As we near the end of 2019, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2020. It’s interesting to think about what trends we are going to see in content marketing and SEO.

Content is getting better and people are finding more relevant content that answers their questions and give them the information they need or want. Search engines are getting better at providing the exact content users are searching for, and content marketing is a proven strategy that works for any brand. So let’s look at some of the content marketing trends we’re likely to see in 2020.

1. More Purposeful and Better Content

In 2019, we saw the quality of content really increase. This won’t be slowing down any time soon. More and more marketers and content creators are understanding the need for high-quality content. This means that in 2020, we’ll see a lot of the following:

• More research, data, and statistics from reputable sources.
• A better understanding of exactly what the target audience is needing from the search results for a specific keyword
• Better writing with more consistency
• Deeper content with further exploration of topics

2. Better Visuals Within the Content

In 2020, platforms that are visual forward will continue to be trendy. The most popular platforms for teens are Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, according to Pew Research. As technology continues to advance, visuals are going to get more interesting in 2020. We will also see more marketers take advantage of custom, dynamic, branded imagery in their content.

3. Customer First, Highly Targeted Content

Marketers and content creators understand that to build trust with an audience, you must first offer help, entertainment, information, or guidance without asking for anything. In 2020, the very best content that gets to the core of what the user is searching for will rank #1 on Google. Content creators will do more research to create highly targeted content that will really speak to audiences.

4. Visual Storytelling and Video Content

Video became a big deal in 2019. This is only going to continue in 2020. Just to give you an idea of how this has grown, in 2018, 85% of users of the internet in America watched video content monthly. Consumer preferences are moving away from written content and towards video and audio content. Great video content is made from great storytelling. In 2020, the visual storytelling will only get better.

The future of content marketing is here. And more and more marketers are valuing quality above everything else, which is only a good thing. As the quality of content continues to increase, it will be interesting to see how that positively affects content marketing as a whole.