EMarketer: Google Takes Back Top Spot In 2012, Out-Selling Facebook In Digital Display Ads

Google took the lead in US digital display ad revenue last year, earning $2.26 billion. After coming in second to Facebook in 2011, Google outsold their top competitor in 2012, selling $80 million more than Facebook’s $2.18 billion.

In last week’s digital display ad earnings report, eMarketer predicts Google will continue to lead Facebook and Yahoo, earning an estimated $3.11 billion in digital display ad revenue by year’s end.

The overall US display advertising market is expected to grow 18.1 percent in 2013, with Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL forecasted to earn a combined $17.7 billion.

Twitter holds the top spot for expected growth in digital display ads among the major ad-selling companies, but is not anticipated to outperform Google, Facebook or Yahoo in the next three years. According to eMarketer, Twitter is positioned to own 4.2 percent of the marketshare in the next two years, surpassing AOL and Microsoft by 2015.

While Yahoo saw their 2012 ad earnings grow for the first time in several years, their share of net US display ad revenue is expected to decline from 9 percent in 2012 to 7.7 percent in 2013. Accounting for 18.4 percent of overall US display ad revenue in 2008, Yahoo’s marketshare has experienced a downward spiral in the last five years.

Google and Facebook are expected to grow their marketshare, winning more than 40 percent of the overall net US digital display ad revenue by 2015.

Youtube plays a significant role in Google’s increased display ad revenues. As a Google property, YouTube continues to serve up more ads per viewer than any other online video platform, expanding its reach far beyond its competitors.

eMarketer reports Facebook’s shift to mobile, fast uptake of native ad formats, and their Facebook Exchange (FBX) ad platform position it as a leading competitor in digital ad sales, second only to Google in earned revenue.

AOL and Microsoft’s display ad marketshare is projected to decline in the coming years, with AOL earning only 2.4 percent of the market by 2015 and Microsoft dropping to 3.7 percent.