A couple years ago, I was introduced to Enquisite, a Victoria, B.C.-based startup developing an analytics tool that showed how Web sites were ranked by the major search engines, as well as providing details on search engine referrals and how visitors used Web sites.
It was an interesting service but it was difficult to tell if Enquisite (then known as Metamend) could turn technology into a business. Flash forward two years, and not only is Enquisite still around but it’s on the verge of taking some huge steps forward. I talked recently with CEO Richard Zwicky, who will be appearing on a panel next week at the Search Engine Strategies conference in Toronto.
Zwicky said the company’s growth is being driven by interest in Enquisite Pro, which provides users with tools to examine how search terms do within various search engines around the world. The idea is you can use this information to create better keywords to improve site conversions and get a higher page ranking.
There is also a lot of interest in Enquisite’s PPC Assurance, which is a standalone service that lets marketers know how each keyword-based paid search marketing campaign is performing, and which markets are converting the best. It also finds and documents invalid click activity, and compiles and submits refund-forms using the data the networks need to process complaints.
Zwicky said PPC Assurance is resonating with marketers because they want a tool to accurately monitor and audit keyword campaigns – as opposed to relying on advertising networking to provide them with reports. He wants Enquisite to become what Arbitron is in the radio market – an ambitious goal.
Enquisite’s growth strategy for growth will be buoyed by a $3.2-million investment announced last week, led by Jeff Webber, managing director of the Entrepreneurs Fund III, a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital pool focused on Web 2.0 software startups.
Zwicky said the financing is the culmination of an 18-month exercise that went into a higher gear with the launch of Enquisite Pro in March. The financing, he said, will support the hiring of more sales and marketing people.
