According to the pundits, 2010 is set to be the year of the ‘web election’.

We’ve heard it thousands of time already and the election is not even underway yet. Following the huge growth in social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter are now vital weapons in an MP’s election campaign arsenal. But the major parties are failing to make the most of their online presence through confusing website layouts and policy messages unsuitable for a Google search, claims a study published today.

Neil Jackson, search strategy director at Tamar, the research agency behind the study, told Total Politics: “You have to have content that appeals to different types of searches. It’s about making content work in a way that reaches a wide audience.”

Yesterday’s announcement of a new ‘MyPolitics’ iPhone application, aimed at bringing the public and MPs closer together, demonstrates that politicians are clearly prepared to engage with the online electorate. The problem they now face is making effective enough use of the internet to get their message across.

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