EightBlack.

Ad:Tech, a well regarded Search conference was held last week in San Francisco.

John Battelle, author of “The Search” sat on a panel with a group of other well known search experts to talk about the future of search.

What caught my attention is the following:

“Last year saw a record number of search startups get funded.” If you extend the time frame, the numbers go up. All told, VCs invested US$916 million dollars in 130 search startups over the last five years– 82 in the last two years alone. Once again, “search is hot.”

And the enthusiasm for search isn’t only on the VC side, Francisco observed. According to the Pew Internet & the American Life project, in December 2005 for the first time search tied with emailing as the number one online activity.

Search IS hot.

And it’s not slowing down.

My prediction is that you’ll see a major shift (and subsequent investment) in local search.

In addition, online ad spending - which includes all CPM (cost per thousand ad impressions) and PPC (pay per click) advertising continues on a skyward trajectory.

In Australia alone, online ad spending is up 65% from 2005 and will surpass $1 billion next year.

If you want to read the best “search” related resource I’ve seen in the past 12 months, have a look at Aaron Wall’s SEO book.

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