SEMPO is running their State of the Search Marketing Industry survey again and I would encourage anyone working in the field to take a few minutes and fill it out. The survey provides excellent insight into the direction of search marketing budgets, tactics and trends.¬† I know I’m curious to see how it compares to the Marketing Sherpa Benchmark Guide 2007 data.
Also, there’s a giveaway for those of you that need that kind of incentive.¬† “As a thank you to everyone who participates in the survey, each respondent will be eligible to win one free full-conference pass to any Search Engine Strategies (SES) event in 2007.” SES conferences passes are in the range of $1200-$1500 so that is a nice prize.
SEMPO is also promoting a new Webinar, “Starting a Career in Search Marketing” which I have no doubt is a primer for SEMPO’s new initiative at SEM/SEM training, “SEMPO Institute“.¬† Here are the webinar details:
When: Thursday, November 30
Time: 12 PM EST (9 AM PST)
Where: Online web conference
How: Register online
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, November 29
Cost: Free
Who Should Attend: Executives, in-house marketers, SEMPO clients and prospects
Are you interested in a career in search marketing? What kinds of skills does it take, and how can you get started in the business? Join us for an overview of the wide range of opportunities in SEM, and how you can join this exciting field.
Discover everything you wanted to know about careers in SEM:
- Why Search is hot right now and long-term
- Skills you already have that are easily transferable to SEM
- Learning resources and job entry points
SEMPO is definitley catering to the agency side of the search marketing world and I think that’s good. There needs to be an organization for in-house marketers and agency types. The independent webmasters and site owners are still an underserved market from an industry association standpoint.
Thoughts on the survey–I wish they would allow for comments/explanations on more of the questions. Ex–The question, “Are bids increasing for paid placement ads,” the answer is yes, in general. A lot of us go after brand traffic hijackers, brand drafters, and brand siphoners bidding on branded terms. With success, the end result is lower bids–thoughts?