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Click-through rate

What is CTR (click-through rate)?

CTR (click-through rate) is the share of people who see an ad or link and click it: clicks divided by impressions.

Formula

CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100

An ad shown 40,000 times that gets 480 link clicks has a 1.2% CTR: about 1 in 83 people who saw it clicked.

Work out yours with the CTR calculator.

A real store example

Overtone "I almost caved" advertorial: over 30 Meta ads linked here.

The headline reads like a confession: "I almost caved and dyed it all again. I'm so glad I didn't." First-person hooks earn the click by sounding like a friend rather than a brand, and the page then has to finish the story the ad started.

Open the pageSee their ads

How to improve CTR on your store

  1. Lead with the buyer's problem

    The first line of the ad decides the click. Name the problem your buyer already has before you name the product.

  2. Show the product in use

    Creative that shows the result, not the packshot, gives people a reason to tap through.

  3. Match the click to the page

    A high CTR is only worth paying for if the page delivers what the ad promised, so check conversion rate next.

Ask Replo: "rank my ads by CTR and orders this month".

Rank my ads

CTR questions

What is a good CTR for ads?
A good CTR is high enough that clicks cost less than they earn. The CTR you need = CPM ÷ (1,000 × the most you can pay per click). At a $12 CPM and $0.85 per click, that's 1.41%.
Is CTR the same as conversion rate?
No. CTR measures who clicks the ad. Conversion rate measures who buys after they land. You need both: an ad people click and a page that turns those clicks into orders.
Can a high CTR be bad?
Yes. A curiosity hook can win clicks from people who were never going to buy, which raises spend without raising sales. Judge CTR alongside the cost per order.

Related terms

Browse the glossary

CPC

CPC (cost per click) is the average amount paid each time someone clicks an ad: ad spend divided by clicks.

CPM

CPM (cost per mille) is what an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions, the standard price of reach on social and display ads.

Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the share of visitors who complete a goal, usually a purchase: conversions divided by sessions.

Advertorial

An advertorial is an ad written to read like an editorial article, used to warm up cold traffic before it reaches a product page.

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