An increasing number of Irish companies are looking towards search engine marketing (SEM) to increase online revenue, a new study reveals.

Research by Amarach Consulting indicates that some 60 per cent of advertisers believe the technique is more effective than other forms of internet marketing such as banner adverts or pay-per-click, eMarketer reports.

Amarach spokesperson Gerard O'Neill claimed SEM could be more popular "due to the perceived lack of intrusiveness".

The study also revealed that SEM accounts for 43 per cent of advertisers' online budget.

However, about 40 per cent of Irish agencies and advertisers were reported to not use SEM at all.

Amarach added that internet advertising spend had increased by 59 and 78 per cent respectively for advertisers and agencies over the course of 2006.

Last month a report by Captivate Digital stated 53 per cent of leading Irish companies do not appear in the top five rankings for a simple keyword search related to their sector.