REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 3, 2007
What: Microsoft® Office Live Small Business (http://www.officelive.com), a provider of Web-based services for small businesses, is teaming up with The Search Agency Inc. (http://www.thesearchagency.com) to deliver a new range of services designed to help small businesses get up to speed on search engine marketing. The Search Agency will design keyword advertising campaigns for Microsoft Office Live Small Business customers and lead courses that teach the essentials of search engine marketing. The Search Agency is an industry leader in search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO).
Why: “As more and more small businesses get online, marketing their Web sites is crucial to business success,” said Baris Cetinok, director of project management and marketing for Office Live Small Business at Microsoft Corp. “Our goal is to make search engine marketing and optimization accessible to the small-business owner who recognizes their importance but may not be sure where to start.”
The Search Agency’s offerings are the latest addition to the suite of Web site marketing solutions available to Office Live Small Business customers. For customers seeking a do-it-yourself solution, the Microsoft adManager tool is available for launching and managing keyword advertising campaigns, and for customers who prefer to outsource search engine marketing, Office Live Small Business has an existing relationship with Website Pros Inc., a full-service Web development firm. The Search Agency is aimed at Office Live Small Business customers who need help getting started with Web marketing through education and select services.
“We are very excited about providing Microsoft Office Live Small Business customers with three unique services that provide them with terrific access to search engine marketing expertise in a cost-effective way,” said David Hughes, chief executive officer of The Search Agency.
SEM and SEO services help organizations both improve their position within search engine results and attract more Web site visitors through keyword advertising. In recent years, search marketing has emerged as a $15.8 billion (U.S.) global industry, and experts expect it to grow to $44.5 billion over the next five years. Search is also the second most commonly used application on the Web, with 550 million searches daily in the United States, according to Piper Jaffray & Co.*
When: Office Live Small Business customers can take advantage of the following three services from The Search Agency right now:
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TSA Learn — Three online training modules that teach the essentials of search engine marketing and search engine optimization; $19.95 (U.S.) per course
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TSA Launch — A la carte SEM and SEO services from The Search Agency’s wide menu, according to customers’ specific needs
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TSA Grow — Full-service support for starting and managing an SEM-SEO campaign
Where: More information is available at http://www.officelive.com.
About The Search Agency
The Search Agency™ is a full-service agency offering search-engine marketing, search-engine optimization and conversion-point optimization services. The Search Agency combines advanced technologies, extensive best practice processes and best-in-class service to generate great results for its partners and a 90 percent annual partner retention rate. The Search Agency’s client list includes the top online advertisers in the financial, telecommunications, ISP, legal and entertainment verticals. More information is available at http://www.thesearchagency.com/microsoftofficelive.
About Microsoft Office Live Small Business
Microsoft Office Live Small Business is a complete, affordable set of easy-to-use Internet-based software and services that helps small businesses attract new customers, keep in touch with existing customers and easily manage their business from virtually any location. By combining the power of software plus services, Office Live Small Business helps small businesses establish a professional Web presence. More information is available at http://www.officelive.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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