Ever since I subscribed to a few daily marketing e-journals a couple weeks ago, I have been hearing a lot about search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO). I mentioned this fact to a friend who does SEM at TMP Directional Marketing, and she commented that SEM seems to be remaining "a very strong part of marketing budgets, even during this recession."

Perhaps SEM/SEO is viewed as a "safe" (non-risky) part of interactive marketing - it is formulaic, and helps companies reach customers who are already looking for their products - and so marketing managers rely on it when money is tight. Or perhaps SEM/SEO is so foundational to interactive marketing and e-commerce, that companies must invest in SEM/SEO if they are to have any online presence.

Whatever the reason for the prevalence of SEM/SEO, it seems (at least according to one MediaPost publication) that there is a gap between the demand for good SEM and its supply. A study by [x+1] revealed that while 65% of respondents planned to maintain or increase their SEM budgets this year, only 21% of respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the results of their SEM.

MediaPost's Online Media Daily suggests that the poor satisfaction with the results of SEM/SEO stems from failing to improve the user's experience after they click on a link. As OMD put it:

"Paid search or SEO professionals might say: 'It's not my job, man' to determine what's next once a person clicks on a link or paid search ad and ends up on a client's Web site landing page. That kind of thinking could cost the industry revenue in the long term."

It's never good business to use the excuse, "It's not my job." If a person wants to be successful at what he does, he should look for ways to be remarkable and exceed his customers'/clients'/boss's expectations. If he finds a related task that is typically considered to be outside his arena, he should jump at the chance to provide an extra service that will increase his value in the eyes of those he serves.

Wise SEM/SEO professionals should take the hint from MediaPost and extend their focus to help create more integrated (and more successful) online marketing. Use their data on who clicks which links and why, and help the web design teams to develop more customer-centric landing pages that give viewers what they need. Web design teams, embrace this knowledge of users' search behavior in improving your websites. Let the data inform your design.

Keep integrating, marketers. Get past your job titles. Work together. Improve your services. Achieve good results. Help people. Win more (and happier) customers. Be successful.