Generic search terms are being undervalued by 15%, while Play.com owner Rakuten harbours ambitions to bolster search revenues.

This week a study by Qubit revealed generic search term advertising is being undervalued by 15% - factoring towards a potential £175m in spend that has been incorrectly attributed.

Meanwhile, performance marketing network Rakuten Linkshare has agreed to purchase retargeting company Mediaforge in a deal that makes for a significant step in its bid to offer a truly cross-channel offering.

Speaking with new media age, Rakuten Linkshare SVP of global marketing also discussed the possibility of ramping up the search element of its business which is currently mostly concentrated in the US market. Whether this continues to squeeze the margins of more traditional search agencies is unclear but what is clear to see is that a more comprehensive approach is needed as traditional PR agencies are also coveting the traditional revenues of search outfits.

Also this week Asda revealed plans to ramp up its content output for its financial brand Asda Money to help bolster its SEO.

The brand has appointed UK content agency Search News and Media to manage and broaden its content generation for its financial services. Asda’s head of marketing Joanne Donoghue said the move had partly been inspired by the number of changes Google has made to its algorithm over the past year, as updates like Penguin and Panda put more focus on quality and unique content.