A review of internet marketing research over the past 20 years and future research direction

PurposeThe 20‐year review of marketing and selected business journals examines the internet marketing literature to determine how the literature has evolved in terms of quantity, content, and publication outlets. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the internet marketing literature. It offers a big picture view of the current state of the internet marketing literature and gives readers a sense of the quantity of internet marketing articles published, the scope of this research, and how this research has evolved in terms of content.Design/methodology/approachConsistent with Schibrowsky et al., a content analysis was performed on 1,957 internet‐related marketing articles identified by searching the business source premier database. The paper reviews the internet marketing literature that has been published in the time period 2005‐2012 in marketing journals.FindingsThe study revealed that 68.5 percent of the internet marketing research had been published in the last eight years. The findings suggest the number of internet marketing articles finding their way into the top marketing journals has increased, and that there is a wider array of journals publishing internet marketing articles. Areas of research that maintained high interest included consumer behavior, internet strategy, and internet communications; new areas included social media and networks. Three major research areas are likely to grow in the next few years: mobile internet, social media and networks, as well as internet analytics.Practical implicationsThe paper reviews the internet marketing literature that has been published in the time period 2005‐2012 in marketing journals.Originality/valueThe study provides both academics and practitioners with an updated review of the internet marketing literature along with a sense of how internet marketing research is evolving. This review provides marketing academics and practitioners a macro overview of the topics and placement of articles that compose the internet marketing literature. It is an extension of Schibrowsky et al.