Search engine sales contribute $1 million to Mrs. Fields’ 2005 top line

The results from successful search engine marketing and natural search campaigns helped Mrs. Fields Original Cookies Inc. grow its total web sales by 60.1% in 2005 to $14.4 million from $9 million in 2004.

In its just filed annual report, Mrs. Fields, which operates such retail brands as Great American Cookie Company, Pretzelmaker, Mrs. Fields and TCBY, says that Internet search engine sales totaled $1.4 million in 2005. That figure represents about 5% of the company’s total direct marketing sales of $30.1 million in 2005 and 2% of total sales of $87.9 million.

Mrs. Fields, which generates about 48% of all gifts sales online, is a big user of digital marketing programs. The company, an online retailer since 1997, also operates a network of 3,000 affiliates.