CTR (Click-Through Rate)
CTR (Click-Through Rate) is the percentage of users who click on a given listing, ad, or link out of the total who saw it. It is one of the foundational metrics in digital marketing and OTA listing performance.
Formula
CTR = (Clicks / Impressions) × 100
Where it matters in hotel distribution
- OTA listings — CTR on a search results page measures how compelling the listing is (image, headline rate, review score)
- Metasearch — CTR drives the auction position; high-CTR listings convert ad spend more efficiently
- Search engine ads — Google Ads uses CTR as a major input into Quality Score and ad rank
- Email campaigns — CTR on a marketing email measures content engagement
What drives CTR on a hotel listing
- Hero image — by far the biggest single factor
- Price competitiveness — a price visibly above the comp set kills CTR
- Review score — listings under 8.0/10 see steep CTR drops
- Discount badges — Genius, Mobile rate, Member rate flags
- Position in search results — top placement gets disproportionate clicks
CTR vs conversion rate
- CTR — measures whether people click on the listing
- Conversion rate — measures whether clicks turn into bookings
A listing can have a great CTR but a poor conversion rate (over-promised on the search card, under-delivered on the detail page) — and vice versa. Both matter, and optimizing one without the other can be misleading.