The Android mobile platform is making big gains in global click-through rates, according to Smaato Inc.'s Mobile Advertising Metrics report for June.

Android, the iPhone and BlackBerry all gained in Smaato?s worldwide CTR index. However, it was Google?s mobile platform that made the biggest gains, as it surpassed Apple to achieve the third-highest worldwide CTR of all the major platforms, behind Symbian and feature phones.

?The Smaato Metrics show a significant increase of mobile advertising performance for Android-based handhelds,? said Harald Neidhardt, cofounder and chief marketing officer of Smaato, Redwood Shores, CA. ?Android is closing the gap to Symbian-based phones and jumping way beyond the iPhone performance measured by click-through rate.?

?On a worldwide basis, Apple?s iPhone and Android are going head-to-head in CTR performance,? he said. ?But Android phones from Google and other manufacturers are quickly gaining ground, especially in the USA.?

Smaato operates the Smaato Open Mobile Advertising Platform and reportedly works with more than  6,000 publishers to monetize their content in more than 200 countries.

CTR performance varies by region
Smaato?s index compares the CTR achieved by each of the major platforms, including Android, iPhone and iPod touch, Symbian, feature phones, BlackBerry, Palm and Windows Phone.

The index averages out CTR rate for all platforms, and uses that number as the benchmark that is labeled 100 on the scale.

Worldwide, only Symbian and feature phones beat the worldwide average for CTR: Symbian occupied the No. 1 spot with a CTR index of 144, while feature phones were runners-up at 135.

Here is a graph showing the worldwide performance of each mobile platform against Smaato?s CTR index:

?The most surprising fact is how different the worldwide distribution of performance metrics are shaping out,? Mr. Neidhardt said. ?For example, Android is significantly better in the U.S. but in Europe Windows Mobile is showing results 4 times better in the performance index.

?Symbian is also a phenomenon, as the market share and the volume in most markets are low, but the CTR compared down to each individual handset is significantly higher than average,? he said.

Through the first half of the year, Apple?s mobile platforms have seen a slow and steady decline against Smaato?s CTR index.

Android first jumped ahead of Apple one the CTR index in January, spurred by the release of Android-branded phones (see story).

Since then, Android experienced a precipitious fall in the rankings, though it regained some ground in June.

Here is a screen grab of each platform?s performance against Smaato?s metrics this calendar year:

Watch out, Apple
The shift in CTR market share has implications for advertisers looking to go mobile.

?One of the interesting facts is that the iPhone hype to build branded apps and to promote them on the iPhone alone might show already some wearing off,? Mr. Neidhardt said. ?Marketers need to consider also other platforms if they consider reaching to a broader audience.

?Some hidden performance gems might lie in mobile inventory of competing operating systems, especially if the marketers choose performance-based advertising for their mobile campaigns,? he said.

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York