CTR (Click-Through Rate)

Definition

Click-Through Rate (CTR) in SEO is the percentage of users who click on your search listing after seeing it in the search results. It's calculated as: (Clicks / Impressions) x 100. Average organic CTR varies significantly by position: position 1 gets approximately 27-31% CTR, position 2 gets 15-17%, position 3 gets 10-11%, and positions 6-10 get 2-5%. CTR is widely believed to be a ranking signal — Google uses it as a quality indicator. To improve CTR: write compelling title tags with power words and numbers, craft meta descriptions that include a call-to-action, use structured data to earn rich snippets (stars, FAQs, prices), match search intent in your titles, include the current year for freshness, and use emotional triggers. You can track CTR in Google Search Console's Performance report, which shows CTR for every query and page. Pages with below-average CTR for their position are prime optimization candidates.