CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEM PROVIDER; As the search engine marketing sector changes and expands, how...

Byline: Karen J. Bannan

The trajectory of search engine marketing growth looks like that of a rocket ship: straight up. This year, the sector is worth $5.4 billion, but it will hit $7.91 billion by 2005 and $10.40 billion by 2006, according to Piper Jaffray & Co. research analyst Safa Rashtchy.

Marketers are increasing their spending on search, and providers-whether they're large interactive agencies, small boutique shops or Web developers-are adjusting their services accordingly. Unlike in the past, when paid search and organic search optimization were sepa