Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2025 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

Digital marketing is changing and the industry is trying to adapt whilst accepting the uncertainty.

So, let me offer an alternative approach that you could take this year.

Invite all the key decision-makers in your organization – including C-level executives as well as the heads of digital analytics, digital advertising, SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing – to an off-site meeting to help them understand how the ten digital marketing trends mentioned below will shape your digital marketing strategy for 2025.

This is no ordinary time and you need to decide if your new digital marketing strategy will enable your organization to weather the coming storm.

To give you a starting point for crucial conversations, here is my take on the top 10 digital marketing trends for 2025:

1. Digital Marketing Fundamentals

In Digital Marketing Fundamentals, I mentioned that the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs conducted a survey that found:

“Content marketers are resilient. Most have met the challenges of the pandemic head-on.”

In response to the pandemic, B2B and B2C marketers:

  • Increased time spent talking with customers.
  • Revisited their customer/buyer personas.
  • Reexamined the customer journey.
  • Changed their targeting/messaging strategy.
  • Changed their distribution strategy.
  • Adjusted their editorial calendar.
  • Put more resources toward social media/online communities.
  • Changed their website.
  • Changed their products/services.
  • Adjusted their KPIs.
  • Changed their content marketing metrics (e.g., set up new analytics/dashboards).

I concluded:

“Both B2B and B2C marketers totally overhauled the process for creating a content marketing plan from stem to stern. For some, 2020 was the year of quickly adapting their content marketing strategy. For others, it was the year to finally develop one.”

This is now relevant again, so replace “content” with “digital” and 2020 with 2025.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

From a senior executive’s point of view, the increasing reliance on AI for data analysis, customer segmentation, and personalized marketing campaigns raises concerns about the balance between automation and human touch.

Some might argue that your organization should “focus” all its attention and resources on the trend of AI. To prove a point, I used a generative AI tool to crank out 10 sub-trends of this megatrend below:

  1. Hyper-Personalization: Utilizing generative AI to craft highly tailored content and user experiences based on their behaviors, preferences, and demographics.
  2. AI-Driven Content Creation: Automating the production of content such as blog posts, social media updates, and product descriptions using generative AI tools, enabling marketers to scale their efforts efficiently.
  3. Voice and Conversational Marketing: Enhancing customer interactions and simplifying the purchasing process by adopting voice search optimization and conversational AI technologies like chatbots.
  4. Predictive Analytics for Customer Insights: Leveraging data-driven insights to help marketers make informed decisions and refine their strategies in real time.
  5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Integration: Empowering customers to visualize products in their own space before making a purchase decision.
  6. AI-Powered Customer Journey Mapping: Using AI to analyze customer interactions, identify key touchpoints, and optimize the journey to minimize friction and boost satisfaction.
  7. Sustainability and Ethical AI: Prioritizing sustainable marketing approaches and the responsible use of AI, ensuring transparency and accountability in AI applications.
  8. Enhanced Data Privacy Measures: Implementing AI solutions that respect user consent and safeguard data, maintaining regulatory compliance while extracting valuable insights.
  9. Integration of Ecommerce and Social Media: Streamlining shopping experiences directly within social platforms to boost engagement and drive sales.
  10. AI-Enhanced Marketing Automation: Elevating campaign management through advanced automation, including features like A/B testing, real-time optimization, and personalized email strategies.

Yes, these sub-trends are driven by advancements in AI technology. And, yes, anyone can argue that AI should be considered the only digital marketing trend to focus on for 2025.

However, everyone should prepare to find the right balance between automation and the human touch. That’s what senior executives are concerned about.

3. Digital Analytics

I’d start with measurement. (No topic is more likely to get the attention of C-level executives than measuring results.)

Following an industry report, business outcomes, such as site visits, leads, and sales, have become the primary success metrics.

Since August 2007, when YouTube started offering video advertising, brands and their agencies have always prioritized reach and frequency. So, the key criteria for digital video investments has fundamentally changed.

But two-thirds of buyers, particularly smaller advertisers targeting niche audiences, cited issues across nine key areas of measurement:

  1. Co-viewing.
  2. Placement transparency.
  3. Brand safety/suitability.
  4. Viewability.
  5. Ads served on made-for advertising sites (MFAs).
  6. Ads served on TVs turned off.
  7. Getting sell-side data.
  8. Using multiple currencies.
  9. Standard sell-side targets.

So, what should digital analytics focus on for 2025?

In a recent post on LinkedIn, Avinash Kaushik recommended:

“Marketing’s Incrementality: Business results from marketing tactics that would not have occurred otherwise.”

He added:

“It is the absolute pinnacle of proving the value of Marketing. It is the only answer a smart CFO wants (and upon receiving it will give your CMO all the budget required to capture incremental revenue/profit!).”

He concluded:

“Very few in our ecosystem are focused on measuring incrementality. One reason is it requires sophisticated thinking, and that’s often missing. Another reason is that incrementality is actually measured, but it gets killed by the org because the results are so bad.”

4. Digital Advertising

If you’re the head of digital advertising for your organization, then you need to find the right balance between AI and human touch in 2025.

For example, I said decision-makers at your organization already know that the new AI-generated holiday ads from Coca-Cola attracted a lot of criticism.

Some described the three new AI versions as “the biggest branding blunder of the year,” and others said the AI campaign “earns Coca-Cola a lump of coal.

After measuring the emotional impact of holiday ads, and comparing the current AI-generated holiday ad with the original human-created 2020 version, Ian Forrester said:

“The difference between the AI and the original was most stark in their evocation of warmth, a mainstay of Christmas advertising. The original evoked intense warmth among 33.0% of viewers, whereas the AI versions were significantly below this. So, while the AI is producing images which on the face of it seem cute and heart-warming, the human viewer to some degree discerns their synthetic nature, which detracts from their impact.”

And Barney Worfolk-Smith, added:

“Some in the advertising community who feel a sense of ominous threat will instantly adopt a negative stance. I don’t blame them, but the reality is, the toothpaste is out of the tube, so we should all have a hand on the wheel of a human AI hybrid Christmas Coke truck to have a stake in the future.”

So, if you’re not in the driver’s seat for similar human-AI experiments in 2025, then someone else probably will be.

5. SEO

If you’re the head of SEO for your organization, then you might want to read, A New Era Of SEO: Leveraging YouTube, LinkedIn, And Cross-Channel Strategies For Success.

So, I don’t need to tell you that it’s time to re-envision your career path.

Going forward, you will need to invest more time in learning four additional disciplines: digital analytics, digital advertising, content marketing, and social media marketing.

And you will also need to demonstrate critical thinking about digital marketing strategy if you ever hope to climb the ladder in your organization.

Since that article was published, Rand Fishkin, asked How big is ChatGPT’s market share of search? And, using data from SimilarWeb and Datos, Fishkin estimates that Google’s cross-platform share of search in October 2024 was over 83.5%.

YouTube’s share was almost 7.0%. ChatGPT’s share was over 4.3%. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, and Perplexity’s combined share was almost 3.4%. And Bing’s share was almost 2.0%.

So, yes, I realize SearchGPT is the latest Bright Shiny Object (BSO). But it’s still 1.6 times more important to leverage YouTube – at least for the near future.

6. Content Marketing

If you’re the head of content marketing for your organization, then you should read Why AI in Demand Generation Is No Knight In Shining Armor [New Research].

If you do, you’ll know that most demand-gen marketers feel pressured to “get good” at generative AI so they can “do more with less.”

CMI surveyed marketers to see if they felt pressured to deliver results despite having limited budgets and resources. The response? A significant 56% said they feel this pressure “to a great extent,” while 39% admitted they feel it “to some extent.”

Just 5% reported feeling no pressure at all and a recent Deloitte study found that 79% of C-suite respondents expect gen AI to drive substantial organizational transformation in less than three years.”

However, the study also found that most organizations prioritize tactical advantages, such as boosting efficiency and cutting costs, over broader goals like driving growth and fostering innovation.

In the article above, Robert Rose recognizes an inconvenient truth: generative AI magnifies what already exists.

So, if you use a content calendar to crank out dull social media posts, boring in-person events, and bland emails, then AI will simply amplify those weaknesses.

Conversely, if your content strategy makes videos worth watching, creates content worth sharing, and provides experiences worth the price of admission, then AI will enhance those strengths.

So, AI isn’t a magic wand. It’s more like a booster that accelerates your existing efforts.

As this year’s findings demonstrate, successful demand generation remains a human-centered and complex task. Efficiency alone won’t transform ordinary efforts into extraordinary success.

True success lies in creativity, uniqueness, and the thoughtful execution of ideas.

In the end, the story is yours to tell — make it exceptional.

7. Social Media Marketing

If you’re the head of social media marketing for your organization, then you might want to pay attention to the growth of BlueSky.

Similarweb reported:

“On Nov. 6, the day after the US presidential election, both website traffic and app usage spiked for Bluesky in the US as it became the destination of choice for journalists and opinion leaders (as well as followers of those people) who decided to either stop using X or begin using it less.

Usage of the Bluesky app is up 519% compared to the first 10 months of the year. The UK echoed the trend, with Bluesky usage up 352% compared with the first 10 months of the year.”

Before you rush to add yet another platform to your social media portfolio, dig a little deeper into the latest data from Similarweb.

Below is the chart that Carr sent me of the top social networks worldwide based on desktop and mobile web visits in October 2024.

Image from author, December 2024

If you’re data-driven, then here’s the data:

  • YouTube got 29.1 billion visits that month.
  • Facebook got 12.5 billion.
  • Instagram got 6.0 billion.
  • X (formerly Twitter) got 4.6 billion.
  • Reddit got 3.5 billion.
  • TikTok got 2.2 billion.
  • LinkedIn got 1.8 billion.
  • Pinterest got 1.2 billion.
  • Threads got 154.1 million.
  • Snapchat got 130.3 million.

Although it doesn’t appear in the chart, Bsky.app got 75.9 million visits in October 2024.

So, if you’ve got 1,000 people on your social media marketing team, then shift one of them to BlueSky. But based on Similarweb’s latest data, 99.9% of us should shift more people to YouTube.

8. Digital PR

It may seem odd to include Digital PR in your list of the top 10 digital marketing trends for 2025.

But Spencer Stuart noticed that 34% of Fortune 500 CMOs lead functions in addition to marketing, such as communications.

So, if your organization is one of those companies, then you’ll want to invite your head of corporate communications to your off-site meeting.

You may also want to respectfully recommend that they read 7 Steps To Building A Kickass Digital PR Campaign before attending.

And your organization would really benefit by building a kickass digital PR campaign.

9. Influencer Marketing

Invite whoever heads up influencer marketing to your off-site – even if they report to the head of digital advertising, content marketing, social media marketing, or corporate communications.

The head of influencer marketing should argue that “schmooze optimization” is the cost-effective way to achieve your marketing goals.

And, suggest to your head of SEO that they read “SEO Industry Trends Report 2024: The Search Revolution Has Already Begun.

Kasumovic says:

“Kevin Indig reveals that only 6% of AI Overviews (AIOs) include the search query – indicating that the future of SEO lies in understanding user intent rather than keyword targeting.”

Kasumovic argues:

“The brands that rise to the top will be those that leverage the intersection of human expertise and AI automation – a balance that requires both creativity and data-driven discipline.”

He recommends:

“Collaborate with industry experts, influencers, and knowledgeable creators to build content that demonstrates deep expertise and credibility.”

10. Omnichannel Marketing

Your customers expect a seamless experience across all platforms. But if your marketing strategy is still siloed, then you might as well be using carrier pigeons to get your message across.

That’s why your organization needs to hammer out an agreement on a customer-centric strategy that integrates all your channels to create a consistent brand experience for customers.

But who is the voice of the customer in your organization? If there isn’t an obvious choice, there are three potential candidates:

  1. A digital analytics expert who recognizes a seamless customer experience across multiple channels will be essential.
  2. A digital advertising expert who knows that integrating PPC campaigns across multiple channels (search, social, display) will be vital for a cohesive customer journey.
  3. An SEO expert who understands search engines are increasingly considering user experience (UX) metrics as ranking factors.

In Summary: Get Key Decision-Makers Involved

This is my take on the top 10 digital marketing trends for 2025 which will hopefully give you a starting point to tailor a version for your organization.

What is important to remember is to get all the key decision-makers in your organization involved.

I suggest you take time to outline your priorities and where you need to go in 2025.

Get ready for the storm to face it head on.

More Resources:


Featured Image: Hurca/Shutterstock

10 Hosting Trends Agencies Should Watch In 2025

This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Which hosting service is best for agencies?

How do I uncover what will be best for my clients in 2025?

What features should my hosting service have in 2025?

Hosting has evolved well beyond keeping websites online.

Hosting providers must align their services to meet clients’ technological needs and keep up with constantly changing technological advances.

Today, quality hosting companies must focus on speed, security, and scalability. Staying ahead of hosting trends is critical to maintaining competitive offerings, optimizing workflows, and meeting client demands.

So, what should you watch for in 2025?

The next 12 months promise significant shifts in hosting technologies, with advancements in AI, automation, security, and sustainability leading the way.

Understanding and leveraging these trends enables agencies and professionals to provide better client experiences, streamline operations, and reduce the negative effects of future industry changes.

Trend 1: Enhanced AI & Automation Implemented In Hosting

AI and automation are already transforming hosting, making it smarter and more efficient for service providers, agencies, brands, and end-point customers alike.

Hosting providers now leverage AI to optimize server performance, predict maintenance needs, and even supplement customer support with AI-driven features like chatbots.

As a result, automating routine tasks such as backups, updates, and resource scaling reduces downtime and the need for manual intervention. These innovations are game-changing for those managing multiple client sites and will become increasingly important in 2025.

It only makes sense.

Automated systems free up valuable time, allowing you more time to focus on strategic growth instead of tedious maintenance tasks. AI-powered insights can also identify performance bottlenecks, enabling you to address issues before they impact your website or those of your clients.

Agencies that adopt these technologies this year will not only deliver exceptional service but also be able to position themselves as forward-thinking.

Bluehost embraces automation with features like automated backups, one-click updates, and a centralized dashboard for easy site management. These tools streamline workflows, enabling agencies and professionals to manage multiple sites with minimal effort while ensuring optimal performance.

Trend 2: Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Solutions Are Now Essential

In 2025, as businesses demand more flexibility and reliability from their online infrastructure, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions will become essential in the hosting world.

These approaches offer the best of both worlds:

  • The ability to leverage multiple cloud providers for redundancy and performance.
  • The option to combine public and private cloud environments for greater control and customization.

For agencies managing diverse client needs, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies provide the scalability and adaptability required to meet modern demands. Multi-cloud solutions allow agencies to distribute their clients’ workloads across multiple cloud providers, ensuring that no single point of failure disrupts their operations.

This feature is particularly valuable for agencies with high-traffic websites, where downtime or slow performance can have a significant impact on revenue and user experience. Hybrid cloud solutions, on the other hand, let agencies blend the scalability of public clouds with the security and control of private cloud environments.

This service is ideal for clients with sensitive data or compliance requirements, such as ecommerce or healthcare businesses.

Bluehost Cloud provides scalable infrastructure and tools that enable agencies to customize hosting solutions to fit their clients’ unique requirements. Our cloud hosting solution’s elastic architecture ensures that websites can handle sudden traffic spikes without compromising speed or reliability.

Additionally, our intuitive management dashboard allows agencies to easily monitor and allocate resources across their client portfolio, making it simple to implement tailored solutions for varying workloads.

By adopting multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, agencies can offer their clients enhanced performance, improved redundancy, and greater control over their hosting environments.

With our scalable solutions and robust toolset, agencies can confidently deliver hosting that grows with their clients’ businesses while maintaining consistent quality and reliability. This flexibility not only meets today’s hosting demands but also helps position your agency for long-term success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Trend 3: Edge Computing & CDNs Replace AMP For Improving Website Speed

As online audiences grow, the demand for faster, more responsive websites has never been higher. Edge computing and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are at the forefront of this evolution, enabling websites to reduce latency significantly. For agencies managing clients with diverse and international audiences, these technologies are crucial for improving user experience and ensuring website performance remains competitive.

Edge computing brings data processing closer to the end user by leveraging servers located at the “edge” of a network, reducing the time it takes for information to travel.

Combined with CDNs that cache website content on servers worldwide, these technologies ensure faster load times, smoother navigation, and better performance metrics.

These features are especially beneficial for media-heavy or high-traffic websites, where even a slight delay can impact engagement and conversions.

Bluehost integrates with leading CDN solutions to deliver content quickly and efficiently to users across the globe. By leveraging a CDN, Bluehost ensures that websites load faster regardless of a visitor’s location, enhancing user experience and SEO performance.

This integration simplifies the optimization of site speed for agencies with multiple clients. By adopting edge computing and CDN technology, you can help your clients achieve faster load times, improved site stability, and higher customer satisfaction.

Bluehost’s seamless CDN integration enables you to deliver a hosting solution that meets the expectations of a modern, global audience while building trust and loyalty with your clients.

Trend 4: Core Web Vitals & SEO Hosting Features Make Or Break Websites

Core Web Vitals play an important role in today’s SEO, as Google is increasingly emphasizing website performance and user experience in its ranking algorithms. Today, loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability impact a site’s ability to rank well in search results and keep visitors engaged.

That means optimizing Core Web Vitals isn’t just an SEO task for agencies managing client websites. Fast load times and responsive design are critical parts of delivering a high-quality digital experience. For example, metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures how quickly a page’s main content loads, depend heavily on hosting infrastructure.

Agencies need hosting solutions optimized for these metrics to ensure their clients’ sites stay competitive in the SERPs.

Bluehost offers a WordPress-optimized hosting environment with features specifically designed to improve load times and server response speeds. From advanced caching technology to robust server architecture, Bluehost ensures that sites meet Core Web Vitals standards with ease.

Additionally, our hosting solutions include tools for monitoring site performance, allowing agencies to proactively address any issues that could impact rankings or user experience.

By prioritizing Core Web Vitals and leveraging SEO-focused hosting features, agencies can enhance their clients’ visibility, engagement, and overall online success. With Bluehost’s optimized hosting solutions, you’ll have the tools and infrastructure needed to deliver fast, stable, and high-performing websites that delight users and search engines.

Trend 5: Sustainable Hosting Practices Help Reduce Energy Consumption

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword. It’s a key consideration for businesses and agencies alike. As 2025 progresses, more clients will prioritize environmentally conscious practices, and hosting providers will step up to offer greener solutions, such as energy-efficient data centers and carbon offset programs.

Migrating to a sustainable hosting provider not only supports client values but also demonstrates a commitment to responsible business practices, which will resonate more with consumers in 2025 than ever before.

Efficient hosting practices reduce energy consumption and create a more sustainable digital ecosystem. It will also allow you to help clients meet their environmental goals without compromising on performance.

These benefits are especially valuable for clients with higher energy and performance demands, such as those in ecommerce, media-heavy, or high-traffic industries.

Bluehost has long been recognized as a trusted hosting provider that operates with efficiency in mind.

Our robust, energy-efficient infrastructure already aligns with the sustainability goals of environmentally conscious clients.

In addition, our long-standing reputation, proven history with WordPress, and demonstrable reliability enhance your clients’ sustainability objectives, ensuring they can operate responsibly and confidently.

By choosing sustainable hosting practices and partners like Bluehost, you can contribute to a greener digital future while reinforcing your clients’ environmental commitments and strengthening client relationships by aligning with their values.

Trend 6: Security Must Be A Core Offering

Security is a non-negotiable priority for any website. Cyber threats like data breaches, malware, and DDoS attacks are on the rise, and the consequences of a breach, including lost revenue, damaged reputations, and potential legal issues, can devastate clients. As a result, offering secure hosting solutions with proactive security measures is essential to safeguarding clients’ businesses and building trust.

These key features include SSL certificates, which protect sensitive data while boosting SEO rankings and user trust, and regular malware scans to prevent vulnerabilities.

They should also include automated backups that enable quick restoration in the event of a crash or attack and provide comprehensive protection and peace of mind. Essential security features are standard in Bluehost hosting plans, including SSL certificates, daily automated backups, and proactive malware scanning.

These built-in tools eliminate the need for additional solutions, added complexity, or costs. For agencies, our security features reduce risks for your clients and provide peace of mind.

By choosing a hosting provider like Bluehost, you can prioritize client security, reinforce client trust, and minimize emergencies, allowing you to avoid spending time and resources addressing threats or repairing damage.

In short, by partnering with Bluehost, security becomes a core part of your agency’s value proposition.

Trend 7: Hosting Optimized For AI & Machine Learning Is Key To High Visibility On SERPs

As artificial intelligence and machine learning become increasingly integrated with websites and applications in 2025, hosting providers must keep pace with the increasing demands these technologies place on infrastructure.

AI-driven tools like chatbots, recommendation engines, and predictive analytics require significant computational power and seamless data processing.

AI and machine learning applications often involve handling large datasets, running resource-intensive algorithms, and maintaining real-time responsiveness. Hosting optimized for these needs ensures that websites can perform reliably under heavy workloads, reducing latency and downtime and delivering consistent performance.

If you plan to be successful, you’ll also require scalable scalable hosting solutions. These solutions allow resources to expand dynamically with demand, accommodate growth, and handle traffic surges.

Bluehost’s scalable hosting is built to support advanced tools and applications, making it an ideal choice for agencies working on AI-driven projects. Our robust infrastructure delivers consistent performance, and flexibility allows you to scale easily as your client’s needs evolve. By leveraging Bluehost, agencies can confidently deliver AI-integrated websites that meet modern performance demands.

Trend 8: Managed Hosting Helps You Focus More On Profits

In 2025, websites will become increasingly complex. Businesses will require higher performance and reliability, and everyone will be looking to operate as lean and efficiently as possible. These trends mean managed hosting will become the go-to solution for agencies and their clients.

Managed hosting shifts time-intensive technical maintenance away from agencies and business owners by including features such as automatic updates, performance monitoring, and enhanced security. In short, managed hosting enables you to simplify workflows, save time, and deliver consistent quality to your clients.

These hosting services are particularly valuable for WordPress websites, where regular updates, plugin compatibility checks, and security enhancements occur frequently but are essential to maintaining optimal performance.

Managed hosting also typically includes tools like staging environments, which allow agencies to test changes and updates without risking disruptions to live sites and ensure you can deliver a seamless experience to clients.

Bluehost offers managed WordPress hosting that includes automatic updates, staging environments, and 24/7 expert support. These features allow you to handle technical details efficiently while focusing on delivering results for your clients without added stress or time.

Trend 9: The Shift Toward Decentralized Hosting Boosts Your Brand’s Longevity

In 2025, expect to see decentralized hosting gain attention as a futuristic approach to web hosting. Like Bitcoin and similar advancements, the technology leverages blockchain technology and peer-to-peer networks to create hosting environments that prioritize privacy, resilience, and independence from centralized control.

While this model appears to provide exciting new opportunities, it’s still in the early stages. It faces challenges in scalability, user-friendliness, and widespread adoption, which agencies can’t typically rely on for client sites.

Decentralized hosting may become a viable option for specific use cases, such as privacy-focused projects or highly distributed systems. However, centralized hosting providers still offer the best balance of reliability, scalability, and accessibility for most businesses and agencies today.

For these reasons, agencies managing client websites will continue to focus on proven, reliable hosting solutions that deliver consistent performance and robust support.

So, while decentralized hosting may gain traction this year, Bluehost will continue to provide a trustworthy hosting environment designed to meet the needs of modern websites. With a strong emphasis on reliability, scalability, and user-friendly management tools, we offer a proven solution agencies can depend on to deliver exceptional client results.

Trend 10: Scalable Hosting For High-Growth Websites Is Key For Growth

As businesses grow, their websites will experience increasing traffic and resource demands. High-growth websites, such as e-commerce platforms, content-heavy blogs, or viral marketing campaigns, require hosting solutions that can scale instantly. And scalable hosting is critical to delivering consistent user experiences and avoiding downtime during peak periods.

Scalable hosting like Bluehost ensures your clients’ websites can easily adjust resources like bandwidth, storage, and processing power to meet fluctuating demands. Our scalable hosting solutions are designed for high-growth websites. Our unmetered bandwidth and infrastructure were built to handle traffic surges, ensuring websites remain fast and accessible.

These features make us the ideal choice for agencies looking to future-proof their clients’ hosting needs.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve in 2025, keeping up with the latest trends in hosting is essential for agencies to provide top-tier service, drive client satisfaction, and maintain a competitive edge. From AI and automation to scalability and security, the future of hosting demands flexible, efficient solutions tailored to modern needs.

By understanding and leveraging these trends, you can position your agency as a trusted partner and deliver exceptional results to your clients, whether by adopting managed hosting or integrating CDNs.

Bluehost hosting will meet today’s demands while helping to prepare agencies like yours for tomorrow. With features like 100% uptime guaranteed through our Service Level Agreement (SLA), 24/7 priority support, and built-in tools like SSL certificates, automated backups, and advanced caching, Bluehost offers a robust and reliable hosting environment.

Additionally, Bluehost Cloud makes switching easy and cost-effective with $0 migration costs and credit for remaining contracts, giving you the flexibility to transition seamlessly without the high cost.

Take your agency’s hosting strategy to the next level with Bluehost. Discover how our comprehensive hosting solutions can support your growth, enhance client satisfaction, and keep your business ahead of the curve.


Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

Video Ad Spend And Trends Revealed Ahead Of IAB NewFronts 2024 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

The IAB releases its “2024 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report” ahead of this year’s NewFronts, which kicks off on Monday, April 29.

Covering Connected TV (CTV), social video, and online video (OLV), the report says overall spending on digital video advertising in the U.S. is projected to grow 16% in 2024 – nearly 80% faster than ad spending on total media.

In the U.S., digital video ad revenues are expected to reach $63 billion in 2024, according to the IAB.

US Annual Digital Video Ad SpendImage from IAB, April 2024

That’s virtually guaranteed to give brand marketers and media buyers an extra excuse to get out of their offices and take a first look at the latest cutting-edge digital video content and marketplace innovation that will be unveiled at IAB NewFronts.

The entire event spans four days and three dozen events at different locations in New York City.

I expect in part why the IAB releases its report on the Thursday before the 2024 IAB NewFronts next week. It’s a strategy I’ve used to get more interest in upcoming events.

However, I also suspect that many early adopters of digital video advertising have already registered for or requested a pass to some of the networking events, meals, content previews, and sponsor activations.

So, anyone trying to squeeze into “the room where it happens” at the last minute may find it harder to score an in-person attendance invitation.

Digital Video Ad Spend Has 52% US Market Share

In the last four years, the share of ad spend has shifted by nearly 20 percentage points from linear TV to digital video, which is now 52% of the total market share in the U.S.

So, if you’re only just learning about this video advertising trend now, how can you catch up with it?

You can start by reading the IAB’s 2024 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report.

To create the report, the IAB partnered with Guideline, which leveraged ad billing data as well as data from an IAB-commissioned Advertiser Perceptions quantitative survey of TV/digital video spend decision-makers and other market estimates.

Part 2 of the report, which will be released on July 15 during the IAB Media Center’s Video Leadership Summit, will dive deeper to provide insights into strategies driving activation and measurement.

Social Video And CTV Projected To See Double-Digit Ad Spend Growth

By reading Part 1 of the report, you’ll learn that social video is on track toward its second year of 20% year-over-year (YoY) growth and is projected to rise to $23.4 billion.

The report adds that CTV exceeded $20 billion for the first time in 2023 and is expected to grow by 12% to $22.7 billion in 2024 – 32% faster than total media overall.

While dollars flowing into CTV primarily come from reallocations – particularly from linear TV and other traditional media – 31% of revenues come from the overall expansion of advertising budgets.

Chris Bruderle, the VP of Industry Insights & Content Strategy at IAB, said in a press release:

“Among the largest ad spenders, CTV (69%) and social video (70%) are considered ‘must buys’ because of their ability to deliver both scale for branding at the top of the funnel and performance outcomes at the bottom of the funnel.”

Knowing these numbers will help you catch up, but if you want to get ahead, then you should also analyze the latest video advertising trends.

You can start by reading YouTube Strategic Direction Revealed Over Three Key Events in 2023.

Even though this article was published in August 2023, it indicates that social video and CTV aren’t the only trends your company or clients should focus on in 2024.

You’ll get ahead of the curve if you set aside some budget to test YouTube Shopping, which lets eligible content creators promote products from your brand or their own stores across YouTube.

CPG And Retail Will Be The Fastest Growing Categories Of Digital Video In 2024

For the first time, this year’s report includes category-level ad spending projections.

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail categories are both expected to post double-digital ad spend growth YoY – at 20% and 30%, respectively – while generating the largest total ad spend.

The report says CPG brands are leveraging CTV’s increased scale, ability to connect with consumers directly, and streaming companies’ partnerships with retail media networks.

Auto, financial, restaurants, B2B, travel, and wellness are also up more than 20%, though from smaller bases. In fact, the IAB projects most categories will see double-digit growth in 2024 vs. 2023.

David Cohen, the CEO of IAB, said in a press release:

“Advertisers go where consumers are, and today that means digital video.”

He added:

“The challenge ahead is this: in a crowded landscape, who can deliver the best viewing experience, with the best content choices and the most innovative advertising options? That competition is ultimately good for consumers and good for the industry.”

Again, knowing this will help those behind catch up.

You should also read YouTube Unveils Suite Of AI-Powered Tools For Video Creators.

The article was published in September 2023, but that’s when YouTube first introduced AI Insights to spark video ideas, Dream Screen for AI-generated backgrounds, and YouTube Create, a new app for creators.

YouTube creators have now had seven months to learn how to master these tools. Check out YouTube’s ‘Affiliate Hub’ Offers A New Way For Channels To Make Money.

Even though it was published earlier this month, I’ll bet that YouTube creators are already using this new shopping tool to boost their ecommerce monetization.

This relatively new development should help your company or clients to leapfrog their competitors. That should help you add some strategic insights after your colleagues discuss what they saw and heard at the 2024 IAB NewFronts.

To Keep Ahead, Cover All The Events At IAB

Let me share one last bit of tactical advice. I can’t be in “the room where it happens” next week. I’ll be home in Greater Boston. But I’ve arranged to be in “the Zoom where it happens” and you should be, too.

To get virtual access to the presentations, all you need to do is log in to your IAB account prior to viewing.

Advertising agency executives, media buyers, and brand marketers are all welcome to register for the 2024 IAB NewFronts for free. Just click Register for your complimentary pass.

However, there will be about three dozen in-person and virtual events. Nobody can attend all of them, and you will need a team to cover all the events.

Assign different people to attend or watch different events and get together at the end of the week to compare notes.

This is an event not to be missed. It’s where you can discover all the video advertising opportunities and threats facing your company or clients in the foreseeable future.

More resources: 


Featured Image: panuwat phimpha/Shutterstock

Navigating Publisher Policies: Insights From Google’s Trust & Safety Expert With John Brown via @sejournal, @Amanda_ZW

In this must-listen episode, join us for a sit-down with John Brown from Google’s Trust & Safety team. With his rich background in building ad networks and more, John offers exclusive insights into Google’s efforts to educate publishers globally.

Discover critical differences between publisher policies and demand restrictions, explore the evolving role of UGC, and learn about Google’s initiatives to support publishers.

As you navigate the complexities of policy compliance, you won’t want to miss John’s expert perspective, honed through years of leadership and mentorship in this realm.

We don’t want to misinform folks or trick folks or anything like that. We provide clear narratives around the policies, why do we create it? Where does it fit within the ecosystem? – John Brown 03:46

Really, it’s the ease of use for the user because everything that’s in the website, or mostly everything that’s in the website without some editorializing, it is things that could be found elsewhere on external Google pages. – John Brown, 08:01

That was the number one concern going into this is not just to launch and then leave alone, but to launch and iterate and make sure it’s fresh. – John Brown, 09:44

I learned early on at Google, traveling globally and speaking on stage globally, that different users across the world consume information differently. So we can’t just have a help center with text and localize it and hope that people understand. – John Brown, 13:30

[00:00] – Introduction to John Brown, Google’s Policy Transparency Lead.
[01:57] – Significance of John Brown’s role in ecosystem health.
[02:45] – Overview of transparency.google’s key features.
[09:44] – Keeping transparency.google current in the digital landscape.
[23:02] – Google’s Fair Policy Appeals process: Google highlights fairness and transparency in the policy appeal process.
[37:28] – Google’s dedication to a mission-driven nature of trust and safety teams.

Resources Mentioned:

Make sure you meet people who need the information, and give them the information that they want to consume in their format that they most prefer. – John Brown, 16:29

There’s a dedication there. There’s a mission that you probably don’t find in other parts of organizations just because other teams, not just within Google, but elsewhere. It’s quarter to quarter revenue, things like that, trust and safety. – John Brown, 37:28

Connect with John Brown:

John is part of the Trust & Safety team at Google, and leads a team that is focused on educate publisher partners globally on policies, enforcement actions, and best practices to remain policy compliant.

Prior to Google, John built two Ad Networks, has served on two IAB working groups, managed qualitative data for over 90 ad networks, and has mentored dozens of startups through his Techstars accelerator affiliation.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrown74/

Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener:

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW
Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time Capsule via @sejournal, @kristileilani

Google commemorates its 25th anniversary by reflecting on the most searched topics globally, showcasing the power of human curiosity and the universal nature of certain interests.

This milestone offers a unique perspective on how global search trends have evolved, revealing shared interests and concerns.

Google Search: 25 Years Of Digital History

Over the past 25 years, Google’s search trends have revealed a collective curiosity, highlighting similar moments and inquiries worldwide.

The film “25 Years in Search: The Most Searched” by Google offers a vibrant montage capturing significant cultural and historical moments over the past quarter-century.

Starting with Neil Armstrong’s groundbreaking mission to the moon, the video takes us on a journey through different areas of interest.

It showcases the remarkable sports accomplishments of Cristiano Ronaldo and Virat Kohli, entertainers like BTS and Taylor Swift, and cultural icons such as Pokémon and Harry Potter.

It also touches on significant societal and scientific advancements, including nuclear fusion, social movements like the Ice Bucket Challenge, marriage equality, and voices of change like Tina Turner, Bono, and Malala Yousafzai.

The video concludes with Coco Gauff’s US Open victory, representing the transfer of dreams and success to future generations, encapsulating a quarter-century of human innovation, cultural evolution, and progress.

Google Trends Time Capsule

The Google Trends Time Capsule highlights the significant searches from each year, organized into categories ranging from Anime to Video Games.

Below, you can trace when Pokemon drifted out of the top five card games, returning 17 years later (and subsequently dethroning Uno).

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleScreenshot from Google, December 2023

It also features an interactive quiz to see what year’s search trends you enjoy most.

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleScreenshot from Google, December 2023

Tomorrow, Google will launch the Most Searched Playground, an interactive game and Doodle, which will feature the 25 most-searched trends.

Year In Search 2023

In addition to the silver anniversary of Google search, Google shared its Year in Search 2023, showcasing top searches around the world.

Global Search Trends

The list features trending topics in current events, entertainment, sports, popular destinations, and recipes.

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleScreenshot from Google, December 2023

You can also view search trends for over 50 countries, many of which include trends related to longer keyword phrases and questions.

Search Trends In Canada

For Canada, the top questions start with how…

  • How deep is the Titanic?
  • How old was Elvis when he died?
  • How old is King Charles?
  • How long is the Barbie movie?
  • How many episodes in the Last of Us?

And what.

  • What is Hamas?
  • What is happening is Israel-Gaza?
  • What is quiet quitting?
  • What is the Willow Project?
  • What is Threads?
  • What is Oppenheimer about?

Search Trends In South Africa

For South Africa, you find a section of questions beginning with how is..

  • How is Celine Dion doing?
  • How is poetry different to other writing genres?
  • How is mumps spread?
  • How is cholera transmitted?
  • How is profit divided between shareholders?

And when is.

  • When is Father’s Day 2023?
  • When is Mother’s Day in 2023?
  • When is Eid 2023?
  • When is the Rugby World Cup final?
  • When is Easter 2023?

Search Trends In The United Kingdom

For the United Kingdom, top queries include how to

  • How to watch the Champions League final?
  • How to watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury?
  • How to turn off emergency alerts?
  • How to get My AI on Snapchat?
  • How to get rid of Snapchat AI?

And when.

  • When is the Coronation?
  • When does Love Island start?
  • When is Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury?
  • When is Eid al-Adha?
  • When is KSI vs Tommy Fury?

Search Trends In The United States

For the United States (U.S.), the top questions related to how often:

  • How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
  • How often is the World Baseball Classic?
  • How often is a blue moon?
  • How often is the World Cup?
  • How often do trains derail?

Local Year In Search 2023

Local search marketers in the U.S. can also explore trends in specific cities via the Local Year in Search.

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleScreenshot from Google, December 2023

The trends for each city include the top trends in entertainment.

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleScreenshot from Google, December 2023

Entertainment is followed by the top near me searches, including the search most unique to the region.

top near me searches 2023 Screenshot from Google, December 2023

Google Search Milestones

In September, on Google’s 25th birthday, Danny Sullivan, Google’s Public Liason for Search, shared a series of milestones in search.

The list began with the creation of Google Images in 2001, inspired by the high demand for images of Jennifer Lopez’s iconic Grammy dress. The same year saw the introduction of the “Did you mean?” feature, utilizing machine learning for spelling correction.

Google News was launched in 2002 to provide timely news information, and in 2003, Google began incorporating clever Easter eggs in Search.

Autocomplete, introduced in 2004 as “Google Suggest,” predicts search queries, saving significant typing time. Google also revolutionized local information search that year, providing business details like maps and contact information.

Google Translate, which began in 2006, now supports over 100 languages, and Google Trends, launched the same year, offers valuable insights into search trends.

2007’s Universal Search marked a significant change, incorporating different content types like images and videos into search results.

The Google mobile app, introduced in 2008, was a breakthrough in mobile search, and the same year saw the debut of Voice Search. Google’s commitment to safety led to the introduction of emergency hotlines in search results in 2009.

Innovations continued with Search by Image in 2011, the Knowledge Graph in 2012, and the Popular Times feature in 2015.

Google Discover, launched in 2016, offered personalized content, and Google Lens in 2017 allowed visual searches.

Google’s AI advancements include flood forecasting models started in 2018 and the BERT language understanding model in 2019.

The Shopping Graph in 2020 made online shopping easier, and the Hum to Search feature solved the problem of identifying songs by humming.

The “About this result” feature in 2021 provided more context about search results.

Multisearch, introduced in 2022, combined text and image searches, and in 2023, Search Labs and the Search Generative Experience (SGE) were introduced as experiments to integrate generative AI into search.

Additional milestones achieved by Google Search over 25 years include an extensive collection of Google Algorithm Updates to ensure quality in SERPs.

Facts About Google

Year In Search 2023: Google’s Top Trends & 25-Year Time CapsuleImage from Google Doodles Library, December 2023

Along with milestones in search, Google also shared impressive statistics about its products used by over half a billion people, six of which serve more than 2 billion users each.

  • Google Bard – featuring Gemini – is proficient in more than 20 coding languages.
  • Google Translate offers translation services in 133 different languages.
  • Around 70% of generative AI startups, each valued at over $1 billion, are utilizing Google Cloud services.
  • Android’s AI system has successfully shielded users from 100 billion suspected spam messages over the past year.
  • Approximately 500,000 individuals have completed Google Career Certificate programs.
  • Google Lens facilitates approximately 12 billion visual searches each month.
  • The autocomplete feature in Google Search saves an estimated 200 years’ worth of typing time daily.
  • A single Google Sheet can accommodate up to 10 million cells.
  • YouTube Shorts experiences an average of 70 billion views every day as of the latest month.
  • The live stream of India’s moon landing on the Indian Space Research Organization’s YouTube channel achieved the highest viewership ever, with 8.5 million concurrent viewers.

Google’s Ongoing Commitment To Search And AI

In Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s reflection on the company’s evolution, he emphasizes Google’s commitment to search technology and innovation.

The post also served as a reminder of Google’s foundational mission, formulated by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, to organize the world’s information, making it universally accessible and useful.

Looking to the future, Pichai envisions AI as the most significant technological shift, potentially exceeding the impact of the internet with continued innovation.


Featured image: DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock

20+ Experts Share Insights: 2024 Strategies For Social Media – AI, User-Generated Content & More [Guide] via @sejournal, @semrush

These developments will roll out faster with the help of generative AI.

Simply put: Your competitors will gain an advantage if your marketing doesn’t embrace a winning social media formula.

How To Transform Your Social Media Strategy With This Winning Formula For Success

In order to elevate your social media strategy with the perfect mix of user-generated content, improved content quality, and generative AI, you should:

  1. Uncover small tasks that SMMs can delegate to AI.
  2. Choose creators who look, talk, and live like your ideal customers.
  3. Let content creators create their content with freedom.
  4. Establish lasting relationships with different creators.
  5. Invest in social media listening tools.
  6. Localize and share UGC content.

Pro Tip: Create or find a full 2024 social media strategy checklist to help you keep track of your new plan.

Insight 3: AI Delegation – Pick The Right Social Media Tasks To Give To Generative AI

Knowing how to safely give tasks to AI is the key to reducing your social media manager’s timespend and freeing up their day to execute these expert social media insights.

“With AI, content creation will be accomplished with impressive speed and efficiency. Its benefits are genuinely inspiring.”

– Urvee Tondwalkar, Content Strategist at Urvee Designs & Instagram Coach

What This Means

By combining their strengths with AI, marketers can enhance their productivity, creativity, and overall marketing effectiveness.

Simply put: There are social media tasks that AI literally cannot do.

Generative AI cannot physically create the human touch required for social media campaigns that truly resonate with your potential customers. AI needs humans, and humans can benefit from AI’s speed.

How Do I Improve My Workflow With AI?

“AI tools can be gamechangers for marketers. They can expedite the brainstorming process with data-driven suggestions, optimize content for specific channels, and help automate content repurposing across various platforms.”

– Lindsey Gamble, Associate Director of Influencer Innovation, Mavrck

You can utilize AI tools to:

  • Automate routine tasks such as scheduling posts and monitoring social media metrics.
  • Generate copy for your social media content more quickly and efficiently.
  • Analyze user behavior and preferences to deliver personalized content to your audience and record their activity.

Even though AI can enhance your social media strategy, make sure to regularly review and adapt your social media strategy based on the insights generated by AI, combined with the expertise and intuition of your human marketing team.

Insight 4: TikTok & LinkedIn Will Be The Top-Performing Social Media Platforms Of 2024

Thanks to their high engagement capacity and evolving abilities, TikTok and LinkedIn should become your priority platforms.

“TikTok is still developing exciting new features and tools for creators, advertisers, and regular users. It will likely focus on ecommerce, generative AI, and search in 2024. It also remains the king of short video engagement.”

– Matt Navarra, Social Media Consultant & Industry Analyst

What This Means

TikTok isn’t disappearing from the U.S.

LinkedIn’s user base has grown to millions of professionals from diverse sectors, making it an invaluable resource for establishing and nurturing B2B relationships.

Other social media platforms like X and Threads are making big changes, too, so as always, keep your audience in mind when selecting the best platforms for next year’s strategy.

How To Use TikTok, LinkedIn, Meta’s Facebook & Threads, & X (Formerly Twitter) In 2024

This year’s trends in social media and their platform efficacy implore you to:

  1. Establish new relationships with TikTok’s content creators.
  2. Activate your LinkedIn profile.
  3. Start conversations: Get your strategy ready for Threads.
  4. Explore Instagram’s latest tools.
  5. Be cautious about X investments.

Insight 5: Shift Your Social Media KPI Focus Toward Engagement + Shares To Monitor Authenticity

Engagement is currently a global trend in social media content.

True social media engagement, such as comments and conversations on shares, can’t be bought. This is a great marker for social media success.

For all you multi-hat-wearing marketers, think of it as link building and authority. The more shares and engagement on those shares you have, the better the content must be – according to updated algorithm logic.

“Qualitative metrics – more focused on people who book meetings based on content rather than just clicks or views.”

–Mandy McEwen, CEO and Founder at Mod Girl Marketing

What This Means

By 2024, algorithms will become increasingly intelligent, prioritizing content that stimulates conversation, ignites reactions, and promotes community interaction.

As a result, social media experts will place a high emphasis on shares as a crucial performance indicator.

How To Focus On Engagement & Shares Within Your Social Media Content

This links back to authenticity – a common trend within our 2024 social media expert predictions.

Be sure to focus your social media management on creating content that inspires discussions and promotes comments and these five key types of social media engagement.

Insight 6: Reshape Your Social Media Strategy – Become A Visionary

So far, we’ve seen five great insights that can be incorporated into your next strategy.

But, what does that strategy look like? You can get the full strategy checklist in our ebook, but here is our high-level outline:

  1. Use authenticity.
  2. Prioritize UGC.
  3. Activate content shares.
  4. Push active listening.
  5. Use Generative AI.
  6. Hire or establish long-term partnerships.
  7. Use AB Testing.
  8. Keep investing in video.

Get the full checklist.

Insights 7 – 20: Want To Explore All Expert Social Media Tips For 2024?

To get the full details of each insight above, as well as 13 additional expert tips, download the full guide below.

The insights provided by our Visionaries, a diverse team of top voices in Social Media that have made this report possible, are everything you need to create a social media marketing strategy that dominates your competition and expands your social media presence.

Google Workspace Announces AI-Powered Security via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Google announced an expansion of Google AI into their Workspace product, promoting zero trust and digital sovereignty controls.

The announcement details steps they are taking to ensure customer data in Google Workspace.

What’s novel about their system is that it incorporates AI-powered defenses.

According to Google:

“The sheer scale of modern attacks and the sophistication of motivated adversaries are something that legacy productivity solutions can’t keep pace with.

There is a better way — a cloud-native architecture rooted in zero-trust principles and augmented with AI-powered threat defenses.”

Google offered statistics to prove their Workspace systems are secure.

They claimed zero known exploits from vulnerabilities and 41% fewer security incidents than other email systems.

One of the innovations of Workspace is the ability to liberate users from having to depend on VPN, tunneling through secure networks, as a security measure, notably with what Google calls, context-aware access (CAA).

A customer explained how CAA worked to enable more access while simultaneously ensuring total security.

They were quoted:

“Context-Aware Access (CAA) has helped us manage our risks by not making access a binary choice, but allowing for more flexibility in access policies and allowing them to be applied to the right people, applications, and data. Since using CAA, we’ve been able to allow our users to use more of Google Workspace for a broader set of scenarios with more confidence in the safety of that work.”

New capabilities enables greater control over data use and who has access to it.

Google AI is used to classify and label Google Drive data to protect it from

Leveraging Google AI to automatically and continuously classify and label data in Google Drive to help ensure data is appropriately shared and protected from having the data copied or removed by threat actors.

IT and set permission levels by device location or security status in order to lock down how data is shared.

These capabilities are extending to Gmail:

“Extending enhanced DLP controls to Gmail: Already available in Google Chat, Drive, and Chrome to help security teams control sharing sensitive information inside and outside the organization, enhanced DLP controls are coming to Gmail and will be available in preview later this year.”

Other improvements are:

  • Client-side encryption (CSE) to prevent access from outside the company, including keeping the data away from Google and “foreign governments.”
  • Companies can select the country in which the encryption keys are stored, as well as where the data is stored and processed in order to comply with local regulations.

Read Google’s announcement:

Expanding Google AI in Workspace with new zero trust and digital sovereignty controls

Featured image by Shutterstock/monticello

Essential Google Algorithm & AI Updates For Agencies & Brands In 2023 via @sejournal, @hethr_campbell

Staying ahead of the curve is essential for agencies and brands looking to succeed in 2023.

With Google’s algorithm constantly updating and AI technology quickly advancing, how can you use these changes to your advantage?

How can you stay up-to-date and streamline and maximize your online reputation?

In order to thrive in the world of search and SEO, it’s important to know what to expect so you can adapt accordingly.

So, if you’re ready to elevate your service offerings and boost your search rankings, our upcoming webinar has all the insights you need.

Join industry experts Morrissey Balsamides and Cynthia Sener of Chatmeter as they delve into five crucial Google Algorithm & AI changes that you need to know to remain competitive.

Discover the strategic advantages of AI integration, how it impacts your website, and what lies ahead in the realm of artificial intelligence in SEO.

This insightful session also explores the positive effects of AI on multi-location reputation management – where it stands today, and where it may go in the future.

You’ll learn about:

  • Strengthening Multi-Location Partnerships & Enhancing Client Relationships: Uncover the strategies your agency can implement to become a better partner to your multi-location clients, foster stronger relationships, and drive lasting success.
  • Mastering Page One Presence & Navigating Google SERPs: Explore techniques to ensure your clients’ websites consistently appear on page one of Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs), in spite of constantly changing algorithms. Plus, learn how SEO optimization can help your clients achieve maximum visibility in an increasingly competitive digital marketplace.
  • Unlocking The Potential Of AI In Online Reputation Management: Understand why AI is perfectly suited for online reputation management and what it can do for you and your clients. Discover best practices for streamlining and maximizing your online reputation to stay ahead of the curve.

Are you determined to thrive amidst Google’s constant changes and evolving technologies?

Ready to step up your search and SEO game?

Sign up for the webinar to learn more about how you can better support multi-location clients, ensure page one visibility on SERPs, and optimize your online reputation.

Not able to attend the live event? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered!

Register now to secure your spot, and we’ll ensure you receive a copy of the recording and presentation deck after the webinar.

Make sure you stay informed and adaptive to navigate the future of SEO with confidence!

YouTube Strategic Direction Revealed Over Three Key Events in 2023 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

I attended the annual YouTube NewFront event at Google’s Pier 57 in New York City this year.

At the time, back in May, I’d come to the event hoping to learn about YouTube’s strategic direction. But most of what I heard – with a couple of notable exceptions – was a tactical discussion that left the impression that YouTube is just like TikTok.

Well, I was too quick to grumble. YouTube did eventually reveal its strategic direction over three key events at NewFront, Brandcast and VidCon Anaheim.

This article is a summary of what I took away from the events and highlights the multi-dimensional strategy that YouTube is laying out.

YouTube NewFront 2023

The first was YouTube NewFront, which I’ve already covered in “YouTube NewFront 2023 Showcased Shorts To Reach Gen Z.”

And, yes, YouTube emphasized that “YouTube Shorts is now averaging more than 50 billion daily views.” Back at this first event, it also said that, out of YouTube’s billions of monthly logged-in viewers, 1.5 billion are watching Shorts.

Google then updated this number during the Alphabet’s Q2 2023 financial results and reported that more than 2 billion logged-in monthly users are now watching YouTube Shorts.

That gives the short-form section of the social video platform an edge over competitors like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Now, Shorts is just one of several formats on YouTube, along with long form, live streams, and podcasts.

But according to Tubular Labs data, 14.4 million accounts uploaded 353 million videos to YouTube from Aug. 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. And these videos got 12.2 trillion views and 213 billion engagements (e.g., likes, comments, and shares), for an engagement rate of 1.7%.

Of this total, 4.5 million accounts uploaded 42.8 million videos that were 60 seconds long or shorter. This short-form content got 850 billion views and 11.0 billion engagements, for an engagement rate of 1.1%.

That was before YouTube launched the beta version of Shorts in India on Sept. 14, 2020, rolled it out in the US on March 18, 2021, and then released it to the entire world in July 2021.

By comparison, 23.1 million accounts uploaded 732 million videos to YouTube from Aug. 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023. And these videos got 22.9 trillion views and 734 billion engagements, for an engagement rate of 3.2%.

Of this total, 16.5 million accounts uploaded 362 million videos that were 60 seconds long or shorter. And this short-form content got 16.6 trillion views and 580 billion engagements, for an engagement rate of 3.4%.

That represents a seismic shift in the strategic landscape.

Over the past three years, the number of YouTube creators, videos, total views, and total engagements have all increased dramatically. Plus, their engagement rate has significantly improved. And Shorts deserves the lion’s share of the credit for YouTube’s overall success.

So, I’m embarrassed that I initially dismissed the emphasis on YouTube Shorts as “a tactical discussion.”

In retrospect, my response was triggered by the NewFront event’s second key message: “Gen Z and YouTube go way back.”

Yes, one of the ways that you can segment audiences is to use generations or age cohorts. And, yes, the age cohort born after 1996 is called Generation Z, or Gen Z.

But as Michael Dimock, the president of Pew Research Center, wrote recently,

“It’s hard not to run into eye-catching headlines about generations these days. And it’s easy to feel like many of these headlines are just clickbait, all fluff, and no substance.”

He listed five important considerations to keep in mind whenever you come across a news story or research about generations. This includes:

  • The boundaries between generations “are not precise, definitive or universally agreed on.”
  • All members of Gen Z, Millennials, or Baby Boomers are not the same, “just as all Southerners, all Catholics, or all Black Americans are not the same.”
  • News stories and research about generations often focus on “differences instead of similarities.”
  • Conventional wisdom about generations can have “an upper-class bias.”
  • People can and do change “as they grow older, pursue careers, and form families.”

So, when I said using Shorts to reach Gen Z was “a tactical discussion,” I may have conflated my thoughts about creating short-form content with my feelings about targeting a generation that is not only much younger than Boomers like me, but also younger than my children, who are Millennials.

Hopefully, I’ve now clarified all this.

YouTube Brandcast 2023

The second event was Brandcast, YouTube’s 12th annual advertiser showcase, which was held May 17, 2023, at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York City.

YouTube’s new executive bench – YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, YouTube Chief Business Officer Mary Ellen Coe, and Google President Sean Downey – took the stage for the first time to talk about their vision, content, and customer success.

Because Brandcast was part of the Upfronts, YouTube tackled a topic that was only mentioned in passing at its NewFront event a couple of weeks earlier: connected TV (CTV).

Among the things that YouTube told advertisers who attended Brandcast were:

  • YouTube is the leader in streaming watch time, ahead of Netflix, according to Nielsen’s total TV and streaming report for the US in December 2022.
  • YouTube reached over 150 million people on connected TVs in the United States, according to Nielsen data.
  • YouTube CTV accounts for over 52% of ad-supported streaming watch time on connected TVs among people aged 18+, according to data from Nielsen SPR.
  • Over 30% of YouTube viewers in the US aged P18+ could not be reached by other ad-supported streaming services in October 2022, according to data from Nielsen NMI.
  • Over 70% of YouTube Select campaign impressions landed on TV Screens in the US in December 2022, according to YouTube internal data.

Earlier this year, YouTube announced that it had become the new home of NFL Sunday Ticket.

At Brandcast, Coe talked about YouTube’s partnership with NFL Sunday Ticket and the unique opportunities YouTube is creating for fans to experience sports on YouTube and YouTube TV.

As part of YouTube’s partnership with the NFL, Coe said there will be even more original programming, like Game Day All Access, which enables fans to listen in as mic’d up players bring viewers onto the sidelines during the game.

She also announced that YouTube was launching “NFL Creator of the Week,” a new original Shorts series on the NFL’s YouTube channel after the football season kicks off this year.

This means advertisers can reach football fans across YouTube’s entire array of NFL content, whether they’re viewing live games on YouTube TV and Primetime Channels, or watching highlights, post-game commentary, and other related content across YouTube.

To illustrate how this partnership may play out, Brandcast featured Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL), and Donald De La Haye Jr., a YouTuber known online as Deestroying.

They joined forces to share the highlights of football culture on YouTube – and how brands can get in the game.

For example, Goodell revealed that NFL content on YouTube had seen a 27% increase in watch time year-over-year and reached 1.9 billion views.

Since then, we’ve learned that CTV ad spending on YouTube surged far ahead of its streaming competitors in Q2 2023, according to Tinuiti.

And Insider Intelligence, formerly known as eMarketer, now forecasts that YouTube will bring in $2.89 billion in US CTV ad revenue this year, second only to Hulu.

So, yes, YouTube’s competitors on this second front are Netflix and Hulu, not TikTok and Instagram.

And Daniel Konstantinovic of Insider Intelligence said on July 28, 2023,

“YouTube’s strong TV viewership and content model gives it an advantage over streaming services and other CTV platforms just entering the fray.”

VidCon Anaheim 2023

The third event in this triathlon was VidCon Anaheim, which took place June 21 to 24, 2023, at the Anaheim Convention Center. YouTube was the title sponsor and exclusive livestream sponsor.

During the industry keynote, Amjad Hanif, YouTube’s Vice President of Product Management, discussed YouTube and the creator landscape with Amber Scholl, Colin and Samir, LARRAY, and SSSniperWolf, who are some of today’s top breakthrough creators.

The big takeaway of this event is that YouTube has paid out $50 billion to creators, artists, and media companies in the past three years.

Why? This gives YouTube a strategic advantage over both its social video and streaming TV competitors in attracting and retaining creators.

Oxford Economics estimates that YouTube’s creator ecosystem supported more than 390,000 full-time equivalent jobs and contributed over $35 billion to the US GDP in 2022.

And it’s worth noting that YouTube didn’t start sharing ad revenue for YouTube Shorts until Feb. 1, 2023. (This new revenue-sharing model replaced the YouTube Shorts Fund.)

So, creators in the YouTube Partners Program have only been able to earn money from ads that are viewed between videos in the Shorts feed for six months. Depending on factors such as the video’s content and the audience’s country of origin, YouTube pays up to $3 per 1,000 views for the Shorts feature.

From 2021 to 2022, only a handful of creators could earn from $100 to $10,000 monthly from the YouTube Shorts Fund. Now, the sky’s the limit.

That gives YouTube a significant strategic advantage over TikTok and Instagram, as well as Netflix and Hulu, in attracting and retaining not only the best creators, but also the most creators.

But wait, there’s more!

The week before VidCon Anaheim, Hanif announced more ways for creators to earn money on YouTube, from fan funding to shopping.

YouTube has opened access to fan funding features like channel memberships, Super Chat, and Super Thanks.

And YouTube has also introduced an update to the platform’s Shopping affiliate program for creators.

In a post on the YouTube Official Blog, Hanif said,

“In the US, the number of channels that earned a majority of revenue from Fan Funding products in December 2022 saw an increase over 20% compared to the prior year.”

Hanif added, “We’re expanding our YouTube Shopping affiliate program to all eligible US-based creators who are in (the YouTube Partner Program) with over 20,000 subscribers.”

The Shopping affiliate program will now allow creators to feature products from other brands in their content and enable them to be eligible for competitive commission rates on the sales of these products.

YouTube has already partnered with over 50 brands like Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Wayfair, with products spanning beauty, tech, home, and apparel, which can be featured and tagged on videos and Shorts.

Takeaway

Even though it took two months and three events, YouTube has revealed its strategic direction. And it is so multidimensional that it makes my earlier grumbles seem downright embarrassing.

YouTube isn’t simply trying to replicate TikTok’s success.

Rather, the company is taking a dynamic approach to overtaking its competitors by doubling down in a few key areas: short-form video, connected TV, and the creator economy.

And so far, it seems to be paying off.

So, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

Disclaimer: All statistics not linked are from a gated Tubular Labs report.

More resources: 


Featured Image: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

Microsoft Q4 Earnings Call: Over One Billion Bing AI Chat Sessions via @sejournal, @kristileilani

Microsoft announced robust fourth quarter and fiscal year results driven by its cloud business for investors in today’s earnings call.

Growth In Revenue

Ahead of the earnings call, Microsoft posted a press release.

The tech giant reported an 8% growth in revenue to $56.2 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2023, compared to the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year.

The operating income of $24.3 billion reflected an 18% increase, while net income grew by 20% to reach $20.1 billion. When adjusted for constant currency, the figures showed even more robust performance.

During the earnings call, Microsoft discussed continued growth opportunities in search and advertising despite some near-term headwinds.

In addition to expanding the ad network to 187 markets, Microsoft Advertising channels now include search, display, native, retail media, video, and connected TV.

Despite lower ad spending impacting search and LinkedIn ad revenue, LinkedIn’s overall income and sessions increased.

Microsoft Q4 Earnings Call: Over One Billion Bing AI Chat SessionsScreenshot from Microsoft, July 2023

Bing Chat Exceeds One Billion Sessions

Bing search volumes and Microsoft Edge browser share continued to grow, gaining stake for several quarters.

Expanding AI chat access to businesses through Bing Chat Enterprise, Bing also powers ChatGPT’s default search, bringing users AI-generated answers and search results (when available).

Most impressively:

“Bing users have engaged in more than one billion chats and created more than 750 million images with Bing Image Creator.”

This number will likely grow thanks to the rollout of Bing AI Chat beyond Microsoft Edge browsers and the Bing app to select users of Google Chrome and Safari.

The company remains excited about long-term opportunities as it invests in AI for search.

New AI Services And Copilots

Azure AI services revenue grew around 50%, accounting for about two percentage points of Azure’s 27% constant currency revenue growth. Demand for Azure OpenAI service continues to see strong momentum.

Speaking of AI, Microsoft highlighted several new AI products and features utilizing large language models across its stack. They include GitHub Copilot, Power BI Copilot, Copilot for Windows, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.

According to Microsoft, the feedback indicates these copilots significantly improved productivity.

The company is focused on responsible AI development and deployment. Microsoft aims to infuse AI across its cloud and applications stack to lead in the AI platform shift. It continues to invest in AI infrastructure to meet growing demand.

Microsoft Continues To Drive AI Advances

Microsoft’s growth underscores the importance of AI and cloud-based services, suggesting that this focus will continue to be a critical area for Microsoft.

With its recent launch of AI training, it remains clear that Microsoft intends to shift the way everyone works with new AI tools drastically.

The financial health of the tech giant also underlines the ongoing demand for its products and services, a crucial point of interest for professionals in search and marketing technology.

microsoft and alphabet google stock after earnings callScreenshot from Google Finance, July 2023

Featured image: iQoncept/Shutterstock