Click-through rate (CTR)
TL;DR
CTR is the percentage of users who click your search result compared to how often it was shown.
CTR is a core Search Console metric and an indirect ranking factor: pages with above-average CTR in their position often get promoted upward. Average CTR per position in 2026: #1 ~28%, #3 ~10%, #5 ~5%, #10 ~2%. Pages deviating from these benchmarks deserve title/description optimisation.
Example
A page ranks #3 with CTR 2.5% — well below average. Analysis shows a vague meta title without keyword. After rewrite CTR rises to 8.1% and the page to #2.
Frequently asked questions
How do I increase CTR?
Strong meta titles (primary keyword first, benefit visible), compelling descriptions, rich results (review stars, FAQ snippets), and showing the preferred URL without parameters.
Related terms
Further reading
- → Our service: SEO
- → Blog: Google AI Mode: the end of the blue link?