Click-Through Rate (CTR) is a metric that measures the percentage of people who click on a specific link after seeing it. In the context of SEO, it commonly refers to the percentage of impressions (how many times your link appeared in search results) that result in a click to your website.
The formula for CTR is: (Clicks / Impressions) * 100. A higher CTR generally indicates that your title tag, meta description, and URL are compelling and relevant to the user's search query, making them want to learn more. While not a direct ranking factor, a high CTR can signal to search engines that your content is highly relevant and valuable, potentially leading to improved rankings over time.
For example, if your website appears in 1,000 search results (impressions) and receives 50 clicks, your CTR is 5%. To improve CTR, focus on crafting engaging and descriptive title tags and meta descriptions that accurately reflect your content and entice users to click. Using schema markup to generate rich snippets can also make your listing stand out and attract more clicks.