Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate is the percentage of people who see your ad and click on it. If 1,000 people see your ad and 50 click, your CTR is 5%. A higher CTR generally means your ad message is resonating with people, though it doesn't always mean they're qualified leads.
Why it matters for your business
CTR is a useful diagnostic. A low CTR (under 1% on Google Search) suggests your ad copy isn't compelling or your keywords aren't well-matched to your landing page. A very high CTR can mean you're attracting lots of clicks but maybe not qualified clicks. Use CTR to improve your ad copy, but track CPL and ROAS to know if you're actually profitable.
In practice
Google Search ads: 2,000 impressions, 120 clicks. CTR = (120 ÷ 2,000) × 100 = 6%.
Common questions
What's a good CTR?
For Google Search Ads, 2–5% is typical. For Display or Facebook Ads, 0.5–2% is normal. Higher-intent keywords tend to have higher CTRs.
Does a high CTR mean better performance?
Not necessarily. High clicks don't guarantee high sales. Focus on CTR as one diagnostic; track CPL and ROAS for the real story.
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