The IAB Search Council have launched an online best practice resource to reinforce commitment to trust, transparency and accountability within the search industry.

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

IAB members including Google, Yahoo! and MSN have unanimously given their backing to a new initiative aimed at marketers and all elements of the search industry. To be hosted on the IAB UK website, the Search Best Practice Resource will enable easy access to materials that promote understanding of key issues and the correct steps advertisers should take to conduct search marketing effectively and responsibly. This project will replace the original search charter launched in August 2007, but will use its themes as the foundation for a more comprehensive desktop tool for advertisers.

David White, Weboptimiser Group Ltd, the former Search Council Chair, thoroughly endorses the initiative: “The IAB Search Resource is being created by the IAB Search Council for the search industry. It will be essential reading whether you are new to search, a search agency or a search professional, it represents the key thinking of the industry by the industry.”

Guy Phillipson IAB, CEO added: “The new initiative is the welcome product of cross-industry collaboration. Various associations and organisations are working together in the IAB Search Council to create a robust collection of information that will work for all organisations involved in search marketing, at every point of the process.”

The resource will feature a ‘how to’ guide for every step of search marketing based on best practice for basic to advanced techniques. There will also be checklists for advertisers to help them through key steps in the search process and a section detailing the common aspects of search engine policies on trademarks, user privacy and invalid clicks. This section will highlight what this means to the advertisers and offer advice to help them avoid problems. It will be managed and updated through the search council, which is leading the project in conjunction with the DMA and in unison with other search industry projects aimed at agencies by the IPA and ABCe.


Andrew Girdwood, head of search at bigmouthmedia backs the online resource and the IAB’s role in establishing best practice in the search industry: “The IAB is an extremely useful authority in search as it draws expertise from many different agencies, clients and even the search engines themselves.”

In further approval of the project, Robert Dirskovski, Head of Interactive Media, DMA, also comments on the success of cross-industry partnerships such as this: “Best practice lies at the heart of the DMA’s ethos and it’s vital that we embrace all facets of digital marketing – including search – to promote and maintain high standards. Together with the IAB, we are confident that this online resource will set the standard for search marketing.”