Every SEO pro knows that scoring a place on Google’s first page is the Holy Grail. We often joke that if you want to bury something, put it on Google’s second page – nobody looks there anyway.
But let’s get real, is first-page ranking enough? Does it matter where you sit on that page?
The data analysis says loud and clear – yes, it matters! Ranking higher is always better and here’s why.
Digging into Advanced Web Ranking’s CTR data, I’ve picked up some fascinating facts about how much those positions are really worth in terms of CTR. So, let’s dive straight into the good stuff.
Highlights:
- The top spot on Google’s search results enjoys an average CTR of 28.75%, almost twice as much as the second result’s 14.75%.
- The first three positions score 52.33% of all clicks from the SERP.
- The last four spots (7-10) have minimal impact, with CTRs under 2%.
- Moving up in the search rankings significantly increases the click-through rate (CTR). The highest increase (nearly 95%) is observed when a webpage goes from the 2nd to the 1st position. The effect slightly diminishes towards the end of the page, but remains significant. Moving from 9th to 8th position increases CTR by 28.21%, and the shift from the 10th to the 9th position boosts CTR by 21.88%.
- For the first position, branded keywords have a significantly higher CTR (33.36%) compared to non-branded keywords (25.81%). The difference in CTR between branded and non-branded keywords narrows from the third position onwards, with both types of keywords achieving similar rates.
- Overall, commercial searches tend to have a higher CTR compared to informational searches across all search ranking positions.
- The SERP feature combination “People also ask + Organic” holds the highest popularity on Desktop devices at 10.68%. However, for Mobile devices, the “Images + Organic” combination takes the lead, registering the highest popularity at 11.52%.
I have detailed the highlights of the analysis below.
The #1 position garners a CTR of 28.75%, whereas the second position only achieves 14.75%.
It’s not news that the higher you rank, the more clicks you receive. However, the difference in Click-Through Rate (CTR) between positions is quite significant.
The #1 position garners a CTR of 28.75%, whereas the second position only achieves 14.75%. This means that the first position captures twice as many clicks as the second position.
Another fascinating observation is that the top three positions combined accumulate over half of all clicks, with a remarkable 52.33% CTR. On the other hand, occupying positions 7 to 10 on Google’s first page yields less than a 2% CTR.
The CTR impact of moving up by one position influences the number of click increases depending on the position.
As we have seen before, not all the positions are equal.
Take positions #10 to #9 as an example. Making this move will generate a 21.88% increase in clicks. However, the real magic happens when you climb from position 2 to the coveted number one spot, which yields a staggering 94.92% surge in clicks. Clearly, the higher you go, the greater the rewards.
When we examine this data closely, it becomes evident that merely landing on Google’s first page is not the ultimate objective. Instead, the true goal is to secure the highest possible ranking position.
Branded search terms yield a remarkable CTR at the #1 position as users are explicitly seeking out the brand.
Branded search terms typically generate higher CTRs since users are specifically looking for that brand or product, indicating a clear interest or intent. Non-branded terms, however, can be more competitive because they’re more general and can apply to a wide range of brands or products. The exact CTR can depend on numerous factors, including the quality of the snippet, the relevance of the result, and the ranking position on the search engine results page (SERP).
Now, let’s analyze the Google CTR for branded and non-branded terms based on their ranking positions.
The highest CTRs are seen at the first ranking position for both branded (33.36%) and non-branded (25.81%) search results, indicating a significant drop-off in CTR as we move down the rankings.
The gap between the CTRs for branded and non-branded search results is largest at the first position. This gap gets smaller as we move down the rankings, and it even flips at the second position where non-branded search results slightly surpass branded search results in CTR (14.58% vs. 14.24%).
From the 4th position onwards, non-branded search results have consistently higher CTRs than branded search results, although the differences are relatively small.
Commercial search results consistently outperform in terms of CTR across all positions on Google’s SERP.
Commercial queries are typically those where the user’s intent is to purchase or investigate a potential purchase. They are often product-specific and signal a readiness to buy. For example, “Buy iPhone 13” or “Best running shoes” would be considered commercial queries.
On the other hand, informational queries are used by users seeking knowledge or answers. They are not directly related to a purchase but rather look to gather information. Examples could include “How to bake a cake” or “Top tourist attractions in Rome”.
The difference in CTR between commercial and informational searches is most prominent at the #1 position. This suggests that users are more likely to click on commercial search results when they appear at the top of the search results.
From the #2 position onwards, the gap between the CTRs for commercial and informational searches narrows, although commercial search results consistently maintain higher CTRs.
Overall, commercial searches tend to have a higher CTR compared to informational searches across all search ranking positions. This could suggest that users often have a clearer intent or interest when clicking on commercial search results.
When it comes to the Featured Snippet, the Click-Through Rate for the first position is dramatically affected.
SERP features are essentially the different types of content that search engines display in their search results, which go beyond the traditional “organic” text-based results. Examples of SERP features include “People also ask”, “Images”, “Featured snippets”, and “Videos”, among others.
The SERP feature combination “People also ask + Organic” holds the highest popularity on Desktop devices at 10.68%. However, for Mobile devices, the “Images + Organic” combination takes the lead, registering the highest popularity at 11.52%.
SERP features have a profound influence on the Click-Through Rate (CTR), which is a measure of how many people click on a link compared to how many people view the page. This is primarily because these features offer different ways of presenting information that can be more visually appealing, informative, or relevant to a user’s search query. For instance, a user searching for a DIY project might find a video result more appealing, while someone looking for a quick answer might prefer a featured snippet.
When it comes to the Featured Snippet, the Click-Through Rate for the first position is dramatically affected when this SERP feature is displayed alongside ‘People also ask + Organic’. This could suggest that many users find quick answers in the Featured Snippet, reducing the need for further exploration.
This trend is consistent across both desktop and mobile devices.
I hope that the insights and key findings I’ve shared have offered you a deeper understanding of how Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP) dynamics can influence Click-Through Rates.
Feel free to share these findings with others who might benefit from them!
Methodology
For this study, I used data from Advanced Web Ranking’s data. The Click-Through Rate I looked at is for Google and includes searches from the US in the last month (April 2023).
