Ad spending on the mobile web doubled in the first half of 2015 (compared to the same period last year), according to a new report from Smaato.
Specifically, Smaato saw its total ad spend split between 62 percent on apps and 38 percent on the mobile web. So the mobile web is still pretty far behind, but it’s doing better than it was in 2014, when the breakdown was 72 percent apps versus 28 percent mobile web.
Total ad spend on the mobile web is up 101 percent year-over-year. The volume of mobile web ad impressions has also doubled, and now accounts for 41 percent of Smaato’s total supply.
Here’s one possible reason for the growth: the fact that users are following article links in social apps, leading to browser-based reading even if it’s within the Facebook or Twitter app.
“The shift to mobile began with the mobile web — and then apps took over,” said Smaato CEO Ragnar Kruse in the press release announcing the report. “Although we can’t say for sure whether we’re looking at a huge comeback of the medium, the fact remains that publishers and advertisers can’t afford to ignore the mobile web.”
Smaato’s Global Trends in Mobile Programmatic report is based on data from the company’s ad impressions — it serves 6 billion ads every day, reaching 600 million users each month.
The report’s other findings are a bit less surprising, but confirm things you might have already suspected, like the fact that app developers and publishers that target ads based on age and gender make nearly four times as much ad revenue as those who don’t, spending on larger ads (300×250 pixels and up) was up 254 percent, and spending in China grew 315 percent.
Oh, and Android accounted for 35 percent of ad supply (as you can see in the graphic above), compared to 20 percent for iOS. However, Apple accounted for 33 percent of ad revenue.
You can download the full report here.