2024 Predictions: The AI takeover in Digital Marketing

As we draw closer to the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the upcoming trends for 2024 in the world of digital marketing. As a freelancer who's always on the pulse, I am convinced 2024 is all about AI and Paid.

The End of SEO As We Know It

For years, SEO has been the cornerstone of digital marketing strategies, but I predict that 2024 will mark the beginning of its decline on social media. If you know about digital marketing, you know SEO has been dead for a few years now. Every single monetisable SERP has ads on it. The SEO get the scraps. The paid guys get to feast.

The Rise of Ads and Machine Learning

The future is all about ads, specifically ads driven by accurate data and machine learning. As we move into an era dominated by AI, the ability to feed sophisticated algorithms with precise data will become crucial. This shift will empower businesses to optimize their ad strategies in ways previously unimaginable. The playing field will be more level.

If You're Not Using AI, You're Falling Behind

It's no longer a question of whether AI should be part of your strategy; it's a necessity. The integration of AI in marketing workflows is transforming how agencies operate and deliver value to their clients. As a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) consultant, I use GPT-4 daily to perform tasks at a fraction of the traditional cost and time. This efficiency allows me to offer my services at competitive prices, passing on the savings to my clients.

Revolutionizing Ad Bidding with AI

Imagine a scenario where you tell Google your revenue goals and desired returns, and it manages all the bidding and ad placements for you. This isn't science fiction; it's a reality with the right setup. The key is accurate tracking to feed the machine. You need at least 30 conversion events a month and a two-week learning period, but once it's up and running, the results are astounding.

GA4 is becoming the go-to analytics tool, yet many are still not using it correctly. In the age of AI, it's not just about KPI dashboards; it's about leveraging data to feed Google's and Meta's machine learning algorithms. The real magic happens when you let AI sort through your data to extract actionable insights.

All other analytics packages are inferior. A little part of me dies when someone switches to another package. They'll be back but what a waste of time.

GA4: The Analytics Tool of Choice

People who criticize GA4 do not really understand it. It’s the fear of the unknown, and the vendors are exploiting this fear to sell their own tools.

https://twitter.com/analyticsnerd/status/1714207641298166066

Conclusion: Embrace the AI Era

As we step into 2024, the message is clear: embrace AI or risk falling behind. Ask your agency how they've integrated AI into their workflows and what benefits you can reap as a client. Check out Google's AI ads checklist and if you haven't done it all, maybe I can help.

Ben

Ben has a BEng (Hons) in Computer Science and 20 years of experience in online marketing, specialising in SEO, lead generation and affiliate marketing. After spending over a decade as an igaming affiliate, he has decided to concentrate on GA4 training and SEO Audits.