Mobile clickthrough rates often exaggerated due to "fat fingers."

To deny the growing power of mobile technology would put marketers at a disadvantage, but allocating an overwhelming amount of resources toward mobile search marketing might prove wasteful, especially with reports indicating clickthrough rates (CTRs) on mobile ads are often accidental.

Tablet salesIHS iSuppli recently estimated that 17 million 7-inch tablets shipped in 2011 and the agency projects that the total amount in 2012 will reach 34 million worldwide. IHS iSuppli goes on to say, that by 2013, the number will have doubled. This uptick is supported by eMarketer’s estimates that approximately 22 percent of the total U.S. population will engage with a tablet at least monthly in 2012, which is more than double the percentage who accessed similar devices last year.

At first glance, this data might encourage marketers to spend precious dollars on the mobile web, but research from GoldSpot Media paints a slightly different picture. Research from the media and video ad solutions agency shows that 38 percent of clicks on static banner ads and 13 percent of clicks on rich media banners were accidental in October 2012. Critics were quick to blame any uptick in mobile CTRs on “fat fingers.”

In GoldSpot Media’s study, researchers found a 4 percent CTR on rich media banners, but after removing accidental actions, defined as an engagement that lasted fewer than 2 seconds, the percentage was cut in half. Similar results occurred when looking at static banners, which originally recorded a 3.1 percent CTR but was revised to 1.1 percent.

While mobile marketing is an emerging solution for businesses, professionals should not alter their lead generation focus just yet, and remain loyal to other content marketing efforts like video marketing, blog content and social media outreach programs.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.