Click-Through Rate (CTR) vs Conversion Rate
CTR measures ad or link engagement (clicks per impression); conversion rate measures how many of those clicks result in a desired action. High CTR with low conversion rate is a classic 'curiosity gap' problem — the creative attracts clicks but the landing page or offer fails to convert.
At a Glance
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Percentage of users who click an ad or link after seeing it
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors or leads who take a desired action
Key Differences
- CTR = Clicks / Impressions; conversion rate = Conversions / Clicks (or sessions).
- CTR is a pre-visit metric; conversion rate is a post-visit metric.
- Optimising both together — high CTR and high conversion rate — is the goal of performance marketing.
- Industry-average CTR varies widely (0.5–5%+); conversion rates depend heavily on the action type.
When to Use Each
Use Click-Through Rate (CTR) when…
Use CTR to evaluate creative effectiveness, ad relevance, and whether your targeting is reaching the right audience.
Full Click-Through Rate guide →Use Conversion Rate when…
Use conversion rate to evaluate landing page quality, offer-market fit, and the friction in your purchase or sign-up flow.
Full Conversion Rate guide →Formulas
CLICK-THROUGH RATE (CTR)
CTR = (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) × 100
CONVERSION RATE
Conversion Rate = (Number of Conversions / Total Visitors or Leads) × 100
Charts
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Conversion Rate