Integrate SEM with sales strategies, marketers advised

16th May 2008

A joined-up approach to web sales and search engine marketing (SEM) could be the key to e-commerce success, one expert has recommended.

Neil Jackson, search director at Tamar, commented that the battle between paid search and natural search is beginning to intensify as online retail grows more competitive.

"Many marketers are still neglecting the need to take a joined-up approach to treat their search engine strategy and web sales strategy as one integrated process, rather than two distinct entities," he said.

Mr Jackson was speaking after the 2008 Search Attitudes Report, commissioned by the company, revealed that 90 per cent of web users would respond to natural search.

Some 54 per cent of women begin their online shopping journey with search activity and 46 per cent of men would choose a search engine as their starting point, the report revealed.

Blue Collar SEO recently reminded marketers that high-quality content is crucial to search engine optimisation success.