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The association is open to anyone who is involved in search engine marketing whether it is organic optimisation, pay per click and pay per inclusion marketing or web analytics. The SMA-UK is keen to be self-financing, as it does not want to be 'beholden' to the big search engines through sponsorship deals.

The first chairman is Andy Atkins-Kruger from Web Certain Europe who told the meeting

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that the key objectives of the new association would be search engine and supplier liaison, research, developing content for the association's website and promotion of the group itself. He also spoke of the need to set standards for the profession and provide legal assistance in the form of standard contracts.

The association also hopes to develop training programmes and become a point of contact with the government and with similar groups around the world such as the newly formed Web Analytics Association in the US.

The organisation hopes, however, to avoid the troubles that have dogged the similar American association SEMPO. Inexperience and divisions within the organisation last year led to some very public arguments among the board that led to the recent departure of the chairman.

More details about the Search Marketing Association UK, including membership details, can be found on www.sma-uk.org/.