What is a Successful Click-Through Rate?

June 23, 2022

As you learn more about display advertising, you’ve probably heard about click-through rates. Click-through rate (CTR), or ad-click rate, is a metric used to measure the number of clicks an online ad receives.

To calculate an ad’s CTR, take the number of clicks an ad receives and divide that number by its number of impressions, or times the ad was shown. The formula looks something like this: 

Clicks ÷ Impressions = Click-Through Rate (CTR)

For example, if you had 7 clicks and 100 impressions, then your click-through rate would be 7%.

Having a high click-through rate is a good sign that visitors find the ads on your website to be helpful and relevant. This leads to the question that nearly all publishers have on their minds: what is a good click-through rate for ads?

How to Improve an Ad Click Rate

The global internet CTR average in 2022 is 0.06%, meaning roughly 1 out of every 2000 viewers click on an ad. A “good” CTR either meets or exceeds industry standard.

To get more clicks on your display ads, you need to choose the right mix of ad sizes, display options, and imagery. Keep in mind that users will see your ads across both mobile and desktop devices.

The highest performing display ads are usually large, like the 970×250 and 4:1. Another strategy is to revisit the page position of ads.

What is a good page position for a display ad? The higher on the page, the more visible the ad will be, leading to more clicks. This is why leaderboard ads are so popular among advertisers. They’re usually placed in the header of a webpage, and are often one of the first things visitors see.

Another popular position for ads is between paragraphs of content. Readers have no choice but to see the ad as they read through the article on the page, and that visibility almost guarantees a good click-through rate. 

With mobile usage at an all-time high in 2022, it’s more important now than ever that ads are optimized for smartphones and tablets. Optimizing ads for mobile ensures that they don’t drop to the bottom of the page.

Some of the best ad formats for getting more clicks include The Billboard and Amazing Cube ad formats. When placed in a prominent position on the page, these ad formats regularly achieve click-through rates of .5% to 1%. That performance keeps advertisers happy and leads to extended renewals.

Ad Click Rates: Key Takeaways

To wrap, here arehe key points to understanding what is a good click-through rate for ads:

1. The internet average CTR is 0.06%.
2. Campaigns with higher CTRs keep advertisers happy.
3. If you want more clicks, use bigger ad sizes.
4. Better page positions leads to higher click rates.
5. Bright, clear visuals and rich imagery increase click-through rates.
6. Ads should be optimized for both desktop and mobile.
7. Top-rated ad formats, like the Billboard and Amazing Cube ad formats, regularly achieve CTRs of .5% to 1%. 

To learn more about the specific ad formats publishers are using to generate exceptional click-through rates, read 3 Underused But Highly Effective Ad Formats for Local Publishers.