Firms without SEM ´wasting time´

Companies in the UK are wasting £3 billion every year investing into websites that are virtually invisible to search engines, a new report has revealed.

Microsoft´s adCentre unit revealed that 2.79 million small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) invest in their online image, but a staggering 62 per cent do not use search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns to help potential customers find them on the internet.

Although 76 per cent of SMEs promoting themselves online through search engines had reported immediate increases in sales, 44 per cent felt that search marketing is too time consuming, while 56 per cent believed it to be too expensive and 33 per cent too complicated.

"UK SMEs are missing a trick by not investing in search marketing campaigns," said Nigel Leggatt, marketing manager of Microsoft adCentre, according to vnunet.com.

"In today´s world, just having a website is not enough. You have to drive traffic to your site to ensure you are front-of-mind with your potential customers. Search marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to achieve this."

Interestingly, the report highlighted the fact that 96 per cent of small business owners use search engines when they need to find a product or a service.