Microsoft's new "decision engine" Bing is struggling to keep hold of its existing user base, it has been suggested.

Indeed, while Bing is the default browser of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, many users are switching to Google instead, in news which may interest businesses set to launch a search engine optimisation campaign.

A recent study in the growth rates of different online marketing methods has seen the use of pay per click (PPC), email and direct marketing increase, while search engine optimisation (SEO) has proven steady.

The report by Search Engine Watch revealed that SEO has seen the least amount of decline on order value, which the online resource stated was "significant" amid the current economic downturn.

Businesses may be familiar with the benefits of making their web content search-engine-friendly in order to boost search engine optimisation, but they may also wish to focus on quality score if they are launching a pay per click (PPC) campaign.

Quality score is used by search engines to minimise their own loss when a paid search advertisement remains unclicked, Ed Stevenson of Econsultancy explains.

A recent poll of some of the top people within the field of search engine optimisation (SEO) has revealed the top SEO ranking factors, which could prove useful to businesses launching such a marketing campaign.

SEOmoz's biennial study had revealed that keyword-focused anchor text from external links came out on top, with a 73 per cent vote of very high importance.

With the rise in popularity of Web 2.0 ongoing, many firms are turning to a social media marketing campaign to attract new consumers.

And one commentator has offered some advice on how to add fresh content to a social media profile, particularly when juggling multiple profiles for the purpose of a marketing agenda.

Businesses which feel they are currently struggling may find that their own website landing pages are more to blame than the ongoing recession and lack of consumer confidence, one commentator has suggested.

In a post for Search Engine Journal, Lauren Vaccarello says that this is because landing pages are becoming "overly complicated data dumps" where visitors have to make their way through countless pop-ups, focus points and other distractions.

It has been suggested that Google is indexing search results that have been gathered by Microsoft's Bing, in news which may interest businesses initiating a search engine optimisation campaign.

In a blog post for SEO Roundtable, Rusty Brick carried out a test and found that Google - the current leader within the search engine market - was including Bing search results within its own index.

Over the past year, Yahoo! has done a number of things that would suggest it is "head-over-heels" with Twitter, one blogger has explained.

And Search Engine Land's Matt McGee states that all the evidence would appear to suggest that the search engine firm is interested in buying the micro-blogging site, although he adds that a lot of firms are.

A recent Fox News article entitled Top Online Marketing Jobs to Leave You Friendless stated that search engine optimisation (SEO) "scammers" work full time in order to create "thousands" of websites from which to link to a spam site which shows in search results.

It gives an example of the creator of spamlaw.com, who it states is opting to "dupe" visitors into coming to its site by posing as a legitimate security resource.

When marketers begin planning a pay per click campaign (PPC) on behalf of the company they work for they are likely to be asked how they plan to measure its success, which can be a tricky question to answer.

Search Engine Watch's Jason Tabeling explains that the way this query is answered can have a "significant impact" on the way the campaign will be designed and carried out.

A Labour MP has been assigned the role of improving the party's social media marketing campaigns, it has been reported.

According to the BBC, Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, was awarded the position after being named the most influential politician on micro-blogging site Twitter and she will now be furthering the social media skills of her colleagues.

Social micro-blogging site Twitter appears to be placing an increased focus on search, one commentator has suggested, in news which may interest firms looking to implement a social media marketing campaign.

In a blog post for Search Engine Land, Greg Sterling notes that the social network has re-designed its homepage to make it more akin to a search engine.

Businesses getting ready to kick off a search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign should first ensure they have the perfectly optimised web page.

In a blog for SEOmoz, Randfish offers tips on how to create this, but adds that there is no one simple method to achieving it and notes that as with all SEO it should first be tested and refined.

Content driven websites receive 73 per cent more online traffic than transactional ones, new research has found, which may see businesses putting an additional focus on search engine optimisation.

According to Hitwise, entertainment sites - such as YouTube and iPlayer - social networks, forums and news and media sites have all significantly increased their share of internet traffic over the last three years.

Businesses that use social networks, communities and forums only to deliver the message of their marketing campaign may find that they are not met with much enthusiasm from their target audience.

Such is the opinion of Liana Evans, who in a post for Search Engine watch advises that firms always go into social media marketing bearing gifts.

Keywords and page titles should never be translated for use on websites targeting an international audience, one commentator has warned.

Search Engine Watch's Andy Atkins-Kruger explains that rather than having "lost the plot" this is actually important advice to keep in mind when working on a pay per click or search engine optimisation campaign.

When combining a search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) campaign the results can make the most of each other.

However, in a blog for Search Engine Watch, Herndon Hasty says that more important than this is taking the time to measure the two both together and separately.

Allowing employees to use social media tools in the workplace can allow businesses to establish more efficient communication and collaboration with clients, it has been suggested.

Jason Falls, a social media consultant and blogger on socialmediaexplorer.com, said that for these reasons businesses should ask themselves why they would not want social media in their enterprise.

It is natural for social media firms to remain cautious when it comes to creating their business model and financial operations, it has been said.

With this in mind, Siim Vips, chief executive officer at Modera, explained that while sites like Facebook may have a large audience, it remains to be seen whether they are ready to begin allowing transactions on the site through an established brand.

Google has unveiled a new search indexing project, which may prove valuable news to businesses focussing on a search engine optimisation campaign.

Writing for the search engine's Webmaster Central blog, staff software engineer Sitaram Iyer and Matt Cutts, principal engineer, explain that a team has been working on the "secret project" for the last few months.

Thanks to the increase in the number of people with access to the internet and the rise in popularity of blogging, social networks and forums, the general public now has the power to shape the opinions of other users.

This is a key principle businesses need to understand when building a social media marketing strategy, Ron Jones, in an article for Search Engine Watch, explains.

Pay-per-click (PPC) does not always have to be used as a standalone marketing channel, it has been said, although it can still prove a useful tool when used in this way.

Writing a blog post for Search Engine Watch, Melissa Mackey said that integrating marketing devices can see businesses making their budgets go further, while it will also improve efficiencies.

When it comes to building a website to make it search engine optimisation (SEO) friendly, this could mean completing a number of tasks within the development lifecycle, it is said.

In a blog post for SEOmoz, Jennita explains that this process involves more than one person, making it important that business IT employees know a little about each other's jobs and that they work together.

Today, home james was unveiled as a RAR Recommended Agency and joined the elite few on its register.

As businesses increasingly focus on online marketing and make moves to stay ahead of the competition, many may take regular steps to review and relaunch their websites.

Duncan Morris, in a blog post for SEOmoz, notes that relaunching a site can be a worrying and crucial time and that there are a number of points to keep in mind when carrying out such an overhaul.

If a conventional search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy is not yielding the results a business wants, it may wish to amend its approach to take in fundamental marketing principles, it has been suggested.

Writing on the SEO Book blog, Peter D said such a shift can give firms a "much better" chance of dominating the rankings.

Corporate spending on online marketing campaigns such as search engine optimisation and pay per click is set to increase in the UK over the next 12 months, new research has found.

The study, which was commissioned ahead of this year's ad:tech London event, revealed that 48 per cent of respondents are planning to spend 30 per cent of their budget on digital marketing, which is an increase of nine per cent in the last 12 months.

Keyword targeting and matching in online content is "really important" in terms of creating a successful marketing campaign using either search engine optimisation (SEO) or pay per click, one commentator has suggested.

In a post for Search Engine Watch, Carrie Hill states that marketers need to be careful and educated in order to see a return on investment on their campaign.

An increasing number of firms are turning to social media marketing and monitoring in an effort to avoid a public relations (PR) disaster, it has been claimed.

Sarah Needleman, writing for the Wall Street Journal, notes that firms including Pepsi and Ford Motors have staff specifically assigned to monitor internet posts and blogs, while specialised software designed to do this is also being deployed.

Directing a social media marketing campaign at an online community takes "care and time", it has been advised.

Liana Evans, in a post for Search Engine Watch, explains that such communities can have interesting dynamics, which businesses may wish to use to their advantage.

Last week saw R&B star Chris Brown's hit song Forever climb up the charts thanks to a home video uploaded on YouTube, something many pay-per-click professionals may have already noticed.

In the video, bride and groom Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz danced their way down the aisle to the song.