What Is CTR?
CTR stands for clickthrough rate. It is the share of people who saw your ad, listing or email and then clicked it. Google Ads defines clickthrough rate as clicks divided by impressions, so 5 clicks from 100 impressions is a 5% CTR.
The formula is CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100. The same maths works for search ads, display banners, social posts, organic results in Search Console and email links.
How to Use the CTR Calculator
- Choose what to find: the CTR, the clicks you can expect, or the impressions you need.
- Enter the two numbers you know. The green box gives the answer.
- Testing two ads? Enter impressions and clicks for each in the Compare Two Ads section.
- Read the confidence. At 95% or more you can treat the winner as real. Below that, keep the test running.
How the Ad Comparison Works
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ad A and Ad B CTR | Clicks ÷ impressions for each ad |
| Difference | How much higher or lower Ad B's CTR is than Ad A's, in percent |
| Confidence | From a two proportion z test. 95% means a gap this big would rarely happen by chance |
| Impressions per ad | Rough sample needed to confirm a gap of this size at 95% confidence and 80% power |
Tips for a Better CTR
- Match the search. Put the main keyword in your headline so people see their query reflected back.
- Give a reason to click: a price, an offer, free delivery or a clear benefit.
- Use assets. Sitelinks, callouts and images make search ads bigger and more clickable.
- Do not chase CTR alone. A high CTR with a low conversion rate wastes money. Judge ads on cost per conversion too.
- Compare fairly. Search CTRs are normally far higher than display CTRs, so benchmark within one channel.
For a full testing process read PPC ad copy testing, and see how CTR feeds into Quality Score. To check organic CTR, use our guide to the Search Console performance report. Turn clicks into a budget with the PPC budget calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
1How do you calculate CTR?
Divide clicks by impressions and multiply by 100. 320 clicks from 8,000 impressions is a 4% CTR.
2What is a good CTR?
It depends on the channel. Search ads usually earn a much higher CTR than display or social ads, and branded searches beat generic ones. Compare against your own past results in the same campaign type.
3How many impressions do I need for an A/B test?
It depends on how big the difference is. Small gaps need many thousands of impressions per ad. The tool estimates the number needed for 95% confidence based on your current CTRs.
4Does the CTR calculator send my data anywhere?
No. All the maths, including the significance test, runs in your browser.