Clickthrough rate (CTR) benchmarks: How do you compare?

While you might think you’re generating the right amount of clicks from your paid ads, how can you be certain without comparing your CTR against industry benchmarks? The chart below shows CTR benchmarks for five key PPC verticals: Retail, Finance, Travel, Auto, and Telecom. We also included benchmarks for both top-tier and middle-tier advertisers. Are you in between the middle and the top?

Highlights From the CTR Benchmark Chart

• Retail: Advertisers on keywords related to Gifts had the highest CTR during Q2 of 2015 of any vertical analyzed, four times higher than any other Retail sub-vertical.
• Telecom: Telecom saw the biggest differential between top-tier and middle-tier advertisers. Why do you think the top-tier advertisers, the ones who generate the greatest volume of clicks, can also produce the most efficient ads?
• Automotive: This vertical saw the lowest average CTR of the five verticals we analyzed, with an average of 3.8%. Why are automotive shoppers more hesitant to click on ads? It makes sense if the ads were advertising local dealers (i.e., providing a phone number or address) but not if they are driving shoppers to 3rd-party comparison sites or for buying auto parts.