Report: Paid search on tablets up sharply

New York—Year-over-year paid search spending growth for tablets was double that of smartphones in the fourth quarter of last year, and mobile devices as a whole grew to 18% of search budgets in the U.S., according to research from digital marketing solutions provider IgnitionOne.

The report, “Online Advertising Report Q4 2012,” found U.S. search ad impressions for tablets jumped 212% in the fourth quarter compared with the year-earlier period, while smartphone ad impressions increased 20%. Search spending for tablets increased 163% in the fourth quarter compared with the year-earlier period, while search spending for smartphones increased 87%.

“Tablets have become a very important device for advertisers, especially retailers,” said Roger Barnette, president of IgnitionOne, in a statement. “Smart marketers took advantage of the high level of engagement on these devices during the critical Q4 shopping season, and we will continue to see budget shifts to mobile campaigns in the new year.”

The report, which tracked trends across online advertising, found that overall U.S. search advertising spending increased 19% in the fourth quarter compared with the year-earlier period.