The average CTR from Google
Senior SEO-specialist
Google is big, very big in the Netherlands. With a market share of more than 92%(see link), it drives a lot of traffic to many different Web sites. But how much traffic is really directed to those websites? The CTR is an important metric to determine this.
The CTR figures in 2024
To immediately answer the most important question, what are the average CTR numbers from 2024 to the various positions in Google.
The average CTR figures with 3 Google Ads ads
The ads at the top of Google create distractions for the organic positions. For this, see the CTR figures below.
| Position | Average CTR |
|---|---|
| Advertising position 1 | 1.1% |
| Advertising position 2 | 0.7% |
| Advertising position 3 | 0.6% |
| Organic position 1 | 23.8% |
| Organic position 2 | 10.7% |
| Organic position 3 | 5.5% |
| Organic position 4 | 3.8% |
| Organic position 5 | 2.9% |
| Organic position 6 | 2.4% |
What do I mean by the positions?
Just to make sure we’re on the same page. This is what I mean by the different positions in Google.
The average CTR figures without ads
These CTR figures are slightly higher than the above figures with Google Ads ads.
Here is a table showing average click-through rates (CTR) for organic positions in Google, for a search results page (SERP) with no ads at the top:
| Organic position | Average CTR |
|---|---|
| Organic position 1 | 31.7% |
| Organic position 2 | 15.6% |
| Organic position 3 | 9.5% |
| Organic position 4 | 6.7% |
| Organic position 5 | 5.1% |
| Organic position 6 | 4.0% |
| Organic position 7 | 3.4% |
| Organic position 8 | 3.0% |
| Organic position 9 | 2.8% |
| Organic position 10 | 2.5% |
These figures are based on averages and can vary based on various factors such as search query type, industry, and the specific design of the search results page. These numbers give an indication of how users click through on organic search results when there are no ads at the top of the page.
The average CTR figures of featured snippets
Here I distinguished between a featured snippet with one, two, three or four ads still above it.
| Number of ads above the snippet | Average CTR of featured snippet |
|---|---|
| 1 advertisement | 18.3% |
| 2 ads | 16.7% |
| 3 advertisements | 15.2% |
| 4 ads | 13.8% |
These figures are indicative and may vary depending on the market, the type of search query, and the specific design of the search results page. In general, the CTR of a featured snippet decreases the more ads are displayed above it, because users are more inclined to view the top results (in this case, the ads) first.
What affects CTR?
The CTR of a snippet in Google’s search results can be affected by several factors:
- Search query relevance: If the snippet content is directly relevant to the search query, users are more likely to click on it.
- Content quality and clarity: A clear and concise answer or summary in the snippet that directly addresses the user’s search question can increase CTR.
- Snippet positioning: Snippets that appear at the top of search results (often before organic search results) tend to attract more attention and thus higher CTRs.
- Number of ads above the snippet: As discussed earlier, the number of ads displayed before the snippet can affect visibility and thus CTR.
- Attractiveness of title and description: An attractive, compelling title and description that arouses curiosity can increase the likelihood of clicks.
- Using rich snippets: Snippets that contain additional information, such as reviews, prices or images, can be more attractive and generate a higher CTR.
- Mobile vs. Desktop: The way the snippet is displayed on mobile devices versus desktop computers can also have an impact, as layout and readability can vary.
- Competition and alternative results: The presence and quality of other search results (both organic and paid) around the snippet can also affect the CTR. If competing results seem more appealing or relevant, this can lower the CTR of a snippet.
- User intent: Different types of searches (informational, transactional, navigational) can have different CTRs depending on what the user hopes to find.
- Seasonality and trends: Temporal factors such as seasons, events, or trending topics can temporarily increase or decrease interest in certain snippets.
These factors often work together, and their relative importance may vary depending on the specific context and audience. Optimizing snippets to increase CTR therefore requires attention to multiple aspects of both the snippet itself and the broader search environment. See my full guide to increasing average CTR on this page.
All the numbers at a glance
A table sorted by industry with figures related to CTR, conversion and cost per lead.
| Category | Average cost per click ($) | Average cost per lead ($) | Average click-through rate (%) | Average conversion rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants & food | 2.74 | 35.65 | 9.49 | 5.85 |
| Dentists & dental services | 7.53 | 66.21 | 6.18 | 11.24 |
| Education & instruction | 4.94 | 63.64 | 7.25 | 7.91 |
| Animals & pets | 3.92 | 24.41 | 8.96 | 14.25 |
| Clothing / Fashion & jewelry | 3.56 | 73.08 | 7.30 | 2.41 |
| Arts & entertainment | 2.39 | 77.55 | 12.62 | 3.87 |
| Lawyers & legal services | 10.05 | 111.89 | 5.60 | 7.84 |
| Cars – for sale | 2.92 | 43.36 | 9.61 | 6.56 |
| Cars – repair, service & parts | 3.90 | 21.96 | 6.75 | 13.45 |
| Beauty & personal care | 3.73 | 37.81 | 7.71 | 9.00 |
| Business services | 6.31 | 88.20 | 5.95 | 5.78 |
| Careers & Employment | 4.62 | 133.79 | 7.51 | 3.95 |
| Finance & insurance | 4.85 | 90.86 | 7.02 | 4.95 |
| Furniture | 3.61 | 109.69 | 7.03 | 3.41 |
| Health & fitness | 5.02 | 52.26 | 7.28 | 9.24 |
| Home & home improvement | 7.39 | 66.86 | 5.64 | 11.06 |
| Industrial & commercial | 5.19 | 60.58 | 6.41 | 8.75 |
| Personal services | 4.74 | 41.69 | 8.38 | 9.54 |
| Physicians & surgeons | 4.81 | 38.55 | 7.57 | 13.96 |
| Property | 2.39 | 66.86 | 9.93 | 3.72 |
| Shopping, collections & gifts | 3.28 | 32.34 | 7.23 | 4.53 |
| Sports & recreation | 2.61 | 32.66 | 11.37 | 6.53 |
| Travel | 2.47 | 63.02 | 10.87 | 4.71 |
Please note that these figures depend on many variables that are difficult to predict such as degree of competition, own website conversion rates and macroeconomic conditions.
What is a good CTR?
For display banners, a good CTR of about 0.5% applies, while search campaigns are often between 2% and 5%. In SEO, the CTR can be as high as 30%, depending on the position in search results. These percentages can vary depending on factors such as the industry, the type of product or service and the target audience.
