A customer walks into a retail store, glances around, and walks right out. You wouldn’t call that a successful visit, would you?
That’s kind of what Click-Through Rate (CTR) is like in digital advertising.
It gives the illusion that your ad caught someone’s attention and sparked interest. But how often do you actually click on an ad and go straight to checkout?
Exactly.
We browse, we scroll, we compare, we forget, we come back later—maybe. CTR doesn’t account for any of that. It’s a surface-level snapshot that barely scratches the surface of what users actually do.
And yet, many advertisers still treat CTR like it’s the king of all metrics.
It’s time advertisers gave reporting dashboards a little more credit and started tracking the digital advertising metrics that actually move the needle.
Why CTR Just Doesn’t Cut It Anymore
Let’s not throw it under the bus completely. CTR can be a helpful directional metric. But using it as your north star? That’s where things get dicey.
Here’s why:
It only tells half the story: Someone clicked. Great. But did they convert? Did they stay? Or did they bounce faster than a toddler on a sugar high?
Clicks can be accidental: Especially on mobile, a lot of taps are just mistimed thumb-based chaos. Those don’t signal interest, just bad UX.
It rewards clickbait: That wild headline or flashy banner might get clicks, but if users regret it two seconds in, was it really worth it?
It ignores platforms where clicks don’t even exist: Think CTV or audio ads. No clicks there, but they absolutely drive brand lift and influence.
So, What Should You Actually Measure?
1. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
The “how much did it cost us to get this customer?” metric.
Unlike CTR, which measures interest, cost per acquisition measures actual outcomes. It answers the big question: Was this ad campaign efficient, or did we pay a massive $150 for a signup?
2. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
CLV zooms out and looks at the long-term potential of a user. If someone buys once and disappears vs. buys every month for a year, you’d want more of the second kind, right? CLV helps you find and optimize for those kinds of users.
3. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Or, every marketer’s version of “was it worth it?”
ROAS tells you how much revenue you earned for each dollar spent. A solid return on ad spend means your campaign wasn’t just shown to the right people but also made your business money in return.
4. Conversion Rate (CVR)
It doesn’t just answer “did they click?”—it answers “did they do the thing we wanted them to do after clicking?” Whether it’s buying, subscribing, or downloading, CVR keeps your eyes on the prize.
5. Incrementality
Proof that your ad actually did something.
Incrementality is about figuring out if your ad really caused someone to convert or if they would have done it anyway. It helps you see the true impact of your campaign by measuring the extra conversions that wouldn’t have happened without your ads.
Would this person have converted even if they didn’t see your ad? If the answer is yes, your digital campaign isn’t doing as much heavy lifting as you think.
What Happens After the Click is What Really Counts
CTR might be easy to measure and even easier to brag about, but it’s time we asked better questions of our data. Are our ads driving actual outcomes? Are we spending efficiently? Are we building long-term customer value?
Because in the end, it’s not about how many people click but it’s about how many people see your brand, relate to it and then convert (and hopefully keep coming back for more).
