SEW's Sherman

The prices of premium search terms will soar in the coming years, predicts the executive editor of SearchEngineWatch.com.

An increase in premium keyword costs will be the result of greater numbers of major brands' entering the search marketing arena, Chris Sherman said during his keynote address at MediaPost's Search Insider Summit, MediaPost reports. Those brands are likely to throw money at brand-related keywords, without much concern for click-through and conversion rates, instead wishing to block competition, he said.

As a result, "I think we're going to see explosive keyword inflation in the next couple years," he is quoted as saying. Nevertheless, by strategically bidding on less popular terms, marketers would still be able to achieve their goals, he said. He also urged marketers to ensure websites are optimized for organic search, in part because many consumers are somewhat leery of paid search ads.