Search engine provider Google experienced modest growth in its paid click rate last month, according to new research. Produced by comScore, the statistics reveal that Google's paid click rate grew 3.1 per cent in February compared to the same time last year.
The slow growth in people clicking on the firm's sponsored search listings has concerned some investors, having fallen from around 40 per cent six months ago.
However, Google did outperform the rest of the market, with the average growth in paid clicks registering at 0.9 per cent.
Commenting on the findings, Ross Sandler, analyst at corporate and investment bank RBC Capital, stated: "You can't avoid the trend. Something that was humming along at 40 per cent is now near zero. Something is going on there. Especially when the economy is getting a little twitchy," Reuters reports.
Last week, Mr Sandler reduced his 12-month price target for the search engine provider to $520.
Meanwhile, UBS analyst Ben Schachter added: "Clearly if you believe this data, then things are slowing [for Google]."
After the release of the paid click figures, Google's shares fell by $14.52 to $443.67.
According to CNET News.com, when comScore released figures last month indicating that Google's paid click figures showed flat year-on-year growth in January, the firm's stock fell in value by eight per cent as concerns were raised on Wall Street about slowing advertising sales.
