Google Ads
WordStream 2025 Google Ads benchmarks put the average search ad CTR across industries at 6.66%. Search ads show to people actively looking, so their CTR is much higher than display or social ads.
Email marketing
MailerLite email benchmarks (2025) reported an average click rate of about 2.09%. Check your own with the email CTR calculator.
Meta, LinkedIn and Amazon ads
Published social ad CTRs vary widely by objective, format and audience, and the studies disagree, so we do not quote a single figure. Compare link CTR (not CTR all) between your own ad sets, and treat any ad well below your account average as a candidate to replace.
YouTube CTR
For thumbnails, YouTube's own help pages say half of all channels and videos have an impressions CTR between 2% and 10%. New channels often sit higher on small numbers of impressions, then settle as YouTube shows the video more widely.
Calculate your CTR
Use the CTR calculator. To see how CTR changes your cost per click, read CPM vs CPC vs CTR.
What is a good CTR on YouTube?
On YouTube, CTR means impressions click-through rate: the share of thumbnail impressions that turned into a view. YouTube's own help centre says half of all channels and videos have an impressions CTR between 2% and 10%. New channels and videos shown on the home page or to new audiences usually sit at the lower end, and that is normal.
Compare a video with your channel's own typical CTR rather than with other channels, and judge thumbnails over the first few days, when impressions mostly come from your existing audience.
What is a good CTR for email marketing?
Email CTR is unique clicks divided by emails delivered. A related metric, click-to-open rate, divides clicks by unique opens and tells you whether the content inside the email worked. Since Apple Mail Privacy Protection launched in 2021, many opens are recorded automatically, so open rates and click-to-open rates look better than they really are. Track click rate as your main email metric and use the email CTR calculator to get both numbers at once.
What is a good CTR for Meta, LinkedIn and Amazon ads?
Social and marketplace ads are shown to people who were not searching, so their CTR is usually far lower than search ads. Rather than chase a single number, compare CTR across ads in the same campaign: the ad with the higher CTR at a similar CPM almost always gives you cheaper clicks. Use the CTR calculator and the CPC calculator side by side.
On Meta, check which CTR you are reading: CTR (all) counts every click, including profile and "see more" clicks, while CTR (link click-through rate) counts only clicks to your destination. Link CTR is the one that relates to traffic and sales.
How to improve a low CTR
- Test the first frame: the image, thumbnail or first second of video decides most clicks.
- Match the audience: a broad audience lowers CTR even with good creative.
- Make the offer specific: a clear benefit or number in the headline gives people a reason to click.
- Change one thing at a time: otherwise you cannot tell which change worked.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 1% CTR good?
On search ads, it is low. On many social and display placements it can be normal. Compare within the same channel.
How do I improve CTR?
Test new headlines, images and thumbnails, and tighten targeting so the ad reaches people who care.