• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, January 22, 2013

Google reported that revenue rose 36% to $14.42 billion in the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2012, compared with the year-ago quarter. Consistent with GAAP reporting principals, total acquisition costs (TAC) came to $3.08 billion or 25% of advertising revenue.

Revenue from advertising rose 22% to $12.91 billion, or 89% of consolidated revenue, during the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with the prior year. Revenue from Google-owned sites rose 18% to $8.64 billion, or 67% of total Google revenue; and partner sites rose 19% to $3.44 billion, or 27% of total Google revenue. Other revenue from Google rose 102% to $829 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with the year-ago quarter.

Revenue generated from outside of the United States rose 53% to $6.9 billion, representing 54% of total Google revenue in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with the fourth quarter of 2011.

What helped Google's revenue rise? Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of its network members, rose 24% compared with the fourth quarter of 2011. Cost per click fell 6%, and TAC, the portion of revenues shared with Google's partners, rose to $3.08 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $2.45 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Google's GAAP operating income contributed 24% to revenue, or $3.39 billion. This compares with GAAP operating income of $3.51 billion, or 33% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011.