Search spend 'to grow 30%'

25th September 2008

Search advertising spending will grow by 30 per cent this year in the UK, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has predicted.

According to the firm, search ads - including pay-per-click - will see growth higher than that forecast for the overall internet advertising sector, which is expected to expand by 20 per cent in comparison.

While the online sector is unlikely to fully escape the effects of the credit crunch, it will fare significantly better than a number of other UK industries, PwC stated.

Almost four in ten advertisers said they believed the internet to be an integral part of their marketing efforts.

Eva Berg-Winters of PwC said: "Within online, search appears most resilient given its clearly attributed return on investment.

"Classified advertising should continue its online migration, offsetting overall weakening in the category."

Spending on display ads within the financial services sector is on the wane, according to a recent Nielsen Online report.