Internet advertising revenues in the United States topped $6.3bn in the final quarter of 2009, the highest ever result for a three-month period.
This was despite total revenues falling by 3.4 per cent on 2008 figures to $22.7bn, according to figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).
As with online advertising spending in the UK, paid search features strongly in the US figures. PPC marketing accounted for 47 per cent of money spent online by firms in America, slightly up on 2008, at $10.7bn.
Display-related advertising was up 4 per cent on 2008 at just under $8bn, with digital video experiencing a 39 per cent increase on the previous year.
Although Britain managed to grow its online advertising market by 4.2 per cent during 2009, the US figures do show similar trends emerging.
In the UK, paid search was also one of the largest winners last year with like-for-like growth of 9.5 per cent resulting in total revenues of£2.15bn. Digital video also saw a major boost in the UK during 2009, with growth of 140 per cent.
Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB, said: “The latest IAB report makes clear that digital media are now a core component of successful advertising and marketing campaigns.
“As consumers spend more of their time immersed in digital media, marketers are increasingly reaching them there -building brands online and making digital the central force in their cross-media strategies.”