UK companies may need to review their website promotion strategies following the publication of research suggesting that branded searches are becoming popular than queries involving generic terms.

The study, conducted by Hitwise and Experian, revealed that the majority of searches made in the UK now involve a brand name, UTalkMarketing reports.

Facebook was the most common of these searches in May, with other brands appearing in the top ten including Amazon, Argos, YouTube and Bebo, among others.

The news follows a separate Hitwise report published earlier this year noting a sharp rise in the amount of investment being ploughed into branded pay-per-click campaigns as a result of Google's new policy regarding trademarks.

Lynn Brunner of Experian explained the implications of the new research for internet consultants and warned against separating online and offline marketing campaigns.

"[The study] reveals just how important the internet has become as the 'unifier' of the direct and brand marketing disciplines and that brands need to include search engine optimisation much earlier in the planning process than many do currently," she commented.

Living Streams comment:  This development will mean that campaigns to increase brand awareness will become more important.  Adverts and their associated website landing pages will also need to become more brand specific.