10 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2022
Editor’s note: this article was published in January 2022 and is retained for reference. One of its predictions came good — AI-driven personalisation is now standard practice. One did not: Google decided in April 2025 not to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome, and in October 2025 retired most of the Privacy Sandbox technologies meant to replace them, so section 1 below is wrong and we have left it standing rather than quietly editing it. The figures quoted throughout reflect what industry sources were reporting at the time of writing and have not been re-verified since — treat them as indicative of the direction of travel rather than as current data.
Digital marketers don’t need a time machine to predict what’s coming in 2022. The signs are there in the trends and the statistics. Search engines will slowly abolish cookies, brands will step up their creativity in marketing content, and a lot more. Here are the ten trends that will shape digital advertising in 2022.
1. Cookies are dying
Google will end third-party cookie tracking. Cookies that publishers used to track users’ internet activity for targeted advertising will become obsolete, as part of a broader move to improve user privacy.
That means marketers must look for other ways to understand and reach users: first-party data, contextual targeting and behaviour analysis. This forces brands to use more innovative tactics to reach their audiences.
2. Content marketing is still alive and well
In industry surveys at the time, a large majority of digital marketers named content creation as their most effective SEO tactic. What type of content stands out?
- Unique, high-quality content ranks higher on the results page.
- Brands with authority in specific fields should focus on detailed content for their niche audiences.
- Posting frequency matters less. Google’s algorithms are adept at separating high-quality content from low-quality.
Relevant, engaging, informative content, even posted occasionally, helps businesses increase sales through search.
3. Google is making local SEO more important and more convenient
Businesses cannot afford to skip local SEO. The number of digital consumers rose drastically over the past 18 months.
- Google’s share of search was above 90%, and the large majority of local shoppers use Google Search to learn about nearby businesses. Most buy within a week of their initial search.
- Searches qualified by immediacy and proximity — “available near me”, “now near me”, “along my route” — grew sharply through 2021, in some cases by an order of magnitude.
Capturing even a small share of these searches can transform a small company. Optimise your Google Business Profile.
4. Omnichannel marketing is still important
According to McKinsey, omnichannel should be the standard. But “omnichannel” doesn’t mean “every channel”. Prioritise your customers’ needs: if they’re happy with your ecommerce site, you may not need a mobile app. Start with the channels that matter most, establish expertise there, then expand.
5. Inventory updates
Searches including “in stock” rose steeply through 2021. Consumers check whether items are in stock before buying. Keeping inventory details current on your Google Business Profile is highly advantageous.
6. Predictive analytics for personalised recommendations
Savvy marketers will use AI tools to improve the relevance of content their users see. Predictive analytics uses historical data to give personalised recommendations. Websites that use these tools retain more users.
7. Digital marketing planning matters more than ever
Boston Consulting Group’s work on marketing maturity found that most companies were still relying on fairly basic customer insight tools. Businesses with advanced tracking can outperform those without, provided the insights are orchestrated into a cohesive plan.
8. Video marketing
Video continues to improve customer experience and conversion rates. Social users share brand videos readily, and marketers using professional-grade video will attract more eyes.
9. Segmented campaigns
Marketers who segment their campaigns consistently report higher revenue than those who send the same message to everyone. Vendor studies put the uplift very high — one widely repeated figure claims as much as 760% — though such numbers come from the platforms themselves and have not been independently verified. Rather than chasing the headline number, the principle is what matters: don’t bombard consumers with promotions; group leads by demographics, browsing activity and purchase history, and reach them with relevant content.
10. Voice search
Voice assistants keep spreading across households. People use long-tail, conversational queries when speaking. Do separate keyword research for this niche and incorporate long-tail phrases in your content.
Keep these trends in mind heading into 2022. If you’re serious about understanding your customers and selling more, contact us for a free consultation. Our experts at Webtales IT Solutions help create web, SaaS and other digital products for your brand.
