A survey by Captivate Digital shows that half of all Irish companies don’t place in the top five search results for keywords in their categories. This reduces the companies’ possibility of consumers discovering their products or services. The survey estimates around 75 percent of internet users depend on search engines like Google to find the way around the world wide web and nearly 60 percent of all websites received more than half of their traffic through search engines.

Director of Captivate Digital’s John Dunne stresses the importance of search engine optimization.

“Our survey shows that the importance of having a strong search strategy is critical; otherwise, it’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”

Dunne said Google controls the search market in Ireland, as well as here in the United States. Captivate Digital expects the online advertising market in Ireland will expand by 54 percent in 2007.