What is click-through rate?
Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who see your listing in search results and click it. If your page appears 100 times and receives 5 clicks, your CTR is 5%. CTR is measured per query in Google Search Console and is one of the most direct indicators of how attractive your listing is.
Why CTR matters
High CTR means more traffic from the same rankings, and a strong click rate signals relevance to search engines, which can lift your position over time. Low CTR on a top-ranking page is a warning that your title and description are not aligned with the searcher’s intent.
How to improve CTR
- Write compelling titles that match the query and include the key phrase.
- Use the meta description to state the benefit and answer the question.
- Target featured snippets and rich results for extra visibility.
- Keep URLs short, readable and keyword-relevant.
CTR in the AI era
As AI Overviews capture more clicks, overall organic CTR is declining. Winning the citation — and remaining the brand users recognize in AI answers — matters more than ever.
Related terms
How Social SEO Team can help
We improve on-page elements that lift CTR. Explore our affordable SEO services.