What Is CTR (Clickthrough Rate)?

Clickthrough rate (CTR) is a way to measure the percentage of people who perform an action, like clicking, when they see an online advertisement or webpage. A high CTR is preferable because it means that users find your ad or webpage highly relevant and engaging to the target audience. CTR is an important metric when it comes to digital marketing efforts like search engine optimization (SEO). 

The calculation for CTR accounts for the number of times people saw the ad or webpage link versus the number of times they took action. Many programs will automatically calculate CTR, but the equation is typically the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions. 

For example, let’s say you publish a blog post featuring an ad that 5,000 people saw and 230 people clicked on. Your CTR would be 4.6 percent. If the ad garnered 1,200 clicks, your CTR would be 24 percent. The definition of a "good" clickthrough rate depends on the industry, type of ad or website, and platform where the link is displayed (for example, email, Google search, or display ads on a blog).  

Related terms

• Bounce rate 

• Marketing

• Content marketing

• Online marketing

• Omnichannel marketing

• Brand marketing

• Promotional marketing

• Small business marketing

Get started in digital marketing

Earn your Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera, and learn more about the fundamentals of marketing. With a time commitment averaging six months, you’ll learn job-ready skills to begin an in-demand marketing career.