Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is a digital marketing metric that measures the percentage of users who click on a specific link out of the total number who view it. In SEO, it's calculated as (Clicks / Impressions) × 100, showing how compelling your search result is to users.
Why Rankings Without Clicks Are Worthless
High rankings mean nothing if nobody clicks. A poorly translated meta title and description will have lower CTR than a native-sounding one, even at the same ranking position. In multilingual SEO, many sites make the mistake of translating titles literally ("Buy Shoe Cheap") instead of adapting them culturally. CTR is also a ranking signal—Google tracks it and uses it to determine if users find your result relevant. Low CTR signals poor relevance, causing gradual rank drops. Optimizing CTR through compelling, localized meta content is one of the fastest ways to improve international traffic without changing rankings.
Poor CTR vs. Optimized CTR
Dampak Dunia Nyata
German site uses auto-translated title (literal)
"Kaufen Sie Schuhe Billig" - Rank #2, 4.2% CTR
420 monthly clicks from 10,000 impressions
Native German copywriter rewrites meta content
"Laufschuhe Sale: Bis zu 40% Rabatt" - Rank #2, 11.8% CTR
1,180 monthly clicks - 181% traffic increase, same ranking