Holistic approach to search recommended

3rd March 2008

Marketers should adopt a holistic approach to online campaigns, combining search with offline advertising, according to a new study.

Research by Engine Ready and reported by eMarketer has revealed that direct access traffic is the most lucrative for e-commerce companies, with users who reach sites by typing in URLs or using bookmarks more likely to buy products, spend a greater amount of money, view a higher number of pages and invest more time in sites than other consumers.

However, organic search visitors exhibited the second-highest levels of engagement across all web users.

As such, vice-president of marketing with Engine Ready Brian Lewis told the news provider that a blended approach is advisable.

"For companies with a more limited marketing budget, direct ROI initiatives like search will take precedence. But it's important to have a holistic strategy that touches on all of the elements," he said.

The study is published after Rachel Hawkes, co-founder and editor of Social Media Portal, commented that online marketing should not be invasive.