CTR Benchmarks by Industry & Position: Click-Through Rate Averages
Click-through rate (CTR) is not a single number — it varies dramatically by ranking position, industry, and SERP layout. A 3% CTR might be excellent for one keyword and terrible for another. Without benchmarks, you cannot know whether your CTR needs improvement or is already performing well. Here is the complete CTR benchmark system, including the baseline curve, industry adjustments, and how SEO Surgeon uses these benchmarks to score every keyword in your Search Console export.
The baseline CTR curve
The foundation of all CTR benchmarking is the position-based CTR curve. This curve represents the average CTR for organic search results at each ranking position, based on aggregate search behaviour data. It is the starting point before industry adjustments are applied.
| Position | Baseline CTR | Clicks per 1,000 Impressions | Leverage Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28% | 280 | Low (near ceiling) |
| 2 | 15% | 150 | Low |
| 3 | 10% | 100 | Medium |
| 4 | 7% | 70 | High |
| 5 | 5% | 50 | High |
| 6–7 | 3.5% | 35 | Highest |
| 8–10 | 2.5% | 25 | Highest |
| 11–15 | 1.5% | 15 | Medium |
| 16+ | 1% | 10 | Low |
The leverage column shows where CTR improvements have the most impact. Positions 4–10 are the sweet spot — you are visible enough to get meaningful impressions, and even small CTR improvements (1–2 percentage points) translate to significant click gains. Position 1 is already near its ceiling; improving CTR there yields diminishing returns.
Why industry matters for CTR benchmarks
The baseline curve assumes a "standard" SERP layout — organic results with no major SERP features. But real SERPs vary by industry. Local service queries (plumbers, dentists, roofers) typically have local packs, map results, and ads above the organic results, which suppress CTR. Informational queries (blog content, news) tend to have cleaner SERPs with fewer ads, allowing higher CTR.
Example: If you rank at position 4 for "emergency plumber Dublin," your SERP likely includes 3 ads, a local pack with 3 map results, and review stars — all above your organic listing. Your realistic CTR ceiling is much lower than the 7% baseline because most clicks go to the ads and local pack above you.
Industry-specific CTR multipliers
SEO Surgeon adjusts the baseline CTR curve for each industry based on the typical SERP layout. Industries with heavy local pack and ad presence get lower CTR benchmarks; industries with cleaner SERPs get higher benchmarks.
| Industry | CTR Multiplier | Why It Differs |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, Roofers | 0.75× | Heavy local pack + ads above organic results |
| Dentists | 0.80× | Local pack + directory dominance (Yelp, etc.) |
| Gyms, Estate Agents | 0.85× | Moderate local pack presence |
| Law Firms, Solicitors | 0.85× | Heavy ad competition + local pack |
| Restaurants | 0.85× | Map pack + review aggregator dominance |
| E-commerce | 0.95× | Shopping ads + product carousels |
| Travel, Finance | 0.90× | Ad-heavy SERPs, rich features |
| Health | 0.90× | YMYL content, Google feature boxes |
| Education | 1.00× | Cleaner SERPs, fewer ads |
| SaaS | 1.05× | Fewer ads, less local pack interference |
| News, Blog | 1.10× | Cleanest SERPs, minimal ad presence |
These multipliers are applied to the baseline curve. For a plumber at position 4, the expected CTR is 7% × 0.75 = 5.25%, not 7%. This adjusted benchmark is what SEO Surgeon compares your actual CTR against — so a 4% CTR for a plumber at position 4 is flagged as a gap, while the same 4% for a SaaS company at position 4 might be close to the benchmark.
What is a good CTR?
"Good" CTR is always relative to your position and industry. Here is a quick reference for what constitutes good, acceptable, and poor CTR at key positions:
| Position | Good CTR | Acceptable CTR | Poor CTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25%+ | 18–25% | Below 18% |
| 2 | 13%+ | 10–13% | Below 10% |
| 3 | 9%+ | 6–9% | Below 6% |
| 4–5 | 5–7%+ | 3–5% | Below 3% |
| 6–10 | 2.5–3.5%+ | 1.5–2.5% | Below 1.5% |
These ranges are based on the baseline curve before industry adjustment. For local service industries, multiply the "good" threshold by your industry multiplier (e.g., 0.75 for plumbers) to get your adjusted benchmark.
How SEO Surgeon scores CTR performance
SEO Surgeon evaluates every keyword in your Search Console export against the industry-adjusted CTR benchmark. For each keyword, the system:
Looks up the benchmark
Uses your keyword's average position and your selected industry to find the expected CTR. A plumber at position 5 gets a benchmark of 5% × 0.75 = 3.75%.
Compares to your actual CTR
If your actual CTR is 1.8% and the benchmark is 3.75%, you have a CTR gap of 1.95 percentage points. This gap represents lost clicks.
Calculates lost clicks
Lost clicks = (benchmark CTR − your CTR) × impressions. With 5,000 impressions and a 1.95% gap, you are losing ~97 clicks per month from this one keyword.
Assigns a CTR status
Each keyword gets a status: Excellent (90%+ of benchmark), Needs Improvement (50–89%), or Critical Opportunity (below 50%). This lets you scan hundreds of keywords instantly.
The CTR opportunity formula
Not every CTR gap is worth fixing. SEO Surgeon weighs each opportunity by four factors to determine which CTR improvements to prioritise:
Opportunity = (CTR Gap × 0.35) + (Position Leverage × 0.25) + (Intent Strength × 0.25) + (Commercial Value × 0.15)
| Factor | Weight | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| CTR Gap | 35% | Bigger gap = more lost clicks to recover |
| Position Leverage | 25% | Positions 4–12 have the highest improvement potential |
| Intent Strength | 25% | Commercial/transactional queries are worth more per click |
| Commercial Value | 15% | Revenue per click based on industry conversion rate and AOV |
This ensures that the CTR improvements SEO Surgeon recommends first are the ones with the highest revenue impact — not just the biggest CTR gaps. A transactional keyword at position 5 with a moderate CTR gap will always score higher than an informational keyword at position 8 with a larger gap, because the transactional keyword is worth more money per click. Learn more in our guides to opportunity scoring and improving CTR.
Industry CTR examples
Local service (Plumbers)
Position 4 benchmark: 5.25% (baseline 7% × 0.75 multiplier). A plumber at position 4 with 2% CTR is losing 3.25 percentage points — with 3,000 impressions, that is ~98 lost clicks and potentially €500+ in lost revenue per month.
SaaS
Position 4 benchmark: 7.35% (baseline 7% × 1.05 multiplier). SaaS SERPs tend to be cleaner with fewer ads, so CTR benchmarks are slightly higher than the baseline.
E-commerce
Position 4 benchmark: 6.65% (baseline 7% × 0.95 multiplier). Shopping ads and product carousels suppress organic CTR slightly, but not as heavily as local packs.
Blog / News
Position 4 benchmark: 7.7% (baseline 7% × 1.10 multiplier). These SERPs are the cleanest with minimal ad presence, allowing the highest organic CTR.
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
What is a good CTR for position 1?
Position 1 should achieve a CTR of 25–30% on the baseline curve. For local service industries with heavy local pack presence, the adjusted benchmark may be 19–22% (28% × 0.75 multiplier). If your position 1 CTR is below 18%, your title tag and meta description need improvement.
How are the industry multipliers determined?
Industry multipliers are based on the typical SERP layout for queries in each industry. Local service queries (plumbers, dentists, roofers) tend to have local packs, map results, and ads above organic results, which suppress CTR. Informational queries (blog, news) have cleaner SERPs with fewer ads, allowing higher CTR. The multipliers are derived from aggregate CTR data across thousands of Search Console exports.
Should I compare my CTR to competitors?
You cannot directly see competitor CTR data. However, the industry-adjusted benchmark serves as a proxy — it represents what a well-optimised site in your industry should achieve at each position. If your CTR is below the benchmark, competitors with better-optimised titles are likely capturing the clicks you are losing.
How often should I check my CTR benchmarks?
Monthly is ideal for most sites. SEO Surgeon compares every keyword against the benchmark automatically when you upload a Search Console export, so you do not need to manually look up benchmarks for each position. The analysis flags every keyword where your CTR is below the industry-adjusted benchmark.