To gain customers and boost brand awareness, firms are looking to boost their search engine optimization and paid search spending, a new survey from Focus indicates.

According to the report, 23 percent of companies observed B2B SEO and paid search to be their top performing lead generation tools last year. With that in mind, 33 percent said they would make the channel their top investment for 2011.

When asked what the objectives of their marketing campaigns were, B2B firms indicated that lead acquisition and brand building were top priorities. More than half (55 percent) said they wanted to bolster client acquisition through marketing, while 49 percent were hoping to improve their brand recognition.

Additionally, many respondents said they wanted to more with their efforts while spending less money. "Fifty percent say they are increasing marketing budgets over the next 12 months, compared with only 16 percent decreasing budgets," MarketingProfs notes.

Paid search is expected to continue to be a top internet marketing platform, with eMarketer forecasting a near 50 percent increase in budgets devoted to the channel. 

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