Click through rate (CTR)

Click through rate is a marketing metric that measures how often people click on a link, ad or email.

Many factors affect click-through rate (CTR), including imagery, keywords, call-to-action copy and ad positioning.

Click through rate compares the number of time someone clicks on your content, to the number of impressions you get (how many times the ad was viewed). CTR appears as an important metric in email, display, social and paid search campaigns. Some common examples of areas where CTR is measured include:

How to calculate click through rate

Click through rate helps to measure the success of your advertising campaigns. By determining how many people actually click on your ads, CTR supports ad optimization. Improving click through rate is one of the best ways to generate more sales.

To measure click through rate in a campaign, you’ll need to divide your total number of impressions by total number of clicks. For instance, if a Facebook ad for software generated 8000 impressions and 100 clicks, your CTR would be 0.8%. Alternatively, avoid the math by using a social media advertising tool like Sprout Social.

A good way to determine the success of your campaign is to compare your percentage to industry benchmarks. For instance, average CTR for email advertising is currently around 3.42%.

How to optimize click through rate

Click through rate optimization is critical for businesses to get the most out of their ad campaigns. Companies increase CTR by improving the performance of elements that drive clicks, such as copy, titles, subject lines, imagery, keywords and descriptions. A few methods available or CTR optimization include:

The easiest way to boost click through rate is to constantly test and analyze your campaigns. Social media marketing tools like Sprout Social help determine which of your ads are the most successful and why, and can even help you to figure out the best times to post. For instance, posting ads at the right time on Facebook can generate higher CTR.