Increase in SEO spending and outsourcing

There has been an increase in the number of firms outsourcing their search engine optimisation (SEO) needs to specialist agencies, a new report has shown.

A study conducted by E-consultancy alongside search marketing agency Neutralize has revealed that as well as calling in outside help for their SEO requirements, the amount businesses plan to spend is also increasing.

It found that 63 per cent of companies intend to increase their paid search budgets while 61 per cent will raise the amount they spend on SEO.

Nine per cent of companies surveyed as part of the study stated that they spend over £1 million a year on their paid search tactics, while one in six is spending a minimum of £50,000 on their SEO efforts.

Recently, research by eMarketer found that 2007 was a strong year for online marketing among British firms.

It reported that internet advertising spending rose to £2.6 billion in 2007, an increase of 30 per cent on the previous year.