Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on a link, ad, or call to action out of the total number who saw it.
Click-through rate measures how compelling your message is by calculating what percentage of people who see your link, ad, or email actually click on it. If your Google ad is shown 1,000 times and 50 people click it, your CTR is 5%. It’s one of the most fundamental metrics in digital marketing because it directly reflects whether your messaging resonates with your audience.
CTR varies significantly by channel. Email marketing campaigns might see CTRs of 2-5%, while Google search ads often range from 3-6% depending on industry. Organic search results on the first page of Google can see CTRs from 1% to over 30%, with the top position capturing the lion’s share of clicks. Understanding these benchmarks helps you gauge whether your campaigns are performing well.
For small business owners, improving your CTR is one of the most cost-effective ways to get more from your existing marketing spend. A higher CTR on your Google Ads means more website visitors for the same budget. A higher CTR on your emails means more people engaging with your offers. Small changes to headlines, ad copy, and subject lines can produce measurable CTR improvements.
Focus on relevance and clarity. Make sure your ad copy matches the searcher’s intent, your email subject lines accurately preview the content, and your CTAs clearly communicate the benefit of clicking.