WAKEFIELD, Mass., Jan. 3, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The trade association encompassing search engine marketing professionals in all New England states, SEMNE, www.semne.org, and the global Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), www.sempo.org, announced a partnership today to provide SEMPO's online distance learning services to New England SEM practitioners.
SEMPO's distance learning program, SEMPO Institute, www.sempoinstitute.com, provides self-paced classes in the fundamentals of search marketing, advanced search engine optimization and advanced search advertising. More than 400 students have registered for Institute classes since SEMPO launched the program a year ago.
"Through SEMPO Institute, we will be able to offer our members access to university-level training in SEM and SEO best practices. The New England search marketing economy is growing rapidly and we need classes such as the Institute's to train entry level employees, and to offer more experienced professionals new insights," says Jill Whalen, co-founder of SEMNE and CEO of High Rankings, a 12-year-old search marketing firm based in Framingham, Massachusetts.
SEMPO Institute is offering SEMNE members a discount on its classes. "New England search marketing firms are expanding as demand for SEM services continues to rise, and in-house SEM staffs are expanding as well. It is the perfect time for SEMPO Institute to collaborate with SEMNE on providing educational support," says Katie Donovan, Business Development Manager for SEMPO Institute.
SEMPO and SEMNE will also be working together on events in the region. On January 9th, Katie Donovan will be a guest at the SEMNE bi-monthly meeting in Bloomfield, Connecticut, http://www.semne.org/meetings/wikipedia-social-media/. The event, Wikipedia and Social Media, will feature Jonathan Hochman, Lead Consultant of Hochman Consultants. SEMNE rotates the events throughout the region. They are open to non-SEMNE members as well. Founded in 2006, SEMNE now has close to 60 member companies, a cross-section of SEO providers and in-house personnel.
Growing the Job Pool
Partnering with SEMPO Institute also enables the New England SEM market to grow faster, says Whalen. "Business is on the uptick and more hiring is occurring. People are always looking for experienced and qualified SEO and SEM individuals. SEMPO Institute can help us develop well trained professionals to meet this demand."
About the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)
SEMPO is a global non-profit organization serving the search engine marketing industry and marketing professionals engaged in it. Its purpose is to provide a foundation for industry growth through building stronger relationships, fostering awareness, providing education, promoting the industry, generating research, and creating a better understanding of search and its role in marketing. Representing thousands in over 30 countries, SEMPO has over 720 members. It represents the common interests of companies and consultants worldwide and provides them with a voice in the marketplace. SEMPO's education and outreach initiatives are sponsored in part by Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Superpages.com and Search Engine Strategies. For more information, or to join the organization, please visit http://www.SEMPO.org.
The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2228
About SEMNE
SEMNE (Search Engine Marketing New England) is a networking organization for anyone responsible for search marketing and driving traffic to their website. SEMNE Meetings feature expert speakers on search marketing topics. Meetings are held around New England every other month and are open to members and non-members. SEMNE is dedicated to enabling people to exchange information and ideas, learn new search marketing tips and techniques, while networking with like-minded individuals. For more information, or to join the organization, please visit: http://www.semne.org/
SEMNE
Pauline Kerbici
508-872-1124
Pauline@semne.org
SEMPO
Greg Jarboe
978-549-9537
pr@sempo.org