Google just released a study (no release yet, though I’ve been promised one) showing that for B2B advertisers, search is more effective than trade journals. If that’s not a shot across the bow of every niche publisher in the world, I dunno what is. (via AdWeek)
(The study) polled 900 technology professionals with involvement in purchasing in enterprise application software, security software and server storage. The online poll found search was used 30 percent more frequently than trade periodicals in the research phase of the buying cycle. Search was 21 percent more frequently used than the b-to-b press in the consideration phase and 62 percent more in the final purchase phase.
Andy has a good breakdown.