It is no secret that Web search results, be they generated from a search engine’s index or be they paid placements, are remarkably effective at driving qualified traffic to a Web site. Since the first search engines appeared, marketers realized this fact and have sought ways to optimize their sites to appear at the top of certain search results pages or to buy their way there. Over the past two years, paid search placements through services such as Overture and Google have grown exponentially as more and more advertisers have jumped on the bandwagon. As is common when something appears to be going too well, rumblings have emerged. Some marketers have started to question whether users are becoming less attentive to paid results and whether the increased interest from advertisers has led demand to outstrip supply, therefore driving costs higher and ROIs lower. Some have even openly expressed concern that the paid search industry bubble may soon pop. (more…)