What Is Click-Through Rate?
Click-through rate is calculated as the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions, expressed as a percentage. If your result appears 1,000 times and is clicked 50 times, your CTR is 5 percent.
In search, CTR varies heavily by position, with higher rankings earning much higher rates, but two pages in the same position can have very different CTRs depending on how compelling their listing is. This makes CTR something you can actively improve, not just a byproduct of ranking.
What Affects CTR
Position is the biggest factor, but the appeal of your listing matters greatly within a position. Your title tag and meta description, the presence of rich snippets like ratings or FAQs, the readability of your URL, and how well your listing matches the searcher's intent all influence whether people click.
Search features also affect CTR. Featured snippets, AI Overviews, and ads can push organic results down or satisfy the query directly, reducing clicks. Understanding the full results page for your target queries helps set realistic CTR expectations.
How to Improve CTR
Write compelling, accurate title tags that lead with the benefit and include the keyword, and craft meta descriptions that give a clear reason to click. Add structured data to earn rich snippets that make your listing stand out.
Match your listing to search intent so it clearly promises what the searcher wants, and use specifics like numbers and dates where honest. Monitor CTR by query in Search Console to find listings that rank well but underperform on clicks, which are prime opportunities for improvement.