Hitting the B2B marketing news headlines this week: What paid search marketers can expect in 2023, Google expert predicts the future of backlinks, Instagram brings In-App Scheduling to creator and business accounts, plus more!

Experts Share the Biggest PPC Trends of 2023

With the new year fast approaching, Search Engine Journal sat down with 22 top PPC experts to get to grips with what’s in store for paid search marketers in 2023. Some of the trends and findings discussed include: AI and machine learning (loss of control but opportunities to focus on other things), attribution and conversion tracking will become even more important in terms of providing value, a refocus on first-party data, there will be inflation/ expense increases in cost-per-clicks, particularly in industries hit hard by the pandemic that are now coming back into demand, the introduction of new platforms, including TikTok and the Metaverse — plus more! To delve deep into these insights, check out the eBook here.

Google Expert Makes a Prediction About the Future of Backlinks

Google Search advocate, John Mueller, recently took part in a discussion about backlinks, ranking signal, and why it may become less critical to SEO professionals in the future. In Google’s recent ‘Search Off The Record’ podcast episode, Mueller suggests that as Google becomes more adept at understanding how content fits in with the rest of the web,  Google’s algorithm won’t have to rely so much on inbound links. While Mueller doesn’t discuss the authority aspect of inbound links, he does say they’ll continue to be helpful to Google for content discovery. Hear the full discussion at the 13:17 mark in Google’s latest Search Off The Record podcast here. 

Instagram In-App Scheduling for creator and business accounts 

After testing with select users, Instagram has announced it will be rolling out its new in-app post-scheduling tools to all professional accounts in the app. Now, these accounts will be able to schedule Reels, Photo and Carousel posts up to 75 days in advance, directly from Instagram. Functionally, this doesn't contribute anything new since Creator Studio has allowed users to plan posts since 2020. But it will definitely make it simpler to manage your content while on the road. The ability to schedule Reels in particular will enable brands and creators to maximize the performance of their content. Find out more.

B2B Tech Marketers Now Developing More Content to Reap Benefits

A new report indicates that those in the tech sector are starting to develop more content to unlock its full potential. Looking into the role of content in the B2B  technology marketing sector, statistics revealed that the majority are creating one to two times more content marketing than last year. As a result, 92% stated that they obtained more budget to accommodate the growth in content production. The marketing executive respondents cited social media as the most valued type of content (55%), followed by video content at 49%. Check out the full report here.

Musk Outlines New $8 Per Month Twitter Blue Package

Since being taken over by Elon Musk, Twitter has confirmed plans to allow users to buy blue-tick verified status. The coveted blue tick was historically only exclusively accessible to high-profile or influential individuals and organizations — who were asked to prove their identity. As per Musk’s most recent tweets on his reformation of the platform, the billionaire now says that they’re planning to offer verification ticks to all users for $8 per month, to combat the ‘class divide’ in the app and to be able to better combat bots and trolls. Read more on this controversial move here.

Web format

Experts Share the Biggest PPC Trends of 2023

With the new year fast approaching, Search Engine Journal sat down with 22 top PPC experts to get to grips with what’s in store for paid search marketers in 2023. Some of the trends and findings discussed include: AI and machine learning (loss of control but opportunities to focus on other things), attribution and conversion tracking will become even more important in terms of providing value, a refocus on first-party data, there will be inflation/ expense increases in cost-per-clicks, particularly in industries hit hard by the pandemic that are now coming back into demand, the introduction of new platforms, including TikTok and the Metaverse — plus more! To delve deep into these insights, check out the eBook here.

Google Expert Makes a Prediction About the Future of Backlinks

Google Search advocate, John Mueller, recently took part in a discussion about backlinks, ranking signal, and why it may become less critical to SEO professionals in the future. In Google’s recent ‘Search Off The Record’ podcast episode, Mueller suggests that as Google becomes more adept at understanding how content fits in with the rest of the web,  Google’s algorithm won’t have to rely so much on inbound links. While Mueller doesn’t discuss the authority aspect of inbound links, he does say they’ll continue to be helpful to Google for content discovery. Hear the full discussion at the 13:17 mark in Google’s latest Search Off The Record podcast here. 

Instagram In-App Scheduling for creator and business accounts 

After testing with select users, Instagram has announced it will be rolling out its new in-app post-scheduling tools to all professional accounts in the app. Now, these accounts will be able to schedule Reels, Photo and Carousel posts up to 75 days in advance, directly from Instagram. Functionally, this doesn't contribute anything new since Creator Studio has allowed users to plan posts since 2020. But it will definitely make it simpler to manage your content while on the road. The ability to schedule Reels in particular will enable brands and creators to maximize the performance of their content. Find out more.

B2B Tech Marketers Now Developing More Content to Reap Benefits

A new report indicates that those in the tech sector are starting to develop more content to unlock its full potential. Looking into the role of content in the B2B  technology marketing sector, statistics revealed that the majority are creating one to two times more content marketing than last year. As a result, 92% stated that they obtained more budget to accommodate the growth in content production. The marketing executive respondents cited social media as the most valued type of content (55%), followed by video content at 49%. Check out the full report here.

Musk Outlines New $8 Per Month Twitter Blue Package

Since being taken over by Elon Musk, Twitter has confirmed plans to allow users to buy blue-tick verified status. The coveted blue tick was historically only exclusively accessible to high-profile or influential individuals and organisations — who were asked to prove their identity. As per Musk’s most recent tweets on his reformation of the platform, the billionaire now says that they’re planning to offer verification ticks to all users for $8 per month, to combat the ‘class divide’ in the app and to be able to better combat bots and trolls. Read more on this controversial move here.