Search Engine Marketing Expected to Grow, But Slowly, in 2009

In a survey set to be released this week, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, known as SEMPO, says North American search marketing spending will increase only 9% to $14.7 billion in 2009 from $13.5 billion a year ago. Its previous estimates, a year ago, predicted that the industry would grow 20% in 2009.

In an interview published in the Wall Street Journal, Kevin Lee, CEO of search-marketing firm Didit who is on SEMPO’s research committee, blamed the adjustment on the macroeconomy and said SEMPO would have cut its forecasts further if they hadn’t expanded the definition of search marketing to include new forms of advertising such as some sorts of social media.

According to The Wall Street Journal, advertisers continue to shift their efforts from traditional advertising to search marketing. More than 25% of advertisers surveyed said they would move budgets from print magazines into search and 19% said they would move budgets from newspapers.