Additionally, the market can be expected to have growing pains for the next two or three years, as the tug of war toughens between major operators, major portal players, major media and some mobile search start-ups to be the market leader.

“Mobile search in the U.S. has all the right parts on the table: a huge online advertising ecosystem, the world's leading content industry, massive portal players, major league mobile operators and a host of VC-backed start-ups,” said eMarketer senior analyst John du Pre Gauntt. “In other words, it'll be a bloody mess over the next few years sorting out the center of gravity for mobile search, as each player tries to convince the others to follow its lead. The good news for marketers is that there's enough of a prize for the winner(s) that resolution will come.”