• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, December 19, 2005

In an effort to simplify its search bid management offering, SearchIgnite today is expected to announce the expansion of its software platform to include portfolio-based optimization.

The goal, according to SearchIgnite President Roger Barnette, is to give agencies and marketers the biggest bang for their buck on portfolios of keywords across multiple engines. The efforts are coordinating with daily allotted budgets in order to achieve a desired metric--be it revenue, profitability, site visits, or cost per action.

SearchIgnite, a division of Innovation Interactive, provides many of its clients with the underlying technology to manage, track, and optimize multiple online campaigns simultaneously across major search engines--including Yahoo!, Google, MSN, and MIVA.

JupiterResearch's Gary Stein said that while SearchIgnite is not the only search marketing company now offering portfolio-based management--Atlas and Did-it.com to name two--the move represents a trend that bodes well for search marketing in general.

"This is a really efficient way for marketers to manage their search campaigns, and SearchIgnite doing it shows they're serious," said Stein.

Stein also noted that prioritizing a daily budget is a relatively new concept in search marketing, and it shows that bid management firms are starting to wise up. "It wasn't that long ago that search marketers couldn't tell their bosses how much they needed to achieve their goals," said Stein. "The idea of a budget is totally attractive to marketers and their bosses."

In mid-October, the company landed a partnership with Digitas to provide its clients--American Express, AT&T, Delta Air--with analytics services.