SEO
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Quick definition
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions on a search result that turn into clicks.
CTR is a critical KPI in organic search. The same ranking position can drive very different traffic depending on how compelling your title, URL, and description are.
Why Click-Through Rate (CTR) matters
Average CTR varies sharply with position: roughly 30%+ for position 1 and dropping rapidly. AI Overviews and SERP features have further depressed CTR in many niches.
How Click-Through Rate (CTR) works in practice
Improve CTR by tightening meta titles, writing benefit-led descriptions, earning rich results (FAQ, review stars, sitelinks), and matching SERP intent precisely.
Best practices
- A/B test titles on your highest-impression pages.
- Front-load primary keyword and benefit.
- Use numbers and brackets sparingly but effectively.
- Earn rich results where eligible.
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Related terms
SERP
A SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is the page Google shows in response to a user's query, including organic results, ads, and rich features.
Meta Title
A meta title (or title tag) is the HTML element that defines the title of a webpage, shown as the clickable headline in search results and browser tabs.
Meta Description
A meta description is the HTML element that summarizes a webpage's content, often displayed as the snippet under the title in search results.
Rich Result
A rich result is a search result enhanced with visual elements like ratings, images, prices, FAQ accordions, or videos — typically powered by structured data.