What is CTR (Click-Through Rate)?
TL;DR
The percentage of Impressions that result in Clicks (Search), calculated as Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100. In Google Search Console, CTR measures how compelling your search listings are. Average CTR varies dramatically by position: position 1 might see 30%+ CTR while position 10 sees under 3%. High CTR relative to your position indicates effective Title Tags and Meta Descriptions; low CTR suggests they need improvement. For Google Ads, CTR affects Quality Score and costs. Improve CTR by including target keywords in titles, writing benefit-focused descriptions, using numbers and power words, and matching Search Intent. Track CTR changes after updating meta content to measure improvement. Industry benchmarks vary, but always compare your pages against each other and against your historical performance.
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Frequently Asked Questions About CTR (Click-Through Rate)
What's a good CTR for organic search?
Position 1 typically sees 25-35% CTR. Position 5 might see 5-8%. Position 10 is often under 3%. Compare your CTR to expected CTR for your position. If you're position 3 with 2% CTR, you're underperforming, your meta content needs work.
How do I improve CTR?
Write compelling titles with benefits and power words, include target keywords naturally, use numbers when relevant, write meta descriptions that create curiosity or promise value. Test changes and measure results in Search Console.
Does CTR affect rankings?
Possibly indirectly. Google says CTR isn't a direct ranking factor, but high CTR signals user preference. More clicks mean more chances for engagement signals that may influence rankings. Focus on CTR for traffic, not just SEO.
Terms Related to CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Clicks (Search)
In Google Search Console, the number of times users clicked through to your website from search results. Clicks represen...
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The number of times your content appeared to users, in search results, ads, or social feeds. An impression means someone...
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Google's rating (1-10) of your ad's quality and relevance, affecting both Ad Rank and Cost Per Click. Quality Score is b...
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The rule determining which marketing touchpoints receive credit for a conversion. A customer might see a Facebook ad, se...
Read definition AnalyticsAverage Position
In Google Search Console, the average ranking position for a query or page in Google search results. Position 1 is the t...
Read definition AnalyticsBenchmark
Performance standards used for comparison, either industry averages or your own historical data. Benchmarks answer "is t...
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