Last year, $250 billion dollars was spent on advertising in the US alone. Online advertising accounted for $6.5 billion of that total as the fastest growing medium. But the ride has just begun. Jupiter estimates the online ad industry to top $14.8 billion by 2008 and search is forecasted to make up 29% of that, or $4.3 billion.

"As a form of direct-response advertising, search is clearly leading the pack," said Ted Meisel, Overture Services' chief executive, in a keynote address at Jupiter/ClickZ AdForum in July.

Statistics from Overture show that search is by far the most prevalent online activity that precedes a purchase. More marketers are pleased with search marketing results and will increasingly utilize the medium in the coming months and years ahead.

Search is the online advertising star and will continue to outshine other forms for some time. The reason? Marketers see results and searchers get answers and choice. 74% of large-budget marketers rate search marketing as “better” or “much better” than banner ads.

Even more to the point, search marketing is being able to put your product in front of a hot prospect at the exact moment her behavior changes from browsing to actively telling you what she’s looking for. Search marketing is refreshing – a prospect asks, you answer with your product’s URL, title and description. No intruding ads, but rather relevant choices and lots of warm fuzzies to go around when they actually find what they’re looking for and your product is it.

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