CTR (click-through rate)

Search Console divides clicks by impressions. If a page was shown 400 times for a search and clicked 12 times, its CTR for that search is 3%.

A click counts when someone goes from Google to your site. Clicking the same result again after coming back still counts once. The chart shows the average for the whole site; the table shows it for each search or page.

1. In Search Console, open the Performance report for Search results and click Average CTR above the chart.
2. Open the Queries tab and look for searches with many impressions and a low CTR.
3. Check the average position next to each one. An impression counts even if nobody scrolled down to your link, so a result far down the page collects impressions without being seen, and its CTR stays low.
4. Do the same in the Pages tab to find pages that are shown often but rarely chosen.

There is no good CTR that fits every site: it depends on the search and on where your link appears. For searches where you already show near the top, Google lists a few reasons for a low CTR:

• People found what they needed on Google itself, such as your opening hours, address or phone number. If you want them in the shop, that is fine. If you want them on your page, Google suggests titles and descriptions that make clear what more they will find there.
• Other results show extra details, such as ratings or images, and draw the clicks.
• The search isn't really about what you offer, so few people choose you. Our guide to getting customers from Google without ads covers the searches worth aiming for.