What is Click-Through Rate (CTR)?
Definition
Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of users who click on a specific link compared to the total number of users who viewed that link, measuring how effectively a result attracts clicks.
Why click-through rate (ctr) matters
Click-through rate matters because it directly measures how compelling your search listings are to users. High CTR indicates your title and description resonate with searchers and promise relevant content.
CTR influences SEO performance through user behavior signals. When users consistently click your result over competitors, search engines interpret this as a relevance signal that can improve rankings over time.
Beyond rankings, CTR determines how much of your potential search traffic you actually capture. Improving CTR on high-impression queries can significantly increase traffic without requiring additional ranking improvements.
Key concepts and types
- •Impressions
The number of times your listing appeared in search results, regardless of whether users clicked. - •Expected CTR
Typical click-through rates for specific ranking positions, used to benchmark performance. - •SERP position impact
How ranking position dramatically affects CTR, with top positions receiving disproportionately more clicks. - •SERP feature competition
How featured snippets, ads, and other elements affect organic CTR by capturing clicks. - •Query type variation
How CTR benchmarks differ for branded, navigational, informational, and transactional queries.
Common misconceptions
- ✕CTR is a confirmed direct ranking factor
- ✕Higher CTR always means better content quality
- ✕CTR benchmarks are consistent across all industries
- ✕Clickbait titles are an effective long-term CTR strategy
- ✕Position 1 always has the highest CTR
Related terms
FAQs
What's a good CTR for organic search?
It varies by position and query type. Position 1 averages around 28-30% CTR, while positions 8-10 may see only 2-3%. Compare against position-specific benchmarks rather than overall averages.
How can you improve CTR in search results?
Write compelling title tags with clear value propositions, craft meta descriptions that encourage clicks, use numbers and brackets when appropriate, and ensure your content delivers on the promise.
Where can you find CTR data?
Google Search Console provides CTR data for your pages in organic search, showing impressions, clicks, and average CTR by query and page.