Microsoft exec calls for greater focus on SEO

Marketers must concentrate more on search engine optimisation (SEO) when deploying online campaigns, it has been urged.Duane Forrester, SEO senior program manager for Microsoft, told BtoB magazine in an interview that firms should do more to invest in organic search optimisation rather than view it as a "free" platform.He said: "Businesses need to hire experts here and that isn't inexpensive. But the long-term costs aren't high when you consider the ROI of organic search marketing."Mr Forrester also commented that businesses looking for success in the social media marketing sector must integrate well with online communities and be open and honest in order to earn the trust of other members of the community.Facebook is the preferred social media marketing platform for a fifth of US firms, according to a recent poll conducted by the Association of National Advertisers.Almost three in ten respondents said they believed social media integration offered the best growth opportunities for their brands.