A flurry of analyst reports released Wednesday point to increased online advertising in 2011. The insight comes from stronger homepage and mobile ads that gained momentum and produced better results. These ads seem to forge a tighter connection between consumers and brands. Technology will drive the transition.

Facebook, a social network, has become an important traffic source not only to company Web sites, but search engines like Google and Bing. So important that Goldman Sachs and other investors infused the company with $500 million, according to reports. Maybe the industry needs to widen the definition of the phrase "search engine."

The explosion of content geared toward a variety of computer, cloud and mobile devices will continue to drive search marketing budgets and strategies. As J.P. Morgan Analyst Imran Khan points out in a report, Nothing But Net, released Monday, the cost of content creation and distribution continues to decline, providing opportunities for businesses. To survive, however, I believe traditional media companies will need to tap resources from Google and other search and tech companies to address their inability to fulfill consumer demand. These are the same media companies that threatened to put up pay walls and shut out search engines …