SEARCH ANALYTICS & MEASUREMENT
Click-through rate: what it means and how it works
Clicks divided by impressions: how often a shown result was chosen.
- Beginner level
- 2 primary sources
- Reviewed 29 October 2026
- TopicSearch analytics & measurementAlso in SEO tools, metrics & reporting, On-page SEO & content
- LevelBeginnerNo background needed
- Also calledCTR
- Sources2 primary sourcesSearch Console Help
- Reviewed29 October 2026Re-checked every 12 months
On this page
Quick definition
Click-through rate (CTR) is the share of impressions that turned into clicks: clicks divided by impressions. In search, it shows how often people who saw your result chose it.
The formula
CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100
- Clicks: clicks on your search result that led out of the search page
- Impressions: times your result appeared on a loaded results page
Worked example. A property guide earned 6,400 impressions and 192 clicks in 28 days: 192 ÷ 6,400 × 100 = 3.0% CTR.
Why it matters
CTR shows how well your result competes on the results page once it is visible. A page with many impressions at a good position but a low CTR may have a weak title, a snippet that does not match the query, or rich results and AI answers around it that satisfy the searcher first.
How to read it
- CTR depends heavily on position: compare pages at similar positions, not across all positions.
- Branded queries have far higher CTR than non-branded ones; separate them before drawing conclusions.
- Site-wide CTR can fall while every page improves, if you start appearing for many new low-position queries.
- Published "average CTR by position" curves come from other sites and other years; use your own data as the baseline.
How to find CTR opportunities
- Export queries and pages from Search Console for the last 3 months.
- Filter to positions 1–10 and non-branded queries.
- Find pages whose CTR is well below that of your other pages at a similar position.
- Check the live SERP for those queries before rewriting: features above you may explain the gap.
- Change the title or description, then compare an equal period after the change.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Myth A low CTR always means a bad title.
In fact It can also mean SERP features above your result, a mismatch with intent, or impressions from positions few people reach.
Myth There is a correct CTR for each position.
In fact CTR varies by query type, device, brand strength and SERP layout. Benchmarks are rough guides.
Check it on your site
Free tools, no sign-up
- FreeCTR Opportunity FinderFind queries and pages clicked less often than your site usually manages at the same position, with the clicks a better snippet could win.Open the tool
- FreeSearch Console Query AnalyzerPaste a Search Console queries export and see intent mix, branded share, striking-distance keywords and top queries.Open the tool
- FreeBranded vs Non-Branded Keyword ClassifierSplit Search Console queries into branded and non-branded, including misspellings, and see each side’s share of clicks.Open the tool
- FreeGoogle SERP Snippet PreviewSee how a title, description and URL could look in Google’s desktop and mobile results, with pixel-width meters.Open the tool
In the NdovuSEOLabs platform
Run the same checks on every page of your site, with your own data.
Keep learning
Sources and review
- What are impressions, position, and clicks? Search Console Help
- Performance report (Search results) Search Console Help
Written and maintained by Ndovu SEO Labs. First published 29 October 2026. Facts last checked against the sources above on 29 October 2026. How we write and review the glossary.