Even though Google has been utilizing the most innovative solutions for the estimation of the content quality, the search engine still relies on users to evaluate if the content of the page is of high quality and it is relevant for the search query. This is where the CRT metric is used.
Before considering the importance of this indice, it is essential to understand what is CTR and how it influences the ranking of sites. A click-through-rate is the correlation between the number of impressions of a web page and the number of clicks in percents. In other words, this metric shows the search engine how relevant and attractive to users your web page is making them click on the link.
How is CTR Used?
CTR is important not only to Google for the estimation of the relevance of the content. This metric is useful for SEO specialists who can draw the following conclusions:
- The relevance of the content to the keywords by which the pages are promoted. If the click-through-rate is too low, this means that either the content should be adapted to the keywords, or it is necessary to promote the page for the other key phrases.
- The optimization of meta tags and URL. The better they are optimized (the length, the use of the main keyword or phrase), the higher the CTR will be.
- The evaluation of the effectiveness of PPC campaigns. By including contextual advertising in the promotional campaign, SEO specialists can evaluate if the web page looks attractive for users in the SERP.
Does CTR Influence Site Ranking?
This rate is undeniably important. However, do not be misguided by this. Even if you optimize the meta tags and URL and make the web page attractive in the search results, it does not mean that the ranking will be high, and users will be led to the desired action, be it a purchase or order of the services. If the content on the page does not correspond to the meta title or meta description, or the web page is loaded too slowly, users are likely to close the page. That is the bounce rate that is also an important ranking factor. So, paying attention to the CTR, it is crucial to remember the other rates and indices used by Google.
There have been numerous studies devoted to the question of the influence of the CTR on the ranking of the site. It has been found out that CTR is not a ranking factor as it is. However, this is one of the indicators that help the search engine. Among the reasons, it is possible to mention the following:
- The rate depends on the niche, for example, dating platforms get the highest RTP, while travel companies and hotels have a lower rate.
- Sites from the first SERP page get the highest CTR. This is obvious that only a few users are stubborn enough to click on the second or third pages of the search results.
- The keywords for which the page is displayed. Brand queries get the highest RTP, while geo-dependent search requests have an average rate of 17%-19%.
- Content relevance and usefulness influence the rate significantly, which is especially noticeable for informational requests that have such words as “what,” “when,” “where,” etc.
How to Improve the Click-through Rate?
As it is already proven, the CTR is an important metric for the estimation of how effective a particular marketing campaign is. Besides, the higher the CTR, the higher the conversion rate is expected, however, the latter depends on many other factors. So, to improve this rate, it is necessary to make your web page attractive to users on the SERP. For this, it is necessary to work with meta tags and URLs.
Optimization of the Meta Titles
There are a lot of recommendations on how to optimize the titles of web pages. The most crucial is to include the keyword or key phrase for which the page is promoted. The title has to be catchy and interesting to users. The presence of numbers is one of the ways to attract attention.
However, it is essential to remember that the meta title has to correspond to the content of the page. If you mention that there are 15 easy ways to lose weight, be sure that your article contains 15 recommendations. Otherwise, the bounce rate will increase, as well as the average session time will decrease. These all will affect the page ranking.
Optimization of the Meta Description
The same rule applies to the page description. It has to convey the content of the article in 1 or 2 sentences. It has to be relevant to the content and make users click on the link.
Optimization of the URLs
They should also contain keywords and match the article header. However, the link has to be attractive, for this reason, it is better to be shortened. Therefore, search for the balance between its length, the presence of keywords, and correspondence to the article header. It is also not recommended to use stop words in URLs.
Final Say
The CTR is an important indice for digital marketing and SEO. However, this rate is just one of the factors that can altogether influence the position of the site in the SERP. Therefore, the CTR should not be ignored and not be the only metric you rely on.
