Users worldwide - searching for information through leading search engines – are now believed to be the most crucial target audience for marketers. In fact, this is the most important development in marketing over the last decade, according to a survey conducted by an internationally recognised PR firm Eurocom Worldwide, done in association with agency Six Degrees. They spoke to over 350 topmost executives, and over 80 per cent of them underlined the importance of search engines. Three in five revealed their firms would increase spending on advertising through the Web in the coming year/s. What also emerges is that online marketing is now considered to offer the best value for money, as agreed upon by close to half of the respondents.

Spokesperson for Six Degrees, Jennifer Janson emphasised the growing importance of blogging as an online marketing tool. She added corporate blogging requires dedicated time, effort and resource .However, its value in terms of Search Engine Optimisation and interaction with the public is enormous, she asserted. A recent research conducted by Forrester predicted the importance of Web marketing could become even more pronounced in the near future, as 71 per cent of European households will have broadband access by 2013.