AME Info undergoes first Middle East audit

The audit, the first known survey of a Middle East website, was carried out by the London-based Audit Bureau of Circulation Electronic (ABCE), and shows that AME info had 236,238 unique users and 2,349,226 page impressions in May.

Klaus Lovgreen, AME Info's CEO and founder, said, "From an international point of view this audit is crucial to our business. Beyond the Middle East, our aim is to target advertisers in places like London and New York, and, without an audit, it is unlikely we would be in the queue for the advertising budget."

Although AME Info recorded 8,419,098 pageviews in May, the auditors discount pages accessed through mobile devices, syndicated content such as xml feeds, automated search engines and other non-human generated traffic which on many sites accounts for more than 60% of the traffic. However the 2,349,226 figure still puts the website alongside leading Middle East newspapers in terms of audience reach, despite being focused exclusively on the business segment.

"The stringency of the ABCE process adds further credence to the audit, and we are extremely happy with the results," added Lovgreen.

The auditing of websites is a common practice in Europe and the United States, where advertisers will only authorize marketing spend once the ROI is clearly visible. The Middle East has been slow to adopt the same model, but Lovgreen expects this to change as online marketing activity increases in the region.

"We are the first Middle East website to carry out an audit and we encourage other online sites in the region to join us," continued Lovgreen. "We are bringing much needed transparency to the market and media agencies have welcomed our move."

AME Info, which has an excess of 60,000 registered users, will now carry out an audit on a quarterly basis in its continued effort to attract advertisers from across the globe.

The portal has recently undertaken a series of strategic steps as it continues to expand and broaden its appeal throughout the pan-Arab world and beyond. As well as investing heavily in personnel, boosting its creative, sales and financial departments, the website has also undergone several technical enhancements, as well as a major expansion in content.

AME Info currently carries more than 50,000 news articles as well as full contact and activity details of more than 200,000 companies from 14 countries across the Middle East. With daily news updates categorized according to vertical markets, video and audio features, specialist commentary on the Middle East's financial markets and contributions from guest writers, AME Info offers a comprehensive analysis of business development and activities.

AME Info's information resource portal also records more than 60,000 subscribers for its personalised "My AME Info" service - providing users with the benefits of instant e-mail news updates and contact information for listed companies, and exclusive interviews with senior executives.