What Is Click-Through Rate?
Click-through rate is a percentage-based measure that shows how often people select an advertisement or search result after seeing it. The metric compares clicks with impressions, which are the times an ad or result appears. It helps assess whether the wording, offer and audience targeting encourage a response.
Quick Facts About Click-through rate
Category
Advertising performance metric
Used for
Assessing clicks from ad impressions
Common confusion
Click activity is not the same as conversion activity
Also called
CTR
Often discussed with
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Key Takeaways About Click-through rate
- It measures response to visibility, not completed enquiries.
- Ad wording and audience targeting can change the result.
- A high rate does not prove strong conversion performance.
How Click-through rate Works

Click-through rate is calculated by comparing the clicks an advertisement receives with its impressions. An impression records an opportunity to see the ad, while a click records a visit to the linked page. The result helps show whether the ad message matches the searcher’s needs.
Related glossary terms: Conversion rate, Impression share, Search intent.
In Pay-Per-Click Advertising, the metric is reviewed alongside search terms, landing page behaviour and conversion activity. A change in headline, description, audience setting or offer can affect the result. A click shows interest in the advertisement, but the landing page must still support the next action.

Expert Note
When we manage Pay-Per-Click Advertising, we review click-through rate alongside the search terms and landing page experience. We check whether changes attract relevant visits, then compare those visits with meaningful actions such as enquiry submissions or calls.
Click-through rate in Practice: A Real-World Example
A dental practice may run a paid search advertisement for emergency dental appointments in Sydney. Click-through rate shows how often people who see that advertisement visit its landing page, while completed booking enquiries require a separate conversion measure.
Related Services
Related Terms
Conversion rate
A conversion rate is the proportion of visitors who complete a desired action on a website…
Impression share
Impression share is the proportion of eligible ad impressions that an advertising campaign receives. The metric…
Search intent
Search intent is the purpose behind a person’s query in a search engine. It shows whether…
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