Everything You Need to Know About Optimizing SERP Click-Through Rates

The click-through rate of SERP results isn’t discussed that often in the world of SEO. So we’ll forgive you if this is the first you are hearing about it. But optimizing SERP CTRs is important. It’s not enough to just be at the top of Google, anymore. You also need to make sure that users click on your link over those of your competitors.

What are SERP click-through rates

Your page’s SERP click-through rate (or SERP CTR) is the number of clicks your link in Google gets over the total amount of people who see that search result. If loads of people click your link in Google, you’ll have a high SERP CTR. If few do, you’ll have a low CTR.

How do you optimize your SERP CTR

There are several ways that you can improve your SERP CTR.

Start by using a compelling title

The first thing that users see in Google are the titles of all the potential results. Yours needs to be near the top, but it also needs to stand out from other results. That means you should be making your title as clickable as possible. Try to include keywords too so that users know that your page will deliver the information they are looking for.

Be careful not to make your title too long, however. A long title can be cut off by Google or rewritten entirely.

Then write an engaging meta description

The next thing that users are likely to see is your page’s meta description, and it needs to be just as engaging as your title. Good thing you get a little more space than your title to make that possible. You’ll want to tease the content on your page and give users a reason to click on your link over those of your competitors.

Use short URLs

Your page’s URL will also be displayed beneath your page title. This should be optimized so that it is as short and descriptive as possible.

Use emojis

Google has recently allowed brands to start including emojis into their page titles and meta descriptions. This is a particularly effective way to make your listing stand out, particularly on mobiles where their use is common. Try it for yourself by adding an emoji or two into your page title and meta description. Be careful not to add too many, however, as loads of emojis can make your brand look unprofessional.

Use structured data

Structured data is quite technical and complex, but it can be a great way to make your listing clearer in the SERPs. Structuring your page’s meta data helps search engines and other websites to better understand what your page is about. As a result, they can index your website better and help users find exactly what they are looking for.

While you’re at it, make sure that you optimize your page’s content, too. It’s no good having an enticing link in Google if people aren’t going to like what they find when they click on it.