• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, August 25, 2011

Search marketing is expected to contribute $33.3 billion to the overall $77 billion in interactive ad spend by 2016, according to a report from Forrester Research released Thursday. The report, "U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecasts, 2011 to 2016," put search marketing at $18.8 billion this year, followed by $21.5 billion in 2012, $24.6 billion in 2013, $27.5 billion in 2014, and $30.4 billion in 2015.

While search marketing commands the largest piece of interactive marketing, it will lose share from 55% today to 44% of all interactive spend in 2016, as marketers refocus their search marketing strategies or 'getting found' online, according to Forrester.