CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR (Click-Through Rate) is the percentage of impressions that result in a click, calculated as clicks divided by impressions. In organic search it is reported by Google Search Console: if your result was shown 1,000 times and clicked 50 times, your CTR is 5 percent. The metric measures how compelling your listing is once it has appeared in front of searchers.

CTR depends heavily on ranking position, because higher placements attract a much larger share of clicks than lower ones. It is also shaped by your title tag, meta description, URL, and any rich features such as star ratings or sitelinks. Two pages at the same position can earn very different click-through rates based purely on how appealing and relevant their snippet looks for the query.

Because of the position effect, you should compare CTR against the typical rate for the position you hold rather than against a flat benchmark. A page sitting at position 8 with a CTR well above the norm for that spot is punching above its weight, while a top-three result with a weak CTR usually signals a snippet worth rewriting. Filtering Search Console by query and page reveals exactly where those mismatches sit.

A common question is whether CTR is itself a ranking factor. Google has been guarded on this, and aggregate click behaviour informs its systems in indirect ways, but you should not treat raising CTR as a reliable lever for moving up the results. The dependable benefit is straightforward: a better CTR brings more visitors from the rankings you already hold.

Related: Average Position, Google Search Console, Pogosticking