U.K. leads the way in online advertising

According to the IAB's latest figures, spending on Internet advertising in the U.K. rose 17% in 2008. This, say experts, is a result of increased pressure on marketers to demonstrate and improve ROI. The Internet's accountability and cost-effectiveness also puts it in the top drawer of a marketer's toolkit.

The largest chunk of online spend went to paid-search marketing, up 22.7% on 2007 to almost 60%, while online display accounted for 19%.

Recruitment continues to be the leading sector, accounting for 23.8% of all online advertising spend, followed by automotive (13.5%), technology (11.2%), property (9.7%) and finance (7.6%).

Britain is now leading the way in Internet marketing.

"The U.K. is now the global leader when it comes to online advertising, with UK advertisers have become digital savvy and they're now using rich media, ad networks and search in intelligent ways to achieve their sales and brand targets," said Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the IAB.

"This shift to digital has propelled online to become a 20% medium."

Tags: accountability, ad network, Internet advertising, Internet marketing, online advertising, online spend, ROI