Below are other articles I've written about search engine marketing, many featuring specific advice for B2B campaigns.

• 5 Reasons for B2B Search Engine Marketing:
  Explains why a search marketing presence is necessary for B2B companies.
• 3 Reasons to Hire a Search Marketing Consultant:
  Three quick and compelling reasons why hiring a search marketing consultant is in your best interest.
• B2B Search Marketing Lead Gen Best Practices:
  Covers 6 steps to increase the performance of your lead generation campaigns.
• 4 Elements of B2B Online Marketing Campaigns:
  An overview of 4 possible elements on online marketing for B2B companies, all of which can be achieved through variations on search engine marketing.
• B2B Pay Per Click Search Engines:
  An article for those ready to add to the mainstays of Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing. Provides a concise list of B2B search engines that should be considered for expansion.
• Importance of Negative Keywords:
  An often forgotten part of search engine marketing optimization, negative keywords are a great way to limit your exposure and, thus, increase your ROI from qualified prospects.
• 4 Ways to Reduce Customer Anxiety:
  Details 4 quick things you can do to improve your conversion rates by making your website more appealing, and less anxiety causing, for your prospective customers.

Ready to expand beyond the world of Google AdWords and Yahoo search marketing?

B2B companies often stay with the areas that are safe. After all, no one ever got fired for choosing Google. However, there are many great opportunities out there in the online marketplace for B2B marketers.

Niche B2B search engines and content networks add the benefit of already limiting your target audience so you don't have to with your keywords and ad copy. Plus, since many of your competitors may not know about these industry ad networks, you may find lower CPCs to go along with the increased targeting.

So take a look at these other options for your business-to-business company to find new vertical pay-per-click search engine marketing options.

Marchex

This hidden gem is a great source for high quality CPC traffic on business sites. I have found the best conversion rates with some of the highest quality leads off Marchex traffic. Their content network is one of the largest out there, and features sites such as BusinessWeek.com, InfoWorld, and the Motley Fool. Their network is organized by industry, making it easier to find placements for your ads.

Business.com

They pair a great directory system with the ability to advertise on keyword searches done on the Business.com site and network. Business.com still has a relatively low CPC for many listings, while giving you great access to business-only prospects. Their listings and search results are also featured on sites such as BusinessWeek.com, Forbes.com, and the Wall Street Journal.

Knowledge Storm

With great reach, KnowledgeStorm is one of the dominant forces in B2B technology online advertising. They work with both the search and content network, and include such giants as BusinessWeek.com, Forbes.com, ComputerWorld, and Inc.com. The only downside is that Knowledge Storm sells on a CPL basis, so be prepared to spend the big bucks if you go with them. Plus, their traffic comes from visitors to their solution centers within publisher's websites, so you're only getting access to the traffic which surfs to this network.

Quigo

More of a content network than a search engine, per se, but still a good place to be found in the B2B marketplace. Quigo is a newer addition to this marketplace, and features pay-per-click advertisements placed on the adSonar network, among others. This includes a broad range of sites including: IDG network, Forbes.com, CIO, NetworkWorld, CNNMoney, and Time.com to name a few.

Microsoft adCenter

Poor Microsoft adCenter for getting into the game late. Their traffic is worth a shot, but I've found limited success for B2B companies because the volume just isn't there. But, they're one of the big three, so trial and error is necessary.

Others

Here are a few other options for you if you've already expanded to those above. These are generally smaller networks or focused on a specific vertical. Either way, they're better options for the B2B arena than Ask.com or other general 2nd tier search engines.

GlobalSpec focuses on engineering and industrial B2B searches. IT.com features vertical search for the Information Technology marketplace. ThomasRegister provides another option for those businesses selling industrial products or services. BitPipe & TechTarget bring together an enterprise IT search engine which features white papers and webinars from vendors.