The click-through rate (CTR), also known as the click-through rate, is a fundamental key figure in the Online marketing. It describes the percentage ratio of clicks on a specific online element (such as an ad, a link or a search result) to the total number of impressions of this element. A high CTR indicates that a piece of content or an ad is relevant and appealing to the user.
Calculation of the click-through rate
Calculating the CTR is straightforward. It is calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and then multiplying the result by 100 to obtain a percentage.
CTR = (number of clicks / number of impressions) × 100A practical example: If an ad is displayed 1,000 times (impressions) and clicked 50 times, the CTR is 5 % (50 clicks / 1,000 impressions × 100 = 5 %).
Importance of the CTR for online success
The CTR is a decisive indicator for the effectiveness of marketing measures in various channels such as Search engine optimization (SEO), Search engine advertising (SEA), E-mail marketing and Social Media.
- In the SEO: A high organic CTR signals to search engines that a search result is relevant to users and fulfills their search intent. This can have a positive effect on the Ranking have an impact.
- In SEA (e.g. Google Ads): A good CTR often leads to a better Quality factor of the ads, which in turn leads to lower click prices (Cost-per-click) and better ad positioning.
- In e-mail marketing: It measures the effectiveness of email campaigns and provides information on how appealing subject lines and content are for recipients.
Factors that can influence the CTR include the relevance of the content for the target group, the positioning of the element, an appealing design, convincing advertising texts and a clear call-to-action.
It is important to note that a high CTR alone does not always reflect the overall success of a campaign. It should always be viewed in the context of other metrics such as the Conversion rate which measures how many clicks actually lead to a desired action (e.g. a purchase or registration).
