US paid search spend rose 10% sequentially in the third quarter of 2009, but remained flat compared to the same period last year, according to a report from SearchIgnite.
According to the report, multi-channel retailers spend has increased by 40% in the third quarter of 2009, compared to the same period last year, despite flat conversion rates and average order value (AOV).
Roger Barnette, president of SearchIgnite, said: This is the second consecutive quarter of sequential growth for paid search spend, indicating marketer’s continued confidence in search marketing as an efficient component of their overall marketing mix. Multi-channel retailers in particular have continued to rely more heavily on paid search as a key driver of sales in a challenging economic environment.
Microsoft’s Bing showed most pronounced growth in spend among all search engines, with an increase of 15% compared to same period a year ago. On the other hand, spending on Yahoo! was down 24% during the quarter, according to the SearchIgnite report.
However, there was no movement in search share quarter over quarter, with all search engines maintaining their respective positions. Year-over-year, Yahoo! lost share to Google, while Bing showed little growth, the firm said.
Mr Barnette added: Microsoft is headed in the right direction with Bing and attracting more advertiser dollars. That said, it’s an uphill battle against Google and there’s still a long way to go before Bing garners a significant amount of the search ad revenue pie.
