Whether by the slow, methodical process of erosion, or the force of an epic tidal wave destroying everything in its wake, change is an inevitable fact of nature. Search engine marketing is no exception, operating in a constant state of flux and progression.

Gatherings such as PubCon are a prime opportunity to get wind of new trends and practices headed down the SEM pipeline. Our own Mike McDonald had the chance to chat again with Kevin Lee about the ongoing evolution of SEM.

Search marketing is branching out into new spheres at a breakneck pace. The SEM machine is gaining a tremendous amount of momentum as it seeks to make its presence felt in more contextually and culturally relevant ways. Traditional marketing strategies are giving way to integrated, cross-medium platforms that focus not only on building a brand but also on meeting consumers on their own terms.

With ideas so innovative and an audience so ripe, competition in search marketing is growing fiercer than ever. Google, Yahoo, and MSN can no longer be written off as “Internet only” operations, as all three are employing methods to bring their respective advertising models to offline mediums such as print, radio, and television.

With search marketing becoming increasingly focused on delivering contextually based SERPs, could paid listings actually offer a greater aspect of relevancy to users than organic results? These are the questions that SEM professionals and advertising partners alike will have to examine as the industry continues to gravitate toward examining user behavior and contextual relevancy.

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