Forecast: Search will drive mobile ad revenues

The growth of mobile search applications--including on-deck, off-deck and SMS services--will galvanize mobile advertising revenues according to a new report issued by market analysis firm ABI Research, which forecasts search-related advertising will evolve from $813 million in 2008 to $5 billion by 2013. According to ABI, search-related advertising will grow across a number of global markets, with the Asia-Pacific region enjoying the greatest overall gains. In all, ABI anticipates on-portal, off-portal and SMS-based search will yield total SMS searches in excess of 76 billion by 2013, up from 13 billion this year.

"Given the constraints of mobile platforms and the specific needs of mobile users, mobile search services--and the integration of advertising--need to be thought out carefully by branded providers, white-label search vendors and carriers," said ABI Research director Michael Wolf in a prepared statement. "Branded providers such as Yahoo and Google see the importance of the mobile platform, as the overall population of Internet users on mobile devices exceeds that of PC-based Internet users. While mobile search incorporates more contextually relevant information such as location, consumers will increasingly look to search as a way to discover content and pertinent information that could drive purchasing behavior. Providers that can supply the most applicable solutions tailored toward mobile users will ultimately win in the marketplace."

For more on the ABI forecast:
- read this release [1]

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