How Does Our SERP CTR Calculator Work?
Our meta title performance calculator is designed to show you how your SERP listings compete based on CTR.
It uses the latest data from Advanced Web Rankings to determine how your SERP listings perform compared to other pages in the same position.
Plug in these four pieces Google Search Console data
- Query
- Clicks
- Impressions
- Position
…and our SERP CTR calculator tells you when our listing is underperforming based on its position.
What’s the Average CTR Based on SERP Position?
2023 data from Advanced Web Rankings indicated that the top-ranking URL in a Google search has an average click-through rate of 28.55%.
Out of the thousands — sometimes millions — of search results that occur every day, that number-one listing will receive just under 3 in every 10 clicks.
As you might imagine, the average CTR of each subsequent listing decreases:
- #1: 28.55%
- #2: 14.46%
- #3: 8.61%
- #4: 5.43%
- #5: 3.67%
- #6: 2.62%
- #7: 1.93%
- #8: 1.47%
- #9: 1.18%
- #10: 1.00%
Those top three positions command over 50% of total clicks from searchers. This brings us to the next question: “How can I increase my organic CTR?”
How to Improve Your Organic CTR on Google
SERP features, search intent, and other factors can have a big impact on your CTR.
For example:
If you’re competing with a well-known brand, that plays a large role in who gets the final “click.” Websites with brand authority have the recognition and trust factor you may still be trying to build.
While you can’t control everything about your CTR, there are some tips that will help you maximize where you stand. Here, we’ll discuss the techniques for improving organic CTR growth.
1. Design Strategic Meta Titles
Meta titles show up alongside your website in the search results. Searchers skim the tag to determine if your page can provide what they need.
Optimal meta titles are between 6 and 9 words and are less than 60 characters. Any longer than 60 characters and the whole tag doesn’t appear in the search, lessening the impact.
Within this word and character limit, include your page’s target keyword and a brief description of the content. Use your words strategically, and avoid keyword stuffing.
2. Optimize Your Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are another element of a SERP listing that’s easy to overlook.
Google doesn’t index them, so they won’t have a direct impact on your rankings. But, an optimized description can boost your CTR by helping users understand what’s on your page.
You get more characters with your description than a title (155-160), which gives you plenty of space to let searchers know what’s on the page.
The language in your description should match the user’s search intent. Include a CTA that lets the searcher know they can buy certain products or get answers to certain questions on your page.
3. Clean Up Your Page’s URL
CMS platforms tend to generate long, complicated URLs. Cleaning up a complex URL to include only the most relevant information can make your page more attractive to searchers.
The user is more likely to view your business as professional and remember the page if they need it in the future, all of which can boost your CTR.
4. Utilize Rich Snippets
Rich snippets are a schema markup that gives you a leg up over the other search results. The more potential options you have for Google to grab “snippets” of, such as customer reviews, site links, and FAQs, the better your chances of landing a featured spot on Google.
You can add schema markup anywhere it is relevant on your page to boost your site’s chance of getting noticed by Google. Here’s an easy-to-use tool that generates all different types of schema for you to plug into your website to help search engines understand each page.
FAQ: How Is SERP CTR Calculated, Again?
Here’s the formula for calculating SERP CTR:
[Organic Clicks Impressions] x 100 = CTR
In other words, it’s calculated by dividing the number of times a SERP listing is clicked (organic clicks) by the number of times it appears in a search result (impressions).
FAQ: Is SERP CTR a Ranking Factor?
Organic CTR isn’t a confirmed factor in Google’s ranking algorithm. If CTR was a ranking factor, it would be simple to hire someone to click on a link thousands of times and cheat your way into the top slot. Any factor that can be manipulated that way is usually not in the ranking algorithm.
But, tracking CTR helps you measure your SEO performance. As a KPI, it can provide an early warning sign that you need to adjust your current strategy. If your rankings are high but your CTR is low, you might be targeting the wrong keywords, or you may just need more appealing meta titles.
Conclusion
CTR optimization is an essential part of your SEO strategy. But, like all good things, these practices take time to implement and monitor.
Your time is valuable. Instead of compromising your CTR or working overtime, let Intergrowth help improve your site’s rankings and optimize search listings to maximize that coveted click-through rate today.