SEO among most important ecommerce technologies

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is ranked by businesses as one of the “most important” online marketing ecommerce technologies, a poll has found.

According to the Trends in E-Commerce survey by SLI Systems, 87 per cent of businesses polled currently use site search, SEO or email marketing technology.

The search technology developer also found that 32 per cent intend on integrating online video into their online marketing strategies.

Susan Aldrich, senior vice president of the Patricia Seybold Group, explained that businesses can expect to “compete better by bringing new tools to the customer experience”.

“Leading retailers are using these ecommerce practices, and also managing their customers’ experience from Internet search on through to the shopping cart, to promote sales and customer loyalty.”

The research also revealed that site search was perceived as “critical”, “very important” or “important” by 91 per cent of retail companies conducting business online.

Some 93 per cent also believed that the importance of SEO will increase over the next three years.

Meanwhile, recent research by the (Internet Advertising Bureau), showed that £1.7 billion was spent on marketing in the UK in the first half of 2008.