---
title: "Sistrix CTR study: how SERP layout changes position-1 clicks"
url: https://seomadman.com/research/sistrix-ctr-serp-layout-study
section: research
published: 2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
author: Adam Hafez
topics: ["Technical SEO"]
---

# Sistrix CTR study: how SERP layout changes position-1 clicks

## The short answer

Sistrix's analysis of more than 80 million keywords found Google position 1 earns a 28.5% average click-through rate, but that average hides a wide range: 46.9% with sitelinks, 34.2% for pure organic results and 13.7% when Google Shopping appears. SERP layout, not ranking position alone, decides how many clicks a result can earn.

## Key takeaways

- Sistrix's study of more than 80 million keywords reports an average click-through rate of 28.5% at position 1, 15.7% at position 2 and 11% at position 3.
- Position 10 averages only 2.5% click-through rate in the Sistrix data, so position 1 earns more than ten times as many clicks.
- Position 1 click-through rate ranges from 46.9% with sitelinks to 13.7% when Google Shopping results appear on the page.
- Sistrix concludes that SERP layout determines how many potential clicks an organic result can get for a keyword.
- A single average CTR curve is a poor forecasting input, because the same position earns very different click shares under different layouts.

Most CTR-by-position charts show one smooth curve. The Sistrix study is worth reading because it
shows how much that curve moves once you account for what else is on the results page.

## What did the Sistrix CTR study measure?

Sistrix analyzed more than 80 million keywords and billions of search results, joining cleansed
Search Console data with information about each page's layout. Its average curve is steep: 28.5% at
position 1, 15.7% at position 2, 11% at position 3 and 2.5% at position 10.

## Why does position 1 not always earn the same clicks?

Because the layout around the result differs. Sistrix's position 1 figures run from 46.9% with
sitelinks and 34.2% for pure organic results down to 23.3% with a featured snippet, 18.8% when ads
are present and 13.7% when Google Shopping appears. Sistrix's own summary is that layout decides how
many potential clicks an organic result can get.

## How reliable is this study today?

It is a 2020 study, with a page modification in July 2025, and it covers mobile data. The layout
effect is the durable lesson; the exact percentages are not a current benchmark. For newer trackers
and how their numbers differ, see the report on [organic CTR by position](/reports/organic-ctr-by-position-2026/).

## Sources

1. [Why (almost) everything you knew about Google CTR is no longer valid](https://www.sistrix.com/blog/why-almost-everything-you-knew-about-google-ctr-is-no-longer-valid/) - SISTRIX (primary)