Branded display ads and search placements helped the online ad industry post its best year ever in 2006, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Internet Advertising Bureau and
PricewaterhouseCoopers. Overall, revenue increased 35% last year to $16.9 billion--due in large part to record fourth-quarter revenue of $4.8 billion. Both search revenue and display revenue climbed
31% year-over-year, to $6.8 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively. Search accounted for 40% of last year's revenues, slightly lower than the 41% it commanded in 2005. Display advertising, classifieds
and referrals accounted for 32%, 18% and 8% of last year's full revenues, respectively. -- Gavin O'Malley
