• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 26, 2018

Digital marketing company Marin Software released research findings Thursday showing an 11% global increase in search spend, fueled by significant growth in Europe among its customers.

The research from Marin reveals higher cost per click (CPC) as the primary driver behind increased search ad spend in the first quarter of 2018 among its customers, with the highest spend in healthcare -- which grew at 26% -- and automotive, at 21%.

Global search spend overall in Europe rose 30%, while the UK saw 18%, and the U.S., 11%.

Mobile now accounts for 40% of search spend and an increase in share of spend and clicks, and still offers a 33% discount versus desktop CPCs globally.

The findings from its global Q1 2018 Digital Benchmark Report are interactive and allow marketers to review and analyze ad-spending trends by region, industry, and publisher. The company analyzed spend from its customers' annual ad spend on paid search, display, social, and mobile.

Click-through rates (CTRs) for search rose 25% year-over-year (YoY), showing how improved ad targeting allows publishers to deliver more relevant ads to people.

Despite the debacle with Cambridge Analytica, the social network's personalized ad format based on user browsing behavior -- Facebook Dynamic Ads -- rose 37% YoY.

CPCs show significant differences, both in the average cost as well as across different verticals. “CPCs for EMEA clients offer a significant discount at $0.40, when compared with CPCs in the US ($0.88) and UK ($0.85),” according to the data.

An interactive online chart allows marketers to check on changes in a variety of currencies and a variety of market segments such as Education, which saw the highest gains -- about $2.40.

And while Google Shopping campaigns continue to capture more than 30% of ad-share spend globally, share has declined to 32% in the first quarter of 2018, compared with the year-ago quarter in which it owned 34% market share among Marin’s clients.

The UK has the highest share of Google Shopping ad spend at 41% compared with 30% in the U.S. and 33% in EMEA.