In more detail
If a page appears in search results 1,000 times in a month (impressions) and receives 50 clicks, its CTR is 5%. Google Search Console's Performance report shows clicks, impressions, CTR and average position for each query and page, which makes it the main source for organic CTR. Google explains these metrics in its Search Console documentation.
CTR varies widely. Results higher up the page usually attract more clicks, but the layout of the results page matters a great deal. Ads, maps, image packs, featured snippets and AI Overviews can all change how many people click an organic result. Branded searches, where people look for you by name, typically have much higher CTR than general searches.
You can influence CTR through the parts of your result you control: the title tag, which strongly influences the title link Google shows, and the meta description, which can influence the snippet. Structured data can make a result eligible for richer formats.
Why it matters when hiring an agency
CTR is a useful diagnostic. A page with many impressions but a low CTR for its position may need a clearer title or a better match to search intent. Rewriting titles for such pages is a common early task.
Be careful with CTR as a target on its own. A falling CTR across a site can simply mean you're appearing for more searches in lower positions, which is often progress. Ask an agency to explain CTR changes alongside impressions, position and conversions. If you want to see how CTR feeds into leads and revenue, our SEO ROI Calculator models the full funnel from extra visitors onwards.