The pay-per-click (PPC) paid search market in Australia will grow 85 percent this year, reaching Australian $130 million, up from A$70 million in 2004, according to Frost & Sullivan forecasts, eMarketer reports. The market is project to grow to A$350 million by 2009. The estimated that paid search was 18 percent of the Australian online advertising market in 2004 and will grow to 27 percent by 2009 - making it the fastest growing online advertising segment. Google was the market leader in 2004, followed by Overture and Sensis.

The industries that spent the most in 2004 on paid search advertising in Australia were travel & accommodation, technology and banking & finance - together accounting for nearly half of the market.

The rapid growth of paid search in Australia is in line with trends in the U.S., where paid search is expected to reach $5.4 billion in 2005, from $3.85 billion last year - a growth rate of more than 40 percent.