Well, it’s been a long time coming, but the expected deal between Yahoo & Microsoft has finally been announced – with one aim, being more effective at taking on Google.

The deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! with regards to the firms' search engines could lead to a number of changes for search engine optimisation.

Currently, Yahoo! and Bing are the second and third largest search providers and the new deal is designed to give the firms more competition against market leader Google.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) continues to be the most widely used method for online lead generation, new research has shown.

The Online Lead Generation report found that while online lead generation budgets are increasing, the use of paid search is falling.

Professionals who work in local search services are waiting to see how open source browser Google Chrome impacts upon search engine optimisation (SEO), a claim suggests.

Writing on Search Engine Land, Stephanie Hobbs, who directs the Yellow Pages Local Search Guide, noted that pay-per-click (PPC) advertising could increase in price because Chrome integrates the address bar with a Google Search-driven search box.

Organisations which have enjoyed search engine optimisation (SEO) success should not automatically stop their pay-per-click (PPC) adverts, it has been advised.

Guest blogger on Econsultancy Kevin Gibbons noted that businesses with optimised websites and keywords appearing in the top ten on search engines should not think the hard work is over.

Users of Microsoft's Bing search engine may be more commercial than those who use Google, new research suggests.

A study conducted by advertising network Chitika and published by Techcrunch found that visitors who clickthrough to sites from the organic search results on Bing are 55 per cent more likely to click on an advert than if they arrived at a site via Google.

Organisations are increasingly turning to online marketing techniques such as search engine optimisation and social media marketing, while print advertising is losing ground, new research shows.

A study by LinkedIn Research Network and Harris Interactive found that corporate advertisers are turning to online media to sell their brands.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is becoming more popular as a marketing technique as the recession continues, it has been claimed.

Due to the cheapness and effectiveness of this particular form of web marketing, more businesses are using it to help them see big benefits, founder and CEO of the Online Marketing Summit conferences Aaron Kahlow told BtoB Online.

Presenting the most important stories in search and SEO for the last month, all in one easy to digest post.

Search engine optimisation techniques may need to change if Yahoo! rolls out a new search page with the updated version of its homepage.

The company yesterday confirmed the launch of its redesigned homepage and possible changes to its search results pages were also aired.

When it comes to planning a social media campaign businesses have been advised to be "stubborn" but also flexible.

In a post for Search Engine Watch, Erik Qualman explained that in achieving a successful campaign it is important people differentiate between their vision and their plan as while the former is the original goal which is unlikely to change, the latter may need to be altered to achieve this.

Further changes to the search engine market could come if a deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! goes ahead.

While Google continues to dominate the field and remains the focus of search engine marketing and pay per click campaigns, a possible deal between its two closest rivals may go some way to changing the landscape of the sector.

Pay per click (PPC) results can be boosted by placing a greater focus on geo-targeting, it is claimed.

In a post for Search Engine Watch, Melissa Mackey said that as more people turn to PPC, it can be a challenge to maintain a market share and so it is important to be creative in finding new cost-effective ways to increase this share.

Facebook is noted as being the most valuable of all the current social networking sites in new research, which could make it an important tool in social media marketing.

The study by Anderson Analytics reveals that the majority of Facebook users would not be able to do without the site, while those using the portal were found to be more loyal to it than members of other social networks.

The use of Web 2.0 keyword tagging can form part of an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy, one industry expert suggests.

Writing in a PC Pro blog, Tom Arah states that while the unethical use of tagging had in the past seen the use of the keywords meta tag ignored or penalised by search engines, Web 2.0 tagging now means that "keywords are back with a vengeance".

Social networking site Facebook has announced the launch of new advertisement targeted features, which may prove useful in social media marketing.

The site notes that the three features it is unveiling are the most requested to date - connection targeting, multiple country targeting and birthday targeting.

The number of search queries directed through Microsoft's recently launched decision engine Bing showed growth, new figures which could prove to be of importance to search engine optimisation (SEO) campaigns have revealed.

According to the data by comScore, Bing's share of search queries increased by 4.5 per cent during June from eight per cent in May.

Crowd sourcing could be a way of bringing a web community together and getting things - such as a translation of content - done for a low cost and in very little time.

However, one commentator has asked if when it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO) this is so beneficial.

Spending on social media marketing across the globe is predicted to climb this year, albeit at a slower pace than previously recorded.

According to eMarketer, worldwide expenditure in 2009 is likely to see growth of nine per cent, down from its original estimate of 17 per cent.

Microsoft's new decision engine Bing is showing promising pay per click (PPC) performance, new research has revealed.

According to Adgooroo, the site is receiving some 22,450,000 visitors each month, while figures from Alexa reveal that it is within the top 50 websites, with 3.35 per cent of the global internet using population visiting it.

The measurability of online advertising - such as pay per click - makes it easier for businesses to monitor the success of their marketing campaigns, it has been claimed.

Eva Berg-Winters, senior manager and new media specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that firms were currently looking for more accountability and measurability.

Organisations have been offered some warnings from one expert on what not to do when it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO).

In a post for SEOmoz, Randfish advises companies not to create false expectations for potential consumers as it will fail to pay off in the long run.

Businesses may wish to place an existing focus on their social media marketing agenda after recent figures revealed that recommendations from friends on social networks was the most trusted form of advertising.

According to the research by Nielsen, on a global basis, internet users put the most trust in personal recommendations and independent consumer opinions which are posted online.

Businesses have been advised that there are multiple uses for their landing pages rather than pay per click (PPC) alone.

Jeff Muendel, in an article for Practical Ecommerce, said the use of landing pages is often misunderstood, meaning it is worth regularly reviewing them.

Online marketing - which could include search engine optimisation, social media marketing and pay per click advertising - is set to grow by 10.1 per cent during 2009, new figures have revealed.

The research by ZenithOptimedia shows that this was more than was originally estimated, while the majority of this growth is expected to be as a result of paid searches.

Businesses that make effective use of blogs can expect to reap the rewards over time, it has been noted.

However, recent research by writemysite.co.uk has revealed that 70 per cent of small businesses are failing to update their blogs regularly.

Google has offered businesses a number of tips as part of a series focusing on increasing online traffic to websites, such as through search engine optimisation.

Writing on the Inside AdSense blog, Talia Brodecki, of AdSense Product Marketing, talked to Jack Herrick, the founder of wikiHow, which he hopes will become the largest how-to manual available on the web.

After listening to the opinions of consumers on the need to access immediate data created by sites such as Twitter, Bing has made the decision to integrate the micro-blogging site's data with its search results.

In an announcement on the Microsoft search engine's community blog, Sean Suchter, general manager at the software manufacturer's Search Technology Center, said Bing was unveiling its first attempt at integrating more real time data into its search results.

The summer weather is likely to make more people turn to the web to search out the best bargain products and deals and make some savings, according to Yahoo!.

Writing on the search engine firm's search marketing blog, Noah Belson, Yahoo! content quality analyst, offered some tips on creating pay per click (PPC) advertisements.

The majority of internet users go online to socialise, according to new research, meaning that social media marketing may be a useful tool for businesses to promote themselves with.

Some 72 per cent of people go online in order to become part of a community, the Ruder Finn Intent Index has revealed.

In order to make a success of a search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign, it is important that a business recognises it should be a group effort.

Such is the assertion of Herndon Hasty, in a blog for Search Engine Watch, who stated that such a campaign can encompass everyone in an organisation from copywriters to developers and promoters.

There is a growing trend for social media marketing as some businesses turn to sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote their brands and services.

However, one commentator has claimed that the "humble" product review can be just as effective at determining consumers' reaction - which, in turn, could boost search engine optimisation (SEO) and web traffic.