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Discover 5 key trends shaping the content marketing industry in 2025—and how to leverage them for success.
As we enter 2025, the world of content marketing continues to evolve at a breakneck pace.
Join us as we dive into 5 transformative content marketing trends to watch out for in the new year, offering actionable insights to help you navigate this increasingly competitive digital content landscape.
In today’s digital world, marketers are shifting away from traditional search engine optimisation toward what is now known as "Search Everywhere Optimisation." This new form of SEO aligns with changes in users' search intent and the evolving ways they search for content. Customers are increasingly looking for answers across a wider range of platforms, including social media sites and large AI language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
'Search Everywhere' channels are fragmented, with the three main categories being traditional search, social search, and AI search. Failing to adopt Search Everywhere Optimisation could mean missing out on key opportunities for traffic, customer engagement, and brand growth in 2025 and beyond.
Voice search is a growing aspect of Search Everywhere Optimisation, transforming how users interact with search engines. In 2024, , 27% of all searches conducted on the Google app were voice-based—a significant share of search traffic that businesses cannot afford to ignore. Today, users rely on voice assistants to search for products, find businesses, and access real-time information.
The primary goal of voice search optimisation is to enhance online presence and increase the likelihood of content being read aloud by voice assistants during a voice search. Unlike traditional search, where users enter short, keyword-focused queries, voice search is inherently conversational and question-driven. When typing, a user might search for ‘best hiking places,’ whereas a voice query would be more natural and specific, such as ‘What are the best hiking spots in Sydney during summer?’
Key Takeaways
People are increasingly turning to generative AI models like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini for quick answers to their queries, rather than browsing through pages of search results. Traditional search is even predicted drop of 25% in traditional search by 2026 as more users rely on AI models for information.
AI tools such as Perplexity and the paid version of ChatGPT cite their sources when responding to questions, making discoverability crucial. If AI algorithms do not suggest your content, the likelihood of receiving traffic decreases. However, when they do and users click through, those visits are often more valuable, as people are engaging with content that directly addresses their pain points—making them more likely to interact with the brand.
Key Takeaways
Social media search optimisation involves enhancing the searchability of content through social media platforms using each platform’s specific search function. Social search prioritises content that users have interacted with, and most platform algorithms are designed to deliver personalised and relevant results based on a user’s likes and social interactions.
Social search spans various social media platforms, with the goal of optimising brand content to appear in platform-specific search results. It’s important to understand each platform’s unique search algorithm, as they often prioritise different content types and engagement signals. However, social search optimisation should focus on the channels that align with the brand’s audience, rather than applying a broad approach across all platforms.
Key Takeaways
In 2024, 42% of marketers integrated AI into their daily workflow, using these tools to assist with tasks such as copywriting for email marketing, SEO, and social media captions.
While AI significantly enhances efficiency by freeing up time for other strategic tasks, overreliance comes with risks. AI-generated content, though fast, often lacks originality and can result in mass-produced, robotic posts. Additionally, AI tools pull information from various sources without thorough fact-checking, increasing the risk of inaccuracies.
Research from an NP Digital study found that while the ROI for both AI-generated content and human-generated content starts off the same, the ROI for AI-generated content drops off significantly after the fifth month. However, AI-generated content with a human in the loop—reviewing and evaluating output—yielded the highest traffic and ROI compared to the other two approaches.
Key Takeaways
Google introduced E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as a framework for its human quality reviewers to assess website content quality. A higher E-E-A-T score improves both SEO performance and consumer trust.
The 'Experience' factor considers whether the content creator has direct, first-hand experience with the topic. 'Expertise' relates to how knowledgeable the author is on the subject, while 'Authoritativeness' refers to whether others recognise them as an expert. 'Trustworthiness' evaluates whether the website is safe and reliable for users to access.
The rise of AI-generated content has made it easier to mass-produce articles. In response, Google announced in its 2024 Core Update that it would crack down on "spammy, auto-generated content" that is copied, auto-generated, or lacks quality and originality. Aligning content with Google’s E-E-A-T policies is the best way to ensure content remains visible and accessible to audiences.
Key Takeaways
Despite popular belief, long-form content isn’t dead. While audience attention spans have declined, leading to the rise of short-form videos like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts over the years, long-form content remains essential for ROI.
Social media and short-form videos are valuable marketing tools, but their ROI declines over time—for example, blog posts have a half-life of 2 years compared to 10-39mins for TikTok content. Search engines favour in-depth, authoritative content that aligns with user intent, which is where long-form content excels. This demonstrates that audiences aren’t just drawn to short content that grabs attention—they also seek longer content that engages them and encourages deeper interaction.
Key Takeaways
Evergreen content delivers the highest ROI over the long run, and marketers who consistently updated their content saw a 53% increase in engagement. Simply churning out new blog posts may not be as effective as implementing a quarterly or annual refresh strategy—strategically updating existing content to keep it relevant, valuable, and engaging for your audience while ensuring it remains at the top of SERP rankings.
Refreshing content not only keeps it evergreen but also saves time and budget by reducing the need to create entirely new content. It ensures content remains aligned with evolving customer concerns, addressing what matters today rather than a year ago.
Key Takeaways
Success in 2025 will come from a balanced approach—leveraging AI while maintaining authenticity, optimising for emerging search trends, and refreshing content to stay relevant. By staying ahead of industry shifts and understanding evolving audience behaviours, content marketers can drive long-term engagement, boost ROI, and build lasting brand authority in the ever-changing digital landscape.
