Paid Search 'is best'...

Online researchers Marketingsherpa's latest survey of US marketing professionals has - for the second year running - identified paid for search engine advertising as the most effective use of online marketing spend.

The survey asked respondents to identify their preferred online advertising techniques, and 49% topped their lists with paid search. Running only slightly behind was email communication using in-house opt-in lists on 47%.

Coming in at third place was search engine optimisation - although this technique made the biggest jump when year-on-year placement was taken into account - and is now rated as 'highly effective' by 45% of respondents.

Rented email lists and pop up banner advertising found little support, and their effectiveness was judged to be poor in comparison, with very few lining up to either defend or promote their use.

Search engine marketing is the area likely to receive the biggest investment from US businesses next year, with many companies quick to pick up on the benefits of working their website into the social fabric of web 2.0 sites. In fact, further research shows that online advertising is likely to account for one-fifth of all advertising expenditure by the end of this year.