Formula#
CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100. A page shown 2,000 times and clicked 60 times has a 3% CTR.
What affects organic CTR#
- Position — higher results get more clicks.
- SERP features — ads, AI Overviews, maps and snippets above you reduce clicks.
- Query type — branded searches have very high CTR; quick-answer queries often have low CTR.
- Your snippet — title, description, URL and rich results.
How to find low-CTR opportunities#
- Search Console → Performance → enable Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Position.
- Open the Pages or Queries tab and sort by impressions.
- Find pages ranking in the top 10 with CTR well below your site’s typical CTR for that position.
- Rewrite the title tag and meta description, then compare 4 weeks later.
Ways to improve CTR#
- Match the exact intent in the title.
- Add specifics: numbers, year, outcome, audience.
- Earn rich results with structured data.
- Use readable, descriptive URLs.
Don’t write misleading titles to boost CTR — people bounce and trust drops.