Google Webmaster Tools

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In GWTs in the search queries section.. what exactly are the impression numbers and how does it make its measures?

Here is an example actual query from my GWT...

home remedies - 145 impressions - 7 clicks - 5% CTR - 44 average position

In the Google keyword planner that keyword shows it gets 33100 searches a month.

So does that mean... of the 33100 times people searched that keyword, only 147 of them got to the 5th page where they could actually see my listing?

and then, of those 145 people, only 7 of them clicked thru...?

and so ideally ...if I had a first page position for that keyword it would mean I would get approx 33100 impressions a month and at 5% CTR that would be approx 1625 clicks?

Is that right?
#ctr #google #gwt #impressions #serps #tools #webmaster
  • Profile picture of the author LABEShops
    You are correct.

    What I do when I see stats like this is to check the page that was clicked and see how I can optimize it for the keyword that was used. Make sure the meta description is optimized so that people want to click on your link over the others they see - if you offer free shipping on it, state it for example in the meta description. I have found this greatly improves my ctr.

    If the keyword they are search for is a question "how do I...?" I do something like "Want to know how...." in the meta description.

    Finding out exactly what people are searching for is a great help in fine tuning your seo.
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    Owner of LABEShops.com & 20+ Niche Online Stores as well as Scifispace.com and other sites. Recommended Host: Evolve

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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Originally Posted by RedWaterDub View Post

    In GWTs in the search queries section.. what exactly are the impression numbers and how does it make its measures?

    Here is an example actual query from my GWT...

    home remedies - 145 impressions - 7 clicks - 5% CTR - 44 average position

    In the Google keyword planner that keyword shows it gets 33100 searches a month.

    So does that mean... of the 33100 times people searched that keyword, only 147 of them got to the 5th page where they could actually see my listing?

    and then, of those 145 people, only 7 of them clicked thru...?

    and so ideally ...if I had a first page position for that keyword it would mean I would get approx 33100 impressions a month and at 5% CTR that would be approx 1625 clicks?

    Is that right?

    No. You are incorrect.

    CTR generally increases on the first page, and especially if you are #1 or #2. At #1, you would probably see a CTR in excess of 40%.

    I doubt that even out of somewhere around 30,000+ people as many as 147 of them ever scrolled to the 5th page. If there were that many scrolling to the 5th page, it was bots.

    The other explanation is that GWT gives you an average ranking position. They have hundreds and hundreds of different data centers. Which data center someone connects to will effect the ranking they see. Rankings are also impacted by geo-locations and personal browsing. There are no longer static rankings across all of Google. Someone might see you ranked at #43. Another person on the other side of the world may not see you ranked anywhere in the top 100.
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