


Unfortunately, they still aren’t accessible without a Plus subscription.


You can sign up for the waitlist by clicking on the option to upgrade in the left sidebar of ChatGPT on a desktop browser.


OpenAI also suggests ChatGPT Enterprise for those who need more capabilities, as outlined in the pricing plans below.


Why Are ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions Paused?
According to a post on X by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, the recent surge in usage following the DevDay developers conference has led to capacity challenges, resulting in the decision to pause ChatGPT Plus signups.
we are pausing new ChatGPT Plus sign-ups for a bit 🙁
the surge in usage post devday has exceeded our capacity and we want to make sure everyone has a great experience.
you can still sign-up to be notified within the app when subs reopen.
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 15, 2023
The decision to pause new ChatGPT signups follows a week where OpenAI services – including ChatGPT and the API – experienced a series of outages related to high-demand and DDoS attacks.
Demand for ChatGPT Plus resulted in eBay listings supposedly offering one or more months of the premium subscription.
chatgpt plus accounts selling ebay for a premium 🫡🇺🇸 https://t.co/VdN8tuexKM pic.twitter.com/W522NGHsRV
— surya (@sdand) November 15, 2023
When Will ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions Resume?
So far, we don’t have any official word on when ChatGPT Plus subscriptions will resume. We know the GPT Store is set to open early next year after recent boardroom drama led to “unexpected delays.”
Therefore, we hope that OpenAI will onboard waitlisted users in time to try out all of the GPTs created by OpenAI and community builders.
What Are GPTs?
GPTs allow users to create one or more personalized ChatGPT experiences based on a specific set of instructions, knowledge files, and actions.
Search marketers with ChatGPT Plus can try GPTs for helpful content assessment and learning SEO.
Two SEO GPTs I’ve created for assessment + learning 👀👇
1. Content Helpfulness and Quality SEO Analyzer: Assess a page content helpfulness, relevance, and quality for your targeted query based on Google’s guidelines vs your competitors and get tips: https://t.co/LsoP2UhF4N pic.twitter.com/O77MHiqwOq
— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) November 12, 2023
2. The https://t.co/IFmKxxVDpW SEO Teacher: A friendly SEO expert teacher who will help you to learn SEO using reliable https://t.co/sCZ03C7fzq resources: https://t.co/UrMPUYwblH
I hope they’re helpful 🙌🤩
PS: Love how GPT opens up to SO much opportunity 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yqKozcZTDc
— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) November 12, 2023
There are also GPTs for analyzing Google Search Console data.
oh wow. I think this GPT works.
Export data from GSC comparing keyword rankings before and after an update and upload it to ChatGPT and it will spit out this scatter plot for you.
It’s an easy way to see if most of your keyword declined or improved.
This site was impacted by… pic.twitter.com/wFGSnonqoZ
— Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) November 9, 2023
And GPTs that will let you chat with analytics data from 20 platforms, including Google Ads, GA4, and Facebook.
Google search has indexed hundreds of public GPTs. According to an alleged list of GPT statistics in a GitHub repository, DALL-E, the top GPT from OpenAI, has received 5,620,981 visits since its launch last month. Included in the top 20 GPTs is Canva, with 291,349 views.
Weighing The Benefits Of The Pause
Ideally, this means that developers working on building GPTs and using the API should encounter fewer issues (like being unable to save GPT drafts).
But it could also mean a temporary decrease in new users of GPTs since they are only available to Plus subscribers – including the ones I tested for learning about ranking factors and gaining insights on E-E-A-T from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines.


Featured image: Robert Way/Shutterstock
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