Marketers spent 7% more on search ads in the third quarter of 2019, compared with the year-ago quarter. Paid-search impressions grew 29% year-over-year. Clicks rose 15% YoY — but not at the same pace as impressions, according to data released Thursday.

The Kenshoo Q3 2019 Quarterly Trends Report analyzes more than $5.5 billion in annualized spend by marketers who work with the company, 500 billion impressions and 13 billion clicks.

The report contains ad-spending analysis; key performance indicators for search, social and ecommerce; and shifts in demands and plans.

Clicks grew at nearly twice the rate of spend, while impressions grew at more than three times the rate of budgets.

The data indicates that search marketers found ways to optimize campaigns during the quarter, with most more proficient than in the past — helping to generate higher impressions and clicks without having to dramatically increase the amount spent.

The report analyzes findings from more than $5.5 billion in annualized marketing spend among Kenshoo’s clients, 500 billion impressions and 13 billion clicks. It also looks at key performance indicators for search, social and ecommerce as well as shifts in demands and plans.

Mobile took 70% of all paid-search impressions and clicks in the quarter. Some 54% of budgets went to mobile search, although investments declined by 13%.These results still made the quarter the first that Kenshoo saw paid search as a “mobile-first experience.”

E-commerce advertisers spent 39% of their search budgets on Shopping campaigns. Impressions grew steadily, while clicks grew half as fast as impressions, and the price of clicks fell — which resulted in a 6% drop in the amount marketers spend in this segment vs. second-quarter 2019.

Spending on social product ads grew during the third quarter, up 42% compared with the previous year. The amount spent on product ads on search grew by 17% YoY in the third quarter — down from the previous quarter, according to the report.