From position to clicks: our CTR curve
The exact position-to-CTR interpolation our calculators use, anchor by anchor.
Several SEOMathLab tools — the Bulk SEO Forecast, the Weighted Portfolio CTR calculator and the CTR Opportunity calculator — convert ranking positions into clicks. This page publishes the exact curve.
The anchors
| Position | CTR used |
|---|---|
| 1 | 27.0% |
| 2 | 15.0% |
| 3 | 10.0% |
| 4 | 7.0% |
| 5 | 5.5% |
| 6 | 4.5% |
| 7 | 3.5% |
| 8 | 3.0% |
| 9 | 2.5% |
| 10 | 2.0% |
| 15 | 1.0% |
| 20 | 0.6% |
| 30 | 0.3% |
| 50 | 0.1% |
| 100 | 0.02% |
Interpolation
Positions between anchors use linear interpolation — position 12.5 sits halfway between the position-10 and position-15 values. Beyond position 100 we use a 0.01% floor rather than zero, so deep pages still register trace traffic.
Why this shape
The curve is steep at the top and flat at the bottom: moving from #8 to #3 roughly triples clicks, while moving from #48 to #38 barely registers. That asymmetry is the single most important intuition in SEO forecasting — and the reason rank-target portfolios beat volume-chasing.
Limitations
- Branded queries skew far higher; AI overviews, ads and featured snippets take clicks from everyone.
- These are blended US averages. Override any value with your own Search Console data in Pro mode.
Last updated: 2026-10-13