• Search Engine Journal, Wednesday, January 2, 2008 4:30 PM

It's official. SEM has moved a step closer toward becoming a commodity--or so it seems. Wal-Mart's bulk brand Sam's Club recently started advertising its SEM services for about $25-$100 per month. At a minimum, the services include submission to the search engines and the creation of listings with IYPs and local directories--with the likely option to get assistance with PPC or local search ad campaigns for an additional cost.

The actual tech and services will be powered by Innuity (a privately held SaaS firm), which actually inked the deal with Sam's Club back in 2004. It seems that the possibility of tapping the majority of small businesses with no online presence (or search knowledge) has spurred Wal-Mart to begin actively marketing these services. According to some of the feedback in the comments stream, it's just another sign that online marketing has "hit the mainstream." Others argue that such bare-bones services can't replace the knowledge and experience of a search pro or search firm.

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