Trouble in paradise?

The click-through rate on Google's ad offerings is declining, leading investors to worry the company is more exposed to economic woes than previously thought, reports The Seattle Times.

With click-through rates dropping, Google's stock price has dropped as well. The stock now sits at about $464 a share, down from a recent high of $747.

Investors worry that the drop in ad clicks represent Google's exposure to a weakening US economy: a chink heretofore unseen in Google's armor.

But some analysts argue declining clicks are a positive indication of Google's efforts to weed out click fraud. And the strong European economy, as well as blossoming marketshare in Canada, should well support the search and ad giant.

A recent study found the typical "heavy" ad clicker actually shares little with the online population at large.