On-the-go consumers are relying more heavily on their mobile devices to keep them connected to the latest news, but a new report indicates that advertising is lagging behind search volumes on smartpho

On-the-go consumers are relying more heavily on their mobile devices to keep them connected to the latest news, but a new report indicates that advertising is lagging behind search volumes on smartphones. Mobile searches will account for nearly 8 to 10 percent of overall search queries in 2010, according to a study from RBC Capital Markets relayed by MediaPost. Yet, mobile markets represent less than 2 percent of paid search spend.

BlackBerries currently have the fewest ads per search, with less than 10 percent of queries showing sponsored listings. Google’s Nexus One and the iPhone are quickly gaining paid search ground, with each device showing paid results for 64 percent of queries. Even still, experts think the potential of mobile ads exceeds their current usage.

Developing research suggests mobile platforms enhance consumer engagement – especially Apple’s devices. Conde Nast Media Group recently told the Washington Post its average readers spend up to an hour with its content on the iPad, as opposed to a few minutes on the web. The general manager of Chase Sapphire confirms that the iPad facilitates consumer engagement, telling the newspaper the company’s iPad ads have a click rate of 15 percent as opposed to 0.1 percent click rates for its web ads.

Markteters may want to take advantage of the new iAd mobile application to get immersive ads on iPods, iPhones and iPads this year. Notably, Google is the default browser for Apple devices, and the search engine has it’s own mobile advertising network – Google Mobile.

While recent reports indicate Google Mobile won’t be available on Apple devices, marketers may want to use the tool to appeal to users of Nexus One and other smartphones. Data from StatCounter shows that Google currently occupies 97.83 percent of the global mobile search engine market.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.