Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who clicked a link in your email, ad or search result. In email, it is usually calculated as unique clicks divided by emails delivered. If 1,000 emails are delivered and 30 people click, your CTR is 3 percent.

Why it matters for a small business

A click is a real action. Unlike open rates, which are inflated by privacy features, clicks show that someone read your message and wanted more. CTR is one of the most reliable ways to tell whether an email, ad or page title is doing its job.

Related measures

• Click-to-open rate: clicks divided by opens. Shows how compelling the content was once someone opened it.
• Search CTR: in Google Search Console, the share of people who saw your page in results and clicked it. Low CTR on a page that ranks well often means the title or description needs work.
• Ad CTR: clicks divided by impressions for paid ads.

How to improve email CTR

• One clear call to action per email instead of ten links.
• Buttons that say what happens next, like “See available times.”
• Content that matches what the subscriber cares about, through segmentation.
• Links placed early, not only at the bottom.

A real-world example

An insurance agency sends a newsletter with eight articles and a dozen links. CTR is low and spread thin. They switch to one main topic per email with one button. CTR goes up, and more importantly, clicks go to the page they want people to see.

Related terms: Conversion Rate, UTM Parameters, A/B Test. Related reading: Why is my website not showing up on Google? See our email automation and deliverability service.