2015 - The Year Mobile Search Spend Finally Overtakes Desktop?

US marketers are expected to spend more on mobile SEO and PPC advertising than desktop search in 2015, predicts eMarketer.

As reported by Search Engine Land on Friday, eMarketer released a report suggesting mobile search spend will reach $12.85 billion next year - accounting for 50.1% of overall spend.

Although this only just nudges desktop spend from the top position, the following years are expected to see mobile search spend completely eclipse desktop. In 2016, it is expected mobile search will account for 62.9% of spending, rising to 70.5% in 2017, and 76.7% - or $25.69 billion - in 2018.

These predictions are all the more remarkable considering mobile search accounted for less than a quarter of overall spend last year.

The calculations are based on smartphone and tablet data, but eMarketer reckons the upturn in spend will primarily come from smartphones, reports Search Engine Land.

If these predictions are accurate, mobile search marketing is clearly becoming more important in the eyes of US marketers. But the fact that mobile search tends to provide lower ROI than desktop search will remain an issue until "mobile performance measurement, particularly in relation to the impact on sales in physical stores, gets more precise."

Back in May, we looked at some of the technologies available to help marketers track conversions in store.

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