Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) share of the U.S. digital advertising market climbed to 10.3%, according to research from eMarketer cited in a report by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. Amazon is currently the third-biggest digital ad player in the market, with Alphabet's Google division accounting for roughly 28.9% of sales last year and Facebook capturing 25.2% of the market.

eMarketer's data suggests that Amazon recorded roughly $15.73 billion in 2020, up roughly 52.5% annually. The company's growth in the market is likely just getting started.

Amazon's leadership position in the broader e-commerce market looks pretty much unshakeable, and the company should be able to leverage this strength to continue driving growth for its digital advertising initiatives. Roughly 90% of the company's ad revenue last year came from search ads, spots, and promotions featured on its namesake online retail platform, with the remainder coming from sources including its Fire TV streaming ecosystem and its Twitch live-streaming platform.

Digital advertising is one of Amazon's biggest growth opportunities. With searches made through Amazon's online retail platform driving a market-leading percentage of purchases, the e-commerce hub is a natural destination for sellers looking to boost their sales. The company's market-leading position in the e-commerce space gives it a huge advantage, and it also has analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) resources thanks to its market-leading Amazon Web Services platform. A report from Cowen estimates that Amazon will be able to grow its digital ads revenue to $85.2 billion in 2026.

A greater percentage of retail spending will take place through digital channels each year, and this will help continue to drive a greater percentage of advertising spending online as well. Both of these trends bode well for Amazon's long-term prospects.

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Amazon is the target of lawsuit accusing the global retail giant of keeping women and Black employees down while publicly talking up the need for diversity and social justice AFP / INA FASSBENDER

This article originally appeared in the Motley Fool.

Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, and Facebook. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.