By Todd Wasserman/BrandWeek

The market for mobile search is so new that analysts haven't yet put a dollar figure on it, but it could emerge as a lucrative advertising category, according to a new study by the Mobile Marketing Assn.

The MMA report shows that the technology—which puts search engine features on mobile phones—is catching on quickly: most cell phone users are interested in the service and a fair amount (41%) say mobile search ads would not have an adverse impact on their use of the service.

The survey, of 587 U.S. adults with cell phones, found that half of them who have not tried mobile search are interested in trying it over the next few months and 48% of current non-users expect to use mobile search at least once a week. Moreover, the demographic information on those who already use mobile search is compelling. Respondents with an annual income of $50,000-75,000 conduct an average of 16 searches a month, the most of any segment.

The catch? That base of current users is very small. Though the MMA, based in Boulder, Colo., offered no estimates, Eric McCabe, vp-marketing at JumpTap, a company that provides search software for wireless firms, said mobile search usage is now in the 3-5% range.   Continue reading

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