January sign-ups "130% up on the same time last year" as clients recognise value in ethical SEM, reports Vertical Leap (11/02/08)

Portsmouth based Vertical Leap reports a cracking start to the new year with a company record for the number of new clients signing up for the agency's search engine marketing services.

Vertical Leap's Pay-Per-Click offering is particularly appealing to new clients, but also to those already investing in organic or natural campaigns who are extending their reach into PPC.

The diverse range of new business sectors Vertical Leap signed in January includes furnishings, web hosting, healthcare, website design, software, recruitment, fashion, holiday accommodation, email marketing and serviced offices, suggesting that search engine marketing is increasingly being seen as crucial in reaching new business during 2008.

Gina Bray, Vertical Leap's Sales Director, is noticing that not only are more new clients being drawn to the agency's services, but there is an increasing recognition that all search engine marketing standards are not the same.


"Prospective clients are a lot more savvy about search engines and their potential in generating business" she comments. "Very often they already have experience of an SEO agency although unfortunately it hasn't always been a rewarding experience.."

Managing expectations and taking a realistic view of the commercial possibilities that are attainable from well managed campaigns is light years away from the snake-oil merchants of old who guaranteed number one rankings or your money back..

"Obviously I'm pleased with the start to the year, but I'm convinced that a major part of this is our stance on ethical procedure. ItttÃ?s all too easy for agencies to take short cuts for quick gains on behalf of their clients - and their own ranking positions in the search engine results - but we won't do that and risk being penalised as a "black hat" by the search engines. We have our own unique approach that is summed up in "TotalPropulsion," a relentless, ongoing process that maximises value and generates result."

However, following the record month, Gina has has one immediate plan on her mind: "Ultimately search engine marketing that gets results is own to the people that make it happen which is something that cannnÃ?t be automated. Our team is performing spectacularly well and so my priority will be taking them all out for lunch this week!"