Mobile search ad CTRs way higher than desktop

The findings of Marin's "State of Mobile Search Advertising in the U.S. 2012" report show that consumers are far more likely to click on a search ad displayed on their mobile device than they would on their computer.

Click-through rates on smartphones were found to be 72% higher than on desktop computers and 31% higher on tablets than desktops. Furthermore, the average cost-per-click was found to be lower for smartphones ($0.53 per click) than desktops ($0.83 per click).

As a result, Marin estimates that a quarter of Google's paid search clicks in the U.S. will come from smartphones and tablets by the end of 2012. In January of this year that figure was just 5%.

"Mobile cuts across all online marketing channels, whether search, display, or social," said Matt Lawson, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at Marin Software.

"Much like the desktop market, however, search represents the largest destination for mobile ad budgets. The combination of explosive user adoption of mobile devices, coupled with favorable performance characteristics for ads, makes mobile search an increasingly critical growth opportunity for both advertisers and Google."

Tags: mobile advertising, mobile budget, mobile marketing, mobile search, paid search, search marketing