What is a good click-through rate in search, by position

The same page can have a healthy CTR at position 2 and a weak one at position 7. Position drives attention. Above the fold gets more clicks than below it.

The results page shapes that attention. Ads, shopping units, maps, video carousels, People also ask and AI Overviews can push organic links down. Your link might be first organic but still start far below ads.

Query intent matters. Branded navigational searches like “yourproduct” favour the brand site and can see very high CTR at top positions. Informational searches often scatter clicks across several results and features, so CTR spreads out even for high ranks.

Use these as directional, not targets. Your page’s fair comparison is your own data against similar positions and query types.

• Position 1: usually the highest CTR of the set. Branded queries and sitelinks lift it further. Heavy ads or an AI Overview above can trim it.
• Positions 2 to 3: strong, but a clear step down from 1. The click gap widens when the first result matches intent cleanly.
• Positions 4 to 6: mid pack. CTR varies with titles and with SERP features pushing you down. A standout title can win more here.
• Positions 7 to 10: tail end of page one. CTR relies on a compelling promise or brand recognition. Many users do not reach this far.
• Page two and beyond: very low. Expect only a trickle unless the query invites deep comparison or the user repeats and scrolls.

Two pages at position 3 can behave differently. “what is seo” has more features and exploration. “yourproduct pricing” is focused and decisive. Expect the second to click more at the same rank.

CTR is clicks divided by impressions. Search Console counts an impression when a link to your page appears on a results page a user loaded. For web search it counts whether or not the user scrolled to it. Some other surfaces, like Discover and some carousels, count only when seen.

Position is the position of the highest link to your site on that results page. If two of your URLs show, position records the highest one. Average position is the mean of positions over impressions. A page can average 8 while appearing at 3 and at 40, depending on the query and the day.

The query dimension omits rare and anonymised queries. Your queries table will not add up to the page or site totals. The report holds up to 16 months. The default comparison is the last 28 days against the 28 before.

Do not chase a global benchmark. Compare pages and queries at similar positions, country and device, and read them against what shows on the results page.

1. 1

   Start in the Performance report, Web Search

   Open Search Console, Performance, Search results. Keep Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Position on. Set the date to Last 28 days for a clean snapshot.

2. 2

   Split by country and device

   Add a filter for your main country. Switch to Devices and look at Desktop and Mobile separately. Mobile often has more SERP features above organic.

3. 3

   Bucket positions and export

   Sort by Position in the Pages tab. Export to a sheet. Create buckets like 1, 2 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 10, 11+. Compute median CTR for each bucket. Repeat in Queries to see query-level patterns.

4. 4

   Separate branded from non-branded

   In Queries, filter to include your brand and product names to form a branded set. Create a second view that excludes them. Baselines will differ.

5. 5

   Drill into key pages

   Click a page like /pricing. Switch to Queries for that page. Sort by Position, then check CTR at each rank. Note which queries underperform against your bucket medians.

Take two pages that rank in the same band and for similar intent. If /pricing and /compare/competitor both sit near position 3 for their primary queries, compare their CTRs. The lower one is your fix candidate, regardless of any industry blog’s number.

Use groups. For example, put all “what is…” guides in one group, all product pages in another. Compare each group’s CTR per position bucket. A support article will not behave like a commercial intent page even at the same rank.

Recheck after changes on a 28 day window. Be patient across seasonality and news spikes. A week is noise. A pair of 28 day windows tells you if the needle moved at your positions.

Fix the promise, then fix the match. The snippet needs to earn the click, and the page needs to deliver the answer the searcher expects.

• Tighten the title tag. Put the primary phrase at the front and add one concrete hook. Example: before, “Pricing | YourProduct”. After, “YourProduct pricing: plans for teams and startups”. Keep it to about 60 characters.
• Refocus the meta description. Make it a clear benefit or summary that matches the query. Example for /pricing: “Simple monthly plans, annual discount, no setup fee. Compare features and pick a plan in minutes.”
• Align with search intent. If the query is “what is click-through rate”, lead with a plain answer and a short formula section. Move sales content down or to a related page.
• Match modifiers. Add the words the searcher used, like “template”, “examples”, “2026” or “free”, when your page actually provides them.
• Improve the first screen. The H1 and first paragraph should echo the query and answer fast. A clear table of plans on /pricing beats a hero banner with slogans.
• Consolidate duplicates. If two pages target the same query, fold them into one strong page and redirect. Cannibalisation can split impressions and depress CTR for both.
• Strengthen internal links. Use descriptive anchors in /guides/ and /blog/ to point to the right page. This helps the right URL rank and present a cleaner snippet.
• Check indexation and canonicals. In Page indexing, “Alternate page with proper canonical tag” is fine when intended. It is a problem only when the canonical points away from the page you want to rank.

Open the query in a clean browser, logged out. Note what sits above organic results. Ads, AI Overviews, maps and shopping blocks steal space. A position 1 organic link may start halfway down the page.

• Featured snippet present: if a rival holds it, expect lower CTR at positions 1 to 3. If you hold it, CTR can be high or low depending on how fully the box answers the query.
• People also ask stack: invites exploration and splits clicks. Craft a title that sets a clear, decisive choice to win the click.
• Sitelinks under your result: these lift CTR on branded and navigational searches. They often appear when the site structure and internal links are clear.
• Video or image carousels: media-first blocks can divert clicks. Add a video when it fits the query and your resources, but only if it adds value.
• Local pack: for location queries, the map cluster can take most clicks. A national page will struggle here regardless of title changes.

• High position, low CTR: /guides/what-is-click-through-rate sits at 2 but lags peers. The title is “CTR | Guide”. Fix to “What is click-through rate, with examples and formula”. Add a short, direct definition at the top.
• Decent position, weak intent match: /blog/seo-tips ranks 4 for “click-through rate formula”. The page is generic tips. Create a focused section with the formula, examples and a calculator, or make a new page and link clearly.
• Two URLs competing: /guides/what-is-ctr and /“Click-through rate (CTR)” both rank around 6 to 8 for the same queries. Merge or differentiate. Point internal links to the winner.
• Strong impressions, near-zero clicks: /features appears for broad informational queries due to loose copy. Tighten the page to product intent, and build a separate “what is…” guide for education.
• Average position hiding extremes: /pricing averages 8. Queries show it at 3 for “yourproduct pricing” and much lower for “yourproduct discount code”. Judge CTR only at the query level. Make a discount policy page to capture the coupon query.

1. 1

   Log your edits

   Record the date, page, and the exact title and description you shipped. Note any content moves and internal link changes.

2. 2

   Measure on matched windows

   Use Last 28 days vs Previous period. Keep the same country and device. Compare CTR at similar average positions for the page.

3. 3

   Control for position drift

   If position improved, higher CTR can be from rank, not the new title. Judge queries where position held steady within a small band.

4. 4

   Roll changes to similar pages

   If a new pattern wins on /pricing, try it on /compare/ pages. Avoid testing too many variables at once per page.

5. 5

   Revisit after another 28 days

   Give Google time to recrawl and users time to click. If there is no lift at stable positions, try a new angle that still matches intent.

Some queries are zero click by nature. A definition in the SERP or an AI Overview can satisfy the need. If your goal for the query is awareness and your title shows your brand, a modest CTR can still be useful.

Other queries invite browsing. “what are serps” spreads clicks across guides, glossaries and tool pages. Aim for a fair share at your position, not a perfect number.