Are Marketers Missing the Boat With Paid Search?

A recent report by JupiterResearch seems to think so. The study, authored by Sapna Satagopan and entitled “”Engine Selection Strategies: Campaign Expansion Demands Management Tools” reveals that 40% of marketers are “missing the boat” by relying on only Google and Yahoo! for their paid search campaigns. On the flip side, marketers capitalizing on using a broader range of search engines are the same ones that have better management technologies.

“Even though search engine usage by marketers has broadened in the past couple of years, marketers are still slow to test the newer search providers,” said Sapna Satagopan. “Lack of management tools and relatively low traffic volume are the biggest deterrents.”

The study also reveals that a minimal 19% of marketers use proper technology to enable testing and expansion of their marketing efforts. “Increasing competition and rising keyword prices should motivate search marketers to look for newer, viable opportunities to diversify their incoming traffic,” said Satagopan.

While it is true that Google and Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture) have been the leaders in the arena of paid search advertising for a long time, we cannot forget that