Glossary
What is click-through rate (CTR)?
Click-through rate (CTR) is the share of people who clicked your result out of everyone who saw it: clicks divided by impressions. In Search Console it's reported per query and page. CTR depends on position, what else is on the results page, and how compelling your title and description are.
What affects CTR
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Position | Higher positions get far more clicks |
| SERP features | AI Overviews, ads and snippets above you lower CTR |
| Title | Specific, relevant titles earn more clicks |
| Snippet | Clear summaries help people choose |
| Brand | Known brands get more clicks |
| Intent match | Results that look like what people want win |
Finding quick wins
In Search Console's Performance report, sort pages or queries by impressions and look for low CTR at decent positions (say, positions 3 to 10 with CTR well below your average). Rewriting the title and description to match the query better often lifts clicks without any ranking change.
Example
A page ranks around position 5 for a query with 2,000 monthly impressions but 0.6% CTR. Its title is generic. A new title matching the query's wording and including the year raises CTR to 2.4% within a month.
FAQ
What is a good CTR?
It depends on position and SERP features. Compare against your own pages at similar positions.
How does Search Console count impressions?
A result counts as an impression when it's shown on a results page the user saw.
Does CTR affect rankings?
Google hasn't confirmed CTR as a direct ranking factor; it does affect your traffic directly.
Sources
- Google Search Console Help: Performance report
- Google Search Console Help: What are impressions, position and clicks