This amount of $14.9 billion that US Internet advertisers spent during the first six months of 2011 reflects a year-over-year increase by 23.2%. This outreaches 2010's first-half record of $12.1 billion in revenue.

Search advertising, which topped the list last time, has retained its leading position during the first half of this year, with its revenue of $7.3 billion accounting for 49% of the total revenue. Last year during the first-half period search advertising had generated $5.7 billion of revenue, which was 47% of the total revenue. The 2nd Quarter has seen search advertising accounting for 49% of all revenues by generating $3.8 billion, which is 29% more than the 2nd Quarter result of 2010, when the total revenue generated by search advertising was $2.9 billion.

There is probably nothing surprising as such with these results, given the fact that last five years have seen search advertising to experience a robust growth. And that trend does not seem to have had any set back despite search advertising losing some overall share to display ads last year. Display ad revenue grew to $2.8 billion in the 2nd Quarter, accounting for 37% of the total interactive spend that took place in the first half of 2011.

The 2nd Quarter has witnessed the breaking of yet another online advertising record, with revenues increasing by 24.1 per cent to touch $7.7 billion, thus surpassing the $6.2 billion witnessed in the 2nd Quarter of 2010. Besides, online advertising also touched a new high by generating $7.3 billion in the 1st Quarter of this year.

It may be mentioned here that a June eMarketer estimate had made this forecast that search advertising was about to hit $14.38 billion.