Digital marketing glossary
What is CTR (click-through rate)?
Written and reviewed by L.K. Monu Borkala · Updated
Definition
CTR (click-through rate) is the percentage of people who click after seeing your ad, search result or email link. It shows how well your message and offer catch attention. A CTR of 4% means that for every 100 times your ad or result was shown, it got 4 clicks.
How it works
CTR is calculated by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100. In Google Ads, expected CTR is one of the three components of Quality Score, so relevant ads help your account over time. In Google Search Console, CTR shows how often searchers click your organic result, which depends on your title, your snippet and your position. In email marketing, CTR usually means clicks divided by emails delivered, and it is a more reliable signal than open rate, because privacy features in some email apps can inflate opens. Normal CTRs vary widely by platform, industry and position, so compare against your own past results.
Formula
CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100
Example
Picture a sweet shop in Kolkata running two Google ads for 'order sandesh online'. Ad A says 'Fresh Sweets Delivered'. Ad B says 'Nolen Gur Sandesh, Same-Day Delivery in Kolkata, from ₹350 a box'. Over a week, Ad A gets 30 clicks from 1,500 impressions, a 2% CTR, while Ad B gets 75 clicks from 1,500 impressions, a 5% CTR. The specific ad wins attention, so the shop pauses Ad A and writes more ads in the style of B.
An illustration: the business and the rupee figures are made up to show how the idea works.
Common mistake
Chasing a high CTR with clickbait. An ad promising 'Free sweets' may get many clicks, but you pay for each one and the visitors feel misled when they land. Another mistake is comparing CTRs across very different things, such as a search ad and an Instagram ad, which naturally behave differently.
Where you learn it
- Module 1: Digital Marketing Foundations
- Class: Setting Goals: SMART Goals & KPIs · read it free
- Module 5: Social Media Marketing
- Class: YouTube & Short-Form Video
- Module 6: Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)
- Class: Budgeting & A/B Testing
- Module 8: Email & WhatsApp Marketing
- Class: Email Tools & Copywriting
Related terms
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