Is it Time for SEMs to Grow Up?

[Kevin Newcomb]

The search marketing industry is immature, both in the sense that nearly all the players are under 10 years old, and in the way partnerships are created and maintained. That's the argument presented by Did-It chairman Kevin Lee in his ClickZ column today, "SEM Immaturity Threatens Industry Future (http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070727-080000)."

Do you agree that the search industry is immature? What needs to be done, both on the SEM and client sides, to improve the situation and help the industry grow?

[egain]

Good article, probably also mentioning Gords post on Search Insider yesterday, which continues in a similar vein.
http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=581
I have also included an overview from the recent Manchester Media forum, which included some viewpoints from a media buying perspective - http://www.e-gain.co.uk/blog/search-engine-marketing-and-advertising-what-does-the-future-hold/2007/07/27/

[Nagle]

Do you agree that the search industry is immature? What needs to be done, both on the SEM and client sides, to improve the situation and help the industry grow?

Most criminal activity comes from people between 16 and 30. Why should SEO be any different?

[caugas]

The search marketing industry is immature, both in the sense that nearly all the players are under 10 years old, and in the way partnerships are created and maintained. That's the argument presented by Did-It chairman Kevin Lee in his ClickZ column today, "SEM Immaturity Threatens Industry Future (http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070727-080000)."

Do you agree that the search industry is immature? What needs to be done, both on the SEM and client sides, to improve the situation and help the industry grow?\


I find all too often that expectations are not upheld on both sides.

1. I feel all to often that agencies over promise and under-delivery, whereas, when an agency comes and sells the clients, the razzle and dazzle the client with numbers, case studies, and promises of rich ROI, but when the account is set up, the agency all to often under delivers due too experienced man-power and high turnaround of personal, thus leaving cracks in the process and a knowledge vacuum.

2. On the client side, all to often, a client signs up, but does not support the agency to it's best ability. The client does not place a dedicated resource to manage and nurture the relationship, meetings are canceled, reports are over looked, and expectations are not meet due to communication.

I am an in-house SEM/SEO Marketer. IMO, I think this is the best case, because and in-house SEM owns the process, understands the product, and understands the Line of Business (product) and it's expectations.

[DONMAC]

For those of you new to the marketing and advertising game, what you are now seeing happening to the SEM industry is something advertising agencies went through during the 1950-80's. We had to do a lot of growing up back then.

There was one major difference between ad agencies of yesteryear and SEM's of today, and that is: to be a viable advertising marketer, everyone had to serve a break-in apprenticeship tour of duty; usually after having received a college degree in some form of marketing or advertising. As a result, we had the greatest copywriters and marketers of all time. After all, GM, GE, RCA, AT&T and the other corporate world mega-giants wouldn't have grown if it wasn't for our marketing and advertising expertise. Today, the same applies to Microsoft, Apple and Google.

But today's SEM's (along with their undisciplined and business-sloppy customers) really don't have either the knowledge nor the expertise to make a lasting, contributing impression on the Internet marketing scene. The overnight SEM wonders will come and go; whereas, serious business people - students of this fast emerging marketing tool - will master the art of SEM and apply it for all it's worth.

[igorb]

Immature? With a name like Igor The Troll what do you think?

[DONMAC]

Igor The Troll... beats the hell out of me.

[igorb]

Donmac that is what I say...who needs the maturing..

Can it be Google? Or am I wrong here?