According to Google, Clickthrough rate (CTR) refers to the percentage of impressions which resulted in a click.
AdSense CTR simply helps you determine the frequency with which visitors click on your blog or ad and act on it in relation to the number of times that a visitor sees your search result or ad.
As an advertiser or a publisher, the CTR is the most important benchmark for your online marketing campaigns.
So, understanding what it means is important in determining whether a campaign is successful or not.
Think of the Clickthrough rate as the number of times that a visitor clicks on an add, then divide that number by the times the ad or the page is viewed.
This ratio is your clickthrough rate (CTR = No of click on an ad divided by the exposures of the ad).
The CTR rate in percentage refers to the No of clicks multiply by 100, divided by the number of exposures received by the ad.
So, if you are running an ad on your blog and 100 people see the ad and say 10 people click on the ad, your CTR is 10 percent.
Since we are looking and talking about – all things advertisement, it’s important that we look at the AdSense CTR in relation to the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) models. Using the example above on a PPC model, you should know that if your CTR percentage is on the higher side, then it means that your site will generate more earnings.
To make this possible, you need to be careful about the placement of your ad – it should be viewable but non-obstructive. You have to strike a balance for you to generate high ad earnings, in the long-term.
So,
Contents In Page
what is a good CTR?
While it is against the terms of service for us to reveal the exact numbers, and that it is difficult for most bloggers to attain a CTR of above 1 or double figures, most blogs said to have a good CTR record CTRs of between 0.5 and 3 percent.
At this rate, your blog will earn a somewhat decent income and stay safe at the same time.
How can you increase your AdSense CTR?
First, recognize that AdSense is network based on CPC/ Cost Per Click. For you to earn money for your blog, you ought to take a look at the clicks rather than the overall impression.
Then, you should look for better ways of laying out your ads for the maximum income potential.
How?
1. Use Your Ad Blocks (and Make Them Big)
When it comes to advertising, ad blocks are your best friend. This is because using ad blocks will increase your chances of getting more clicks, increasing ad space with which advertisers can bid on, on your blog. The result of this is higher ad revenues.
So, make use of the 3 ad blocks, as well as the 3 links units which you are allowed for every page on your site. The best bit about this strategy is that you don’t have to blend your ads – as long as people are interested in an ad, they will click on it.
2. 2 (or more) Ads Per Post
You get more exposure and clicks from mixed ads. To start you off, place one ad block at the top of your content (below your first paragraph) and the other at the bottom.
3. Colors Matter, Use Red not Blue
To get more clicks, use red links instead of the blue links we are all used to. The red ads have been shown to outperform the blue links. You shouldn’t, however, use the bright red – maroon works.
4. Using Image and Text-Based Ads
Links work, but their CTR is still minimal. You might, therefore, want to embrace the text and then image-based ads. And since AdSense allows the use of images or texts for ads, you don’t want to miss this opportunity.
By using the image and the text-based ads, you allow advertisers to bid more, increasing your overall cost-per-click and revenue in the process. However, you shouldn’t expect a sharp spike of results with this strategy.
5. ShortCode (WordPress Users only)
If you are a WordPress user, you could create a ShortCode which refers to editing PHP files. You don’t need any coding knowledge.
The PHP files let you create a shortcode which lets you add ads when you wish to. It is a great tool because when writing your blog post, you only have to type [ads] where you want your ad, and the shortcode will place the ad there. It works best for persons wishing to control the ad positioning in long and short posts or heavy and video posts.
6. Choose the right ad position (Read – Under the First Paragraph)
Placing ads right after your first paragraph increases your CTR because most visitors read the headline and the introduction, with most of these visitors opting out of a page after reading the first few lines.
With an ad up there, you increase your chances of the ad being seen and being clicked.
7. Use Scrolling Ad Blocks
Even though this strategy is not allowed by Google, as indicated in their policies, it’s one of the most effective strategies for boosting your CTR.
The scrolling Ad works as the name suggests – the ad follows you down a page as you read. Remember that it is against Google’s policies for you to hover an ad over content, but, you could have your ad in your sidebar and away from your blog post’s content. To have your ad in the sidebar, you might need a plugin such as the Q3W3 plugin for WordPress.
Note that you should keep your CTR healthy. CTR above certain points is regarded as bad CTR. If your CTR is below 2 percent, you should find ways of boosting the CTR.
Other than the strategies above, you can increase your CTR in Google AdSense in these ways:
- Create high-quality and niche-specific content
- Check the size and the placement of your ads
- Use a responsive layout
- Avoid using Ad blindness
- Increase the search traffic
- Use heat map plugins
- Reduce ads displayed on a site
- Use AdSense Section Targeting
- Reduce your bounce rate
While employing all these strategies, note that a CTR above 10 percent is not a good thing because Google will be concerned by the high CTR and look deep into your site for violation of policies.
You don’t want your Google AdSense account to be blocked forever, right?
