Organic CTR and Online Marketing: What You Need to Know

For several years now, the SEO community has noted a marked decrease in organic click-through rates (CTR). An analysis by Rand Fishkin on SparkToro revealed that from 2016 to 2018, organic CTR on Google declined on both desktop and mobile searches.

The organic clicks, Fishkin noted, had been "siphoned away" to Google's properties (including paid ads) and the increasingly popular rich answers. 

While the decline wasn't "massive" on desktop, the mobile decline had been significant in the US and the UK: down by nearly a third. During the same time, clicks on paid ads almost doubled.

"This data paints a stark narrative," Fishkin wrote. "Google...uses its monopoly power to gain advantages...And while SEO...remains a powerful channel, organic search is being slowly cannibalized around the world, yielding more monetization and data-gathering value [to] Google."

Fishkin's frankly terrible writing can be hard to decipher, though his message here (which we heavily edited) is clear: Organic SEO might not attract the attention your business deserves.

Is Fishkin correct? If so, how can you adapt to meet the evolving challenges of today's online marketplace?

What is a Click-Through Rate?

Click-Through Tate (CTR) is Google's term to define the difference between the number of people who see your ad on the SERP (search engine results page) and the number who actually click through.

Yet "organic" CTR is also a useful metric for analyzing a page's performance on the SERP. Organic CTR is the difference between how many people see a result in the organic rankings and how many people actually click-through to the result.

CTR is a big metric in SEO Sparta's search engine optimization protocol, especially for our local SEO clients in the Philadelphia Area.  

As noted, SEO believes this type of organic CTR has declined in favor of clicks to paid ads and "no-clicks"--when a browser clicks on nothing.

A higher CTR naturally means that a specific page intrigues browsers by name and/or description alone. A lower CTR may mean you're not successfully marketing a given page with what Neil Patel calls "a sizzling title or an appealing meta description."

CTR viewed by itself does not tell the whole story of a web page's success. Once a browser clicks through, your content should convince him/her to stick around--and/or "convert." Read About Website Conversions here. 

How Important is Organic CTR?

On Search Engine Land, Andy Taylor has made a convincing case that CTRs for paid ads kinda don't matter. However, organic CTRs certainly do matter, and Fishkin is correct to sound his note of warning.

It's important to remember: Fishkin does note that organic SEO is still a "powerful channel." And really, the debate about the viability of organic SEO is as old as SEO itself.

A few years ago, the popular SEO writer Barry Adams claimed in a tweet that when compared to paid ads organic SEO delivers more traffic, more engagement, and more conversions for "every website [he's] ever looked at."

In response to Adam's tweet, Andy Taylor noted that "Google has been steadily making changes that directly harm organic search and help to keep paid search click growth strong."

Fishkin's analysis certainly confirms Taylor's point. But is Adams entirely wrong? Not necessarily. The true picture is much more nuanced.

For many brands a combination of different online marketing techniques, including both organic SEO and paid search, is the best approach. Yes, cost is a huge factor--especially for smaller local brands. So organic SEO will still play a major role in defining the success or failure of many online businesses. We have seen SEO continue to be a viable tool for our local clients. 

For these businesses, SEO Sparta's head SEO man, Alex Stepman, believes the key to success is a diversified approach that utilizes as many low-cost options as possible, including social media marketing, free Google options like Google My Business, and of course, organic SEO.

In a post extolling the value of Google Posts for Google My Business accounts (despite Google's seeming diminishment of the tool), Adam Dorfman offered a prescient thought:

"I suggest businesses calculate the lifetime value of each customer they attract against the cost in productivity required to keep the content fresh. Is the trade-off worth it? I suspect it will be."

Yes, many of the less expensive online marketing options require costs in labor and productivity but they're still the best option for smaller, enterprising businesses.

Online Marketing: Your Engine to Profits

To navigate the complex challenges of online marketing, you might need to hire an online marketing firm like SEO Sparta.

Do not let the changing search engine algorithms compromise your sales. You need the astute wisdom of a professional who can help you answer the question honestly: What online marketing strategies are best for your business?

Contact Alex Stepman of SEO Sparta today to learn how you can improve your website's performance: 215-900-9398.

If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

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