Brands ´failing to capitalise´ on search

Major brands that do not strike a balance between natural and paid for searches are wasting their resources, new research has found.

Findings published in 2007 Searching Sectors Report by search agency Tamar show that companies are throwing their search budgets by targeting costly generic search schemes.

Large financial brands, which are the most active in search marketing, are top for spending money on useless search terms, such as "mortgage".

Tamar search director Neil Jackson said that the cost of paid search was rising but it remained beyond the understanding of many brands that "a balanced paid and natural search strategy can drive down the overall cost of the search marketing campaign, while also increasing conversion rates".

Online store Amazon was cited by the company as a good example of ´getting it right´, as well as supermarket chain Tesco, who Mr Jackson said were using "intelligent" choices regarding paid search.