Each new year brings new trends and developments in the SEO, or search engine optimization, field. A new report form Salesforce.com gives insight into the top trends NYC-based firms are following this year.
The company’s yearly “State of Marketing “report is based on a survey of 3,500 marketers across the globe.
The report revealed several key findings. Marketers are embracing AI (artificial intelligence) and focusing more on the customer’s journey. They’re also making organizational changes, and expect to see significant growth in their technology use in the coming years.
The AI revolution is helping online marketers understand their customers in new ways, the report reveals. Marketers are using this information to find the optimal message and the best channel to deliver that message.
According to Salesforce.com, about 50% of marketers are already using AI. More than a quarter of marketers are planning to use AI in the next two years. About 57% of those who are already using AI say it plays an essential role in helping them achieve 1-to-1 marketing for companies across every touchpoint.
Artificial intelligence is also saving time and increasing productivity. About 59% of marketers using AI say it will increase productivity, and 61% say it will help them with “hyper-personalization” when creating dynamic landing pages and content.
Another important trend in 2018 for NYC-based SEO companies is the continued focus on inbound marketing, which has become an integral part of online marketing strategies.
“Inbound marketing through SEO hasn’t developed to be as expansive as it is because it is the ‘right thing to do,'” says New York SEO Expert Dev Chatterjee. “No. It’s grown into the movement it has become because of one reason only. It works.”
As part of the inbound marketing trend, marketers are focusing on customer journeys. Customer journeys allow them to deliver personalized interactions in email marketing, with each message building on the next.
The need for a personalized experience throughout the customer’s journey has prompted organizational changes within many SEO firms. Firms are now striving to provide a more personalized customer experience in customer service, commerce and other aspects of business.
According to Salesforce.com’s report, 88% of high-performing marketing teams work in tandem with customer service departments to manage inquiries from social media channels.
Marketers are also investing more in technology to stay ahead of the competition. Emerging areas like AI and IoT (Internet of Things) have seen the biggest growth. About 66% of marketers work with IoT devices, and 23% plan to start working with them in the next two years. Top marketers also believe that DMPs (data management platforms) are one of the most essential technologies in personalized marketing.
According to the survey, marketers say 34% of their budget is spent on marketing channels they didn’t know existed five years ago. By 2019, that figure expected to rise to 40%.
In 2018, the biggest trend in online marketing is personalization. A previous study from Salesforce.com found that 52% of consumers are likely to switch brands if the company doesn’t personalize their communications. That figure rises to 65% in the B2B marketplace. Personalization will continue to be a responsive, multi-channel process. The days of setting up one email marketing campaign and calling it a day are gone.
