The Golden Triangle 2005

In addition, we have performed numerous eye tracking studies over the years that have provided some amazing insight into just where people’s visual tendencies are when they arrive on a search results page.  You can download our original research here.

It is one thing to see and view the results, but where do users actually click when they arrive on the SERP?  Numerous studies (including our own) have identified that the majority of clicks happen on organic listings.  In our original study, when the Google SERP was pretty simple in nature, we saw that users clicked on organic results 70% of the time and clicked on Paid listings 30% of the time.  Of course since then Google has made a number of changes to their results pages.  In 2007, we were introduced to personalized and Universal Search where the 10 blue links transformed to include elements such as video results, news results and more than just the ten blue links.  Google has since added local results, knowledge graph results, carousel results and other dynamic changes to their SERPs.  There’s no question that the aesthetics of Google’s SERP has undergone quite the transformation in recent years.

Data from our earlier studies suggests that nearly 73% of the clicks on a Google results page went to an organic result.  The breakdown of organic click-through rates can be seen in the table below.

Of course these click-through rates are dependent on the type of search and the type of results that are being returned.  A top listing for a certain query may provide a click-through rate of anywhere from 15-40% it really depends on a number of elements including:

• Relevancy of the results
• The user’s familiarity with the sites/brands being listed
• The intent of the searcher
• The # of organic results returned on the SERP

In 2007, we performed updated research in which we say organic click-through rates shift slightly as seen here:

In 2011, Slingshot SEO released a study stating that the top organic spot captured 18.25% of the clicks; this is lower than what most studies have concluded.  It just illustrates the fact that there is discrepancy due to a number of different factors as mentioned above.  I have written about organic click-through rates on multiple occasions in the past and one thing that is for certain is that the higher up on a SERP that you are with your organic listings the greater chance you have of obtaining the click.

Advanced Web Ranking recently released some data on organic click-through rates on Google’s SERPs.  Their findings back up our previous and most recent research.   They found that, on average, a little over 71% of Google searches conducted resulted in clicks on page one in Google and that the first five results accounting for 67.60% of all clicks.  Looking at our previous data, we suggested that the top five organic results acquired 54.7% of the clicks.  Our most recent research found this to be closer to 65%.  Here is a look at what the Advanced Web Ranking report found when it comes to organic click-through rates:

Advanced Web Ranking Organic CTR Data - Courtesy of Marketing Land

Of note from the Advanced Web Ranking study is their data as it pertains to mobile.  The assumption that many have made is that we would expect mobile CTR rates to be even higher for the top three results.  (A smaller viewing area means that more of the content is below the fold.)  In reality data from Advanced Web Ranking suggests that mobile CTRs are very similar to what we are seeing with desktop.

Notice that mobile clicks actually increase as the user apparently navigates to pages two and three of the results.

Getting back to desktop search, our most recent research from August 2014, suggests that the top five organic results account for approximately 65% of the clicks.  So the findings from Advanced Web Ranking and Mediative’s own research are quite close.  In fact, as taken from our own research here is the breakdown of the click data and how it’s distributed across the different elements of the SERP.

For more insight, check out our free download of our latest research on: The Evolution of Google’s Search Results Pages & Effects on User Behaviour.  We can see the importance of still being in the top organic spot but look at  how being in positions two or three has changed over the years.  There is no question that even with all of Google’s dynamic changes to the SERP, having a solid organic ranking is key to attracting the click and acquiring traffic to your web properties.  So what happens with local queries you might ask?  Our research also illustrates users click activity when local results were found above and below organic listings.  For example, did you know that when there is a local listing box above organic listings the top two organic listings garnered 45% of the page clicks?  Learn more about the impact of Local Listings within the SERP.

In an extremely weird coincidence, as I was preparing this post, Philip Petrescu (from Advanced Web Rankings) has posted a piece on Google Organic Click-Through Rates in 2014 where he has cited our past research data from Enquiro.  He has listed a comparison of previous CTR studies, so rather than replicate that here, you can see the comparison by going to: http://moz.com/blog/google-organic-click-through-rates-in-2014.

It is great to see so much research being done in this area.  As website owners and online marketers, understanding how people engage with a search results page can help identify opportunities to gain visibility in areas where we know people will actually be focusing on.  While the move to mobile search from desktop is in full force, early findings suggest that users have similar click-through habits when it comes to the search results that are presented to them.  With mobile activity, we make the assumption that people are all about the convenience factor.  However the fact remains, is that they are still looking for the most relevant result based on their intent.  (Even if that means they may not know what the most relevant result may be).  While it may no longer be about rankings, understanding organic CTR can illustrate just where it is that you should try to be found on a search results page.  And while we cannot control where and on what people click, there are some things that you can do to get users to engage with your listings.

Three Ways to Potentially Impact Organic Clicks

1. Produce highly relevant content – Building out relevant themes for your content still remains one of the best ways that you can gain visibility in Search.  Becoming an authority for these topics can help ensure that you are found within the prime real estate of SERPs.  Again, the magical equation is not just to drive traffic to your web properties, but to drive qualified traffic to your websites that will ideally follow up with some sort of engagement with your brand.  If you have the “goods” that people are looking for and if you have a solid brand reputation, you should be able to gain visibility within Search results pages.  If your messaging resonates with the user’s intent, you should be able to inherit the click as a result.
2. Optimize for the long-tail – While search activity may be lower for these types of keywords, searchers for these types of terms have a more distinct action in mind.  Someone who searches for “all-season tires vs all weather tires” has a very specific intent.  Someone who searches for “Nokian all-season tires” has an even more specific intent.  Tailoring your content to focus on the long-tail can help entice clicks especially knowing that long tail keyword searches show higher CTRs for first page listings.
3. Optimize for Blended Search – whether it is desktop search or mobile search, optimizing for more than just a web page is becoming increasingly important.  People are engaging with video, with maps, and with GEO content, and as a result, optimizing for these elements can help you gain visibility within the search results.  Optimize for the Knowledge Graph and optimize for the convenience factor to improve the amount of impression that you receive.

Impressions are one thing, but organic click-through rates and actual organic clicks are what we are after.  We are looking to drive traffic to our website which at the heart of it our websites are nothing more than a glorified brochure or guide for our business.  It’s what we do with our messaging and the clicks that we do get which can have the greatest impact on our bottom line.  Are you in it to win it, or are you in it to simply be an also ran and a potential rung on the ladder?

For more on the evolution of Google’s SERP and on click-through rates, check out our free download of our latest research on: The Evolution of Google’s Search Results Pages & Effects on User Behaviour.


About the Author
Jody has been specializing in organic search for the better part of the past decade. Having spent seven years with Mediative (formerly Enquiro), Jody has dealt with some of the largest brands in the world reviewing sites, providing insightful analysis and mapping online strategies for our clients. Jody has contributed articles to leading industry resources such as Search Engine Guide, Web Pro News Canada, Search Engine Journal and his own blog Marketing-Jive.com. Jody has created and developed SEO for Website Redesign solutions, has prepared numerous SEO best practices and is an advocate of continuous improvement. Jody plays a key role in helping Mediative deliver cutting edge search strategies, assisting clients with adapting to the ever-changing online universe.