iCrossing's Noah Elkin discusses how marketers should derive insights from consumer search patterns.

Is what's old new again? That's the conclusion I drew from a recent ClickZ news article on the "renaissance" of web development. The return of marketing dollars to interactive media and the renewed emphasis on website builds and overhauls certainly are welcome signs for those of us on the agency side of the business. The real question is whether the thinking behind this renewed emphasis is anything new. In other words, are we seeing the rise of what might be termed the "traditional interactive agency," complete with tomorrow's technology and yesterday's approach to applying it?

Let's face facts: online marketing is aging as a discipline. There nothing wrong with that per se, and to some degree, it's a positive development in the sense that interactive has found its place at the table as an established medium. Where it's less positive, however, is in the degree to which clients' customers -- the end users -- still get lost in a sea of tactical executions that are technologically impressive not necessarily based on their needs. Consider that agencies have been touting the benefits of richer online advertising experiences for years, ever since Flash came on the scene. The thing is that more flash is not necessarily the key to a richer experience and certainly no guarantee of greater consumer engagement.

Improvements in web technology are perhaps the one constant in this business, in times both good and bad. The problem is that the thinking about how to apply new technology typically lags behind the development of the technology itself. Thus we get more interactive capabilities but with old agency thinking behind them.

It's fair to say that we're all guilty at times of being enthralled by the latest bells and whistles, but we have to remind ourselves of the need to look closely at the issues our clients' customers are facing and determine what is appropriate for each them. We have to consider what's best for the client's audience of end users, because it's really their needs we're trying to address. Sometimes technology or more advanced technology will be the answer or part of the solution, but in other situations, a simpler approach will get the job done. In the end, the richest experience consumers can have is one that meets their needs.

Although that may sound beyond obvious, bear in mind that we still haven't fully broken away from the paradigm in which much of the focus is on the home page real estate-- under the assumption that that's where everyone lands. The fact is that it may not be. By persisting in this somewhat inward-looking approach, how closely are agencies looking at what consumers are really asking for, as opposed to what we think they're asking for? Ultimately, we need to adapt to their needs, rather than adapting them in the service of the brand managers inside our client companies.

The answer, in this case, is relatively simple. Search provides clues to what consumers want from brands and products, and it is these insights that should inform the structure and priority -- the what and how -- of marketing. Search insights provide the what-- the nature, composition and thought patterns of the target audience. Once armed with this knowledge about the target audience, brand marketers can then begin to consider the appropriate tactical elements about how to deliver the right message at the right time to drive action.

Does your website need a complete overhaul or just refocusing? You may not need more flash, just more insights, and search offers a vast store of readily accessible consumer data that may help you to determine the answer to those questions. The upshot is that brand marketers definitely should focus on getting the most out of interactive marketing, but should consider how their money can best be spent.

The "marketing renaissance" is still evolving, but it hasn't yet hit its full stride. The key building blocks are there, and insights derived from consumer search patterns are a major cornerstone waiting to be put in place. If engaging consumers is the goal, the best way to achieve that goal is on their own terms.