With so many different things to measure in your digital marketing strategy, it can be tough to keep everything straight.
But if you feel like your ads, web pages, and even social media posts just aren’t getting the clicks they deserve, you may need to adjust your strategy.
How can you tell if the keywords and ads you’re using are actually effective? It all starts with measuring your current CTR. But how do you know how your CTR stacks up against your competition?
By using a surprisingly easy CTR formula.
In this post, we’ll define CTR, break down the secrets of the CTR formula, and give you a few helpful tips about how to grow your current CTR.
Read on to learn how you can increase your conversion rates and build your brand in the process.
What Is CTR?
Before we share with you the invaluable CTR formula you need to have, as well as other tips on growing your CTR, let’s make sure you’re clear on what exactly “CTR” means.
CTR stands for “click-through rate.” This is the specific percentage of web users that click on your ad after seeing it online. If your goal is to use your CTR to boost your brand, you’ll stick to three main goals. These goals are:
- Making sure more people see your ad
- Increasing the number of people who actually click on your ad
- Using CTR to grow your conversion rate
If you’re monitoring your success through AdWords, your CTR will impact your overall quality score. In relation to SEO, the higher your CTR rate, the easier it will be for you to rank higher in search engine results.
In general, your CTR is a good way to measure the effectiveness of the current keywords you’re using, as well as how any ad campaigns you’ve created are performing.
Now that you’re clear on the definition of CTR, let’s move on to discussing the ever-important CTR formula.
The CTR Formula
If you’re not a math whiz, don’t panic: the CTR formula isn’t exactly rocket science.
All it is?
Total Number of Clicks / Total Number of Impressions = Your Current CTR
Let’s look at a real-world example to make the CTR formula even easier to grasp.
Let’s say that the number of times your ad is shown (AKA, the total number of “impressions” it makes) is 2,000.
Then, let’s say that you have about 10 clicks.
10 / 2000 = .005
This means that you have a CTR of .5%.
In general, the average CTR is about 2%. If you’re higher than that, then your ads and keywords are outperforming most. However, if you’re under 2%, then you likely need to make some changes.
We can help with that.
Keep reading to learn effective and organic ways to boost your current CTR.
Create More Relevant Targeted Content
Did your CTR formula outcome leave you feeling less than confident about where you stand?
If so, start by examining the current type of content you’re putting out there.
Is your blog easy on the eyes? Do your posts include lots of engaging images, or are they just walls of texts that look like a Russian novel?
Are you varying the type of content you create? For example, are you posting on social media, creating quizzes for customers to take, and using Facebook Live and other video options to directly engage with your target market?
If not, it’s time to make a change. Take a few days to get to know your target market, and do a deep dive into your past analytics/web data.
Do your visitors click on your posts more during a certain time of the day? Is your demographic going to be interested in what you’re posting? Where online does your target market hang out the most? Are your landing pages/links included in ad or blog post copy actually relevant to what you’re talking about?
Finally, what past campaigns and posts gave you the greatest success?
Tweak your content to fit within these guidelines, and you’ll see your success grow.
Craft Killer Headlines
Blame it on instant gratification or the constant accessibility to information brought on by the Internet.
Any way you slice it, humans now have the same — if not shorter — attention span that a goldfish does. While this might not be great news for you personally, it can certainly help you to fine-tune your digital marketing strategy.
You’ve never had less time to create a first impression than you do today. It’s not every second that counts, but every millisecond. As a result, every word you include in your content needs to be actionable and concise.
That starts with your headline.
Whether you’re creating an online ad or writing a new blog post, your title is key.
It has to be engaging, to-the-point, and make viewers feel something.
In other words, a title like:
“Your Clients Don’t Like The Fact That Your Website Is Slow”
won’t work. First of all, it’s not telling viewers anything they don’t already know. Secondly, it offers no solution to the problem of a slow website. Finally, it’s just too long.
A better title?
“Speed Up Your Site’s Loading Time in 10 Seconds”
Here, the title assumes the problem of slow loading time, offers a concrete solution, and promises viewers that they won’t have to spend a ton of time on fixing things.
One final tip? Make sure you include a keyword in your title, as Google crawls for blog titles that it thinks will be relevant to users.
How Else Can You Grow Your Web Presence?
Thanks to this post, you not only know the important CTR formula, you also have a few ideas about how you can increase your current click-through rates.
Of course, CTR is just one of the many metrics you can use to measure the overall effectiveness of your website.
You’ll also need to consider things like SEO keyword research, current site speed, and even site security. To get started, spend some time on our website, and be sure to check out our free SEO training videos.
If you have absolutely no idea where to start, don’t panic: we can help. Schedule a consultation with one of our team members today.
Together, let’s make your website to rise in the search engine rankings, increase your conversions, and boost your overall CTR.