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Single-digit growth will be the norm through 2014

Lately, we have been hearing much about online video and the rise of social media communities, but how could these possibly be a threat to search engines? Yahoo!, MSN, and Google hold the largest share in the online advertising market, but their market share could well be halved if social networks become more popular. With over 65% of internet users now accessing Google to search for goods, services, or just general interest, it would seem like online ads would be best served on the search giant. But beyond this there are other forms of advertising that are starting to knock on the door and give search-based ads a real run for their money. Some of the more traditional online channels have included banner advertising, classifieds, and directories, where you would create an ad, choose the appropriate channel and simply publish the ad. Search engine Google recognises the need for people to â??get what they wantâ? through search and out of this created the paid service Google Adwords, in which people effectively pay to get to the top of Google. This, although potentially quite expensive depending on your industry keywords, it is a very popular advertising channel, and can yield some great results, if done correctly. This model, which is one of Googleâ??s primary monetising services, tries to make search ads as relevant as possible via its various search algorithms. But with online traffic now moving towards current buzz â??social mediaâ?, websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are becoming more and more popular with people starting to publish their material online at a far more frequent rate than ever before.

You can create and account, add friends, create events, uploads images and videos, and almost manage your entire social life online via this application. Online traffic analytics firm Nielson recently concluded that the UKs most used brand was Facebook with 62 billion minutes being spent on the website during April. With vast communities popping up across these networks, it is also the ideal place for businesses and individuals to place targeted ads, and Google knows it. One of the key components of these networks is the ability to upload video content. With technology evolving, allowing us to capture images and video via phone or other handheld devises, we are in position to capture a moment and distribute it for the world to see.

One of the key components of Search Engine Marketing is being able to use a particular channel to distribute/publish relevant content to help push a companyâ??s online awareness. Using video, it is not only possible to publish an advert for a chosen demographic, but it will also be possible for people to have video ads served to them based on their particular needs and requirements. So, if you are into cars, it will soon be possible to have car ads served to you based on comprehensive analytics, which contains details about behavioural activity online. This analytical data is the key to knowing what people want to see and what should be served to them. Thus resulting in highly targeted video ads and saving huge sums of money on traditional TV adverts.

So, could this spell the end for search engines as we know them? Well, there will always be a need for search based applications like Google, even if people use social media more. There is no rule preventing Google from incorporating targeted video based advertising into its applications and currently all of the big three search engines are looking to add this string to their bow.

The Internet giant Google said Wednessday that it would change its search policy for most of Europe to allow advertisers to buy and use terms that have been trademarked by others as keywords. Previously, brand owners could file a trademark complaint with Google to prevent third-party ads from being returned alongside the results of a search of a trademarked name, such as Louis Vuitton or Prada. The decision will be effective Sept. 14 and extends to the rest of Europe changes that were made in Britain and Ireland in 2008. In the United States and Canada, Google has been implementing the policy since 2004. Google’s move stems from a decision by the European Court of Justice in March. The court broadly ruled that Google had respected trademark law by allowing advertisers to bid for keywords corresponding to third-party trademarks.Brand owners, led by the French luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, had argued that only they or authorized sites should be able to buy and use such trademarked terms in searches, so as to protect their brand value. They now face the prospect of having the ads of third-parties offering their products being displayed in search results. Trademark owners who feel that third-party ads confuse users as to the origin of the goods and services will still be able to file complaints with Google, and the search company said it would take down the ads if it agrees that they are confusing. Dominic Batchelor, a London-based corporate partner at the legal firm Ashurst, said the decision “will come as a blow to rights holders” in the battle “over policing content in a challenging online environment.” “The onus will be on rights holders to monitor and assert their rights,” he said. “How readily Google responds to complaints about infringing use remains to be seen.” Ben Novick, Google’s communications manager for the region, stressed that the company would continue banning ads for counterfeit goods. “We work with multiple brands to identify counterfeit goods,” he said. Google’s clients are now being informed of the changes. Legal experts have said that the European ruling stopped short of the definitive precedent that Google and brand owners alike had sought. Instead, it contained caveats that could result in a new flurry of lawsuits over the sale of “sponsored links” generated by Google searches. Google argues that selling brand names as ad keywords to multiple bidders helps consumers because it allows them to find product reviews, sellers of second-hand goods and other information. It stressed that the new policy would not extend to the actual display text in search findings. “Users will benefit from seeing more relevant ads following a search on Google,” Mr. Novick said. After the introduction of the changes in Britain and Ireland there was disquiet among some advertisers, he said, followed by “a period of calm within a few weeks.” The changes will benefit the company’s hugely successful Adwords service, through which advertisers bid for key words and their ads are ranked based on the price paid and other variables. The system works on a pay-per-click basis. The company would not speculate on how much additional revenue the decision might bring. Adwords is the bedrock of the company’s success, accounting for approximately 95 percent of revenue. In the second quarter, Google’s revenue rose to $6.82 billion, from $5.52 billion in the equivalent quarter a year ago. Net profit rose to $1.84 billion from $1.48 billion

How to keep your story compelling in an SEO-crazed world

Telling a compelling brand story has always been the high art of creative advertising. It's even more so in the digital age, where search optimization and search-based metrics have become the new Holy Grail. Unfortunately, for creatives, SEO is like handing a composer the most popular notes, as identified by research, and demanding a hit song. Or giving a writer word magnets from the refrigerator and expecting the Great American Novel.

To make sure your creative isn't DOA with SEO, here's what to do:

If you want to reach the natives of today's consumer world, start by speaking their language. The core keyword list, or modern copywriter's dictionary, often contains keywords that are outdated. For example, the word "stereo" for marketing home theater equipment. Or "applications" when consumers are looking for apps. If your vocabulary is not up to speed, you'll sound strained and out of touch, and, worst of all, your search will be lame because few people are using those dusty words to find what you're selling. But be warned: some terms that sound dated to you or your client may not be dated to your audience. For instance, inside the wireless industry, the term "cell phones" is so 1990s. However, many consumers still use that term today to search for a new mobile phone. So make sure your search terms are not only current but also relevant, in today's vernacular, right up to the very second they go live. Then update your digital content as new terms arise, evaluating at least once a month.

Another common trap in writing for SEO is that the lifeblood of creative writing -- the spark, the surprise, the emotional language -- often gets thrown out with the SEO bathwater. David Carr of The New York Times hit on this recently when writing about journalism in the digital age: "Headlines in newspapers and magazines were once written with readers in mind, to be clever or catchy or evocative," Carr states. "Now headlines are just there to get the search engines to notice." Blogger Mike Lachey makes a similarly amusing point, retitling classic literature to boost Web site traffic: The Great Gatsby becomes 8 Surprising Ways West Egg Is Exemplary of the Hollowness of the American Dream. This challenge of maintaining evocative language is front and center for digital creatives. The clever twist of phrase, the outlandishly exaggerated headline that catches a reader's attention is often sidestepped. Make sure your SEO-savvy copy doesn't evoke Mr. Roboto -- a preprogrammed assembly of key terms that connects with search but doesn't connect with the hearts and minds of your audience. Along with key search terms, make sure that evocative, emotionally rich language stays in your creative mix.

Digital media has been a boon for creatives who are now empowered to stretch their ideas and bring them to life in whole new ways. However, this new creative canvas contains digital nooks and crannies that are often overlooked. SEO brings with it new opportunities for writing great headlines and copy in places such as search results, page titles, image names, alt tags and even URLs. Take advantage of these. For example, don't overlook the chance to write a great headline for the actual search results page. Great copy in these small places is often the hidden surprise that rewards audiences precisely because they are not obvious places to "sell the message." And, for copywriters, they offer an exclusive domain that is always enticing. There are no designers or art directors -- just words, and the power that they alone can have.

When you absolutely, positively have to put mundane keywords in your headline or the account team will run screaming to the partners, relax. You've got more than a few arrows in your creative quiver. One is to pair your SEO yin with some visual yang. The unexpected twist on the familiar is Advertising 101, and it still works. Match your straightforward headline with a surprisingly unexpected visual. For example, a headline such as "The World's Best Bath Soap" could be paired with an image of a large, hairy-backed man unashamedly bathing in public. The subhead: "So Good You'll Want to Use It Everywhere." Now, people searching for "best bath soap" will see your ad and, frankly, get a little grossed out. But their attention is yours. Mission accomplished.

Search is here to stay. As our world churns out more data and information sources in every conceivable medium, search will remain a primary means for audiences to seek out what's relevant. Creatives who embrace this reality and learn to flourish in a world where every word, every letter, is digitized and searched will not only do their careers a big favor, but the brands they work with will also have a much better story to tell.

-By Bryan Cummings