SEO Blog

Madison Avenue bought in to search marketing this month. Late Friday afternoon Neo@Ogilvy, a division of the legendary Ogilvy and Mather Ad Agency, announced the acquisition of search marketing firm Global Strategies International (GSI).

GSI co-founder Bill Hunt is well known in the search marketing community for his writing and as a speaker at conferences such as Search Engine Strategies and AdTech.

While the vast majority of businesses online are no where near needing the services of a company as large and multi-faceted as Neo@Ogilvy, the acquisition is an example of the how search marketing is being integrated as a mainstream marketing channel.

Earlier today I was able to speak with Bill Hunt for about twenty minutes. The conversation/interview ranged across several topics relating to the acquisition, how it would affect GSI, and how it might affect the greater search marketing industry. I then placed a call to Toni Lee, a media rep for Ogilvy. She and I agreed to do an email interview and I am still waiting for her response.

Ultimately, I think the purchase of a major SEM shop by a super-major Madison Ave advertising firm is excellent for the search marketing industry, though the gains will come at the cost of a bit of pain.