Nature of search engine marketing evolves
10 May 2005
The remit of search engine marketing (SEM) agencies is evolving and strategies to promote clients' websites are becoming more sophisticated and scientific.
Rather than focusing on ensuring clients reach the top of the search rankings pile, companies are working to secure a better return on investments.
Nicholine Hayward, marketing director of Weboptimiser, claims that, "a good search-engine marketing company won't just get you to the top of search engines or bring you traffic, but will also help you to identify new opportunities, size up the competition, develop effective creative, test before rollout, maximise response, optimise fulfilment, gather data for managing customer relationships and account for every penny."
Revolution reports that there has been a recent spate of rebrandings among SEM firms, with Corporem Global becoming Latitude, Web Site Positioning Services (WSPS) changing its name to The Search Works, and AdvancePositions.com is now mSearch.
The website suggests that search engine specialists are now attempting to distance themselves from the vague, technical labels they attached to their companies during the .com boom. Firms are increasingly specialising in areas of the search engine market, such as pay-per-click, as the sector becomes more competitive.
Chrys Philalithes, marketing director at Espotting, commented: "They're getting a lot better at really understanding consumer trends and habits. What consumers demand today, tomorrow and in a year is very different, and in paid listings you have to have your fingers on the pulse."
The search market has grown rapidly and the IAB now values it at one-and-a-half times the UK cinema advertising market. However, UK firms continue to have poor search strategies. A Search Works study of the official sites of FTSE 100 companies found that 64 per cent did not appear on the first page, or among the top 10 results, of an online search using keywords pertinent to their business, such as 'travel' or 'insurance'.
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