What is a good click-through rate for ads?
A good click-through rate (CTR) depends heavily on the channel and format. Search ads commonly see CTRs of several percent because people are actively looking, while standard display banners often see well under 1%. Rather than chasing a universal number, compare CTR to your own history and to conversions, since unusually high CTRs can signal accidental clicks or fraud.
CTR = clicks ÷ impressions. Benchmarks published by platforms and agencies vary by industry, placement and device, so treat them as rough guides. Video and CTV are usually judged on video completion rate rather than clicks.
A placement with a very high CTR and no conversions is a classic sign of click fraud, bot traffic or misleading ad layouts designed to cause accidental taps. Optimizing toward CPA or ROAS instead of CTR avoids rewarding such inventory.