What actually is ... a click-through rate?

The click-through rate describes the ratio of clicks on an ad in relation to the number of ad impressions (ad impressions). For the advertiser, this rate means: how often people who see the ad actually click on it and therefore land on the advertiser's landing page - in other words, a conversion is generated for the advertiser. Advertisers can use this metric to assess the performance of their ads.
The click-through rate can be determined for both in-page and in-stream advertising media. It is not possible to definitively predict how the average click-through rate of a campaign will develop. It depends on various factors such as the medium, the website and its content, as well as the timing of the campaign. An ad achieves a higher click-through rate if it is integrated into the content of a website as a native ad and is therefore not perceived as a disruptive factor.

A higher probability of a click and therefore a better click-through rate is generated if the ad contains interaction options or moving images - i.e. as soon as the user can engage with the ad for longer. The same naturally also applies to a great offer that is advertised in the ad, or if the ad has an elaborate graphic design.

The click-through rate is calculated and indicated as a percentage. An example: If an ad is displayed 500 times and has been clicked on 10 times, this results in a click-through rate of 2 percent (10 clicks / 500 ad impressions × 100).

Term explained by: Robin ErnstAgency & Campaign Manager at Goldbach Digital Services.