What Is Click-Through Rate (CTR)?

Click through rate is the simplest honest measure of whether your result earns the click. Plenty of impressions and a weak CTR means people saw you and chose someone else.

The short version

Click through rate, or CTR, is the percentage of people who click on a result out of everyone who saw it. In search, it is organic clicks divided by impressions, usually measured in Google Search Console.

Why position drives CTR

Clicks cluster at the top. First Page Sage reports that the top three organic results capture roughly 68.7 percent of all clicks on a Google search page. Add AI Overviews and the picture shifts again, since answers shown above the links can absorb clicks that used to reach websites.

How to lift it

• Write a compelling title and description

• Target the right intent so the click sticks

• Earn rich results that stand out in the listing

FAQ

What is a good organic CTR?

It depends heavily on position and query type. Rather than chasing a universal number, compare your CTR to the expected rate for your ranking position.

Sources

• First Page Sage, Google CTR by ranking position: https://firstpagesage.com/reports/google-click-through-rates-ctrs-by-ranking-position/