Vertive, an Austin-based performance marketing company, launched a search engine for online deals and coupons, writes Search Engine Land.

The site, Offers.com, provides coupons and deals from more than 1,000 merchants. Each is classified by product or service into more than 150 categories with the option of further categorizing these into deals, coupon codes, free trials.

The "My Offers Locker" tool, which lets users store and manage favorite offers and merchants, should help set it apart from competitors like DealNews, Slickdeals, and other sites that track online deals and coupons.

The number of searchers for coupons rose significantly in 2008: some 36 million web users got coupons online in July 2008, an increase of 10 million people from 2005 - and a healthy chunk of the 148 million Americans total that use coupons.

The same study from Coupons, Inc. found the benefits for brands using coupons were higher perceived value and a boost to marketing initiatives. For instance, 57% of customers said it shows companies care about keeping them as a customer, and 73% of coupon clickers are more likely to open an email if a coupon is offered.

In Dec. '08, Facebook users were offered printable coupon applications.