An annual reader survey by MarketingSherpa has found that marketers are happier with paid search advertising results than they were a year ago, writes eMarketer. Some 43 percent of readers considered PPC ad results were "very effective," compared with 34 percent, who considered them "very good" in July 2004. However, respondents said that click rates had fallen, from three percent in 2004 to 2.6 percent in 2005; they also reported that cost per click on Google had had increased from $1.29 to $1.61.

Satisfaction with search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns remained steady: Last year, 31 percent said SEO results were very good; this year, 33 percent said so. Email marketing was found "very effective" by 25 percent, and affiliate marketing by 22 percent of surveyed marketers.

Reflecting the makeup of the site's readership, respondents reported that overall online advertising accounted for a large part of their budgets: 56 percent of total budget for B2C marketers, and 40 percent for B2B marketers.