Internet advertising to double by 2009

NEW YORK: Online advertising spending is expected to nearly double by 2009 to $16.1 billion and represent a much higher proportion of marketers' total budgets in that time, JupiterResearch said.

Internet advertising will grow 27 percent this year to $8.4 billion, with double-digit growth for both paid search listings and display ads like banners, Jupiter said in a report. Jupiter is a division of Jupitermedia Corp.

The medium is expected to increase its share of marketers' budgets from 3.5 percent last year to 6.5 percent in 2009.

Top advertising industry forecasters have predicted total U.S. ad spending growth between 6 percent and 9 percent this year on the strength of an improved economy, political campaigns and the summer Olympic Games.

Internet advertising is widely expected to be the fastest growing media category, followed by cable and network television, marking its return from the dot-com bust in 2000.

Top advertisers have increased online spending as consumers devote more time to the Web and more sophisticated technologies make it easier to create and track Internet campaigns.