What is a good click-through rate?

It depends heavily on the channel. Google Search ads average 3–6% CTR because intent is high; Display/banner ads typically land at 0.05–0.35% because they interrupt rather than answer. Social ads (Facebook, Instagram) sit around 0.5–3%. Email newsletters average 1.5–5%. There is no universal "good" — benchmark your CTR against the same channel, same industry, same audience segment.

How is CTR calculated?

CTR (%) = (Clicks / Impressions) x 100. For example, 450 clicks from 15,000 impressions gives 450 / 15,000 x 100 = 3.0%. The formula is identical across search ads, display ads, email campaigns and organic search results — only the typical range differs by channel.

What is the difference between CTR and conversion rate?

CTR measures how many people clicked your ad out of everyone who saw it. Conversion rate measures how many of those clickers completed a desired action (purchase, sign-up, lead form). A campaign can have a stellar CTR but a poor conversion rate if the landing page does not match the ad promise — and vice versa. Both metrics together reveal where the funnel leaks.

What does ROAS mean and how is it calculated?

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) = Revenue / Ad Spend. A ROAS of 4x means you earned £4 for every £1 spent. A ROAS above 1x means the campaign covers its own cost; most businesses target 3–5x or higher to cover overheads and remain profitable. Use the Advanced mode to enter your revenue and spend to get your ROAS instantly.

What is CPM and when should I optimise for it?

CPM (Cost per Mille) = (Spend / Impressions) x 1,000 — it is the cost to show your ad 1,000 times. CPM is the right metric to optimise when your goal is brand awareness rather than direct clicks or conversions. Optimise for CPC when driving traffic, CPA when driving actions, and CPM when maximising reach on a fixed budget.

How can I improve a low CTR?

For search ads: tighten keyword match types, rewrite headlines to directly answer the search intent, add sitelinks/callouts, and pause low-quality search terms. For display: test bolder creative, reduce frequency cap, tighten audience targeting. For email: A/B test subject lines, send at the optimal day/time for your list, and segment so copy matches subscriber interests. Even a 0.5-percentage-point CTR improvement compounding across millions of impressions translates to significantly lower CPA.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) Calculator

Click-through rate (CTR) is the single most-watched metric in digital advertising — it tells you what fraction of people who saw your ad, email, or search result actually clicked on it. A high CTR signals that your creative is resonating; a low CTR is the first diagnostic clue that the message, audience, placement, or offer needs adjustment. This calculator gives you your CTR in seconds, and — in Advanced mode — the complete set of paid-media KPIs: CPC, CPM, conversion rate, CPA, and ROAS.

How it works

Basic mode — CTR only

Enter the total clicks and impressions from any ad platform (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, DV360, email ESP). The calculator immediately applies:

CTR (%) = Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100

The result shows as a percentage. A benchmark table below the result lets you see at a glance how your CTR compares against Search, Display, Social, LinkedIn, Email, and YouTube norms.

Advanced mode — full-funnel metrics

Add your ad spend, conversions (purchases, leads, sign-ups), and revenue to unlock the full dashboard:

Metric	Formula
CTR	Clicks / Impressions × 100
CPC	Spend / Clicks
CPM	Spend / Impressions × 1,000
Conversion rate	Conversions / Clicks × 100
CPA	Spend / Conversions
ROAS	Revenue / Spend
Net profit	Revenue − Spend

Reverse calculator

The reverse panel answers a common planning question: “If I expect 20,000 impressions and want a 3.5% CTR, how many clicks do I need?” Enter your forecast impressions and target CTR to get the required click count instantly.

Worked example

Suppose a Google Search campaign delivered:

Clicks: 450
Impressions: 15,000
Spend: £250
Conversions: 18
Revenue: £900

Step 1 — CTR: 450 / 15,000 × 100 = 3.0% (Sits in the “typical” range for Search ads — competitive but room to grow.)

Step 2 — CPC: £250 / 450 = £0.56 per click

Step 3 — CPM: £250 / 15,000 × 1,000 = £16.67 per thousand impressions

Step 4 — Conversion rate: 18 / 450 × 100 = 4.0%

Step 5 — CPA: £250 / 18 = £13.89 per acquisition

Step 6 — ROAS: £900 / £250 = 3.6× (i.e. £3.60 returned per £1 spent)

Step 7 — Net profit: £900 − £250 = £650

Formula note

All formulas are deterministic ratios — no statistical modelling or sampling. CTR, CPC, CPM, and ROAS are exact given the numbers you enter. Conversion rate uses the same ratio pattern (conversions ÷ clicks) so all metrics are internally consistent. Everything runs in JavaScript in your browser; nothing is sent to any server.