Tech CTR Benchmarks 2026: A 4.5M Impression Study

Tech CTR Benchmarks 2026: A 4.5M Impression Study

SEO & AEO
Slate
Benchmark study
Search Console data across 16 B2B tech verticals, putting weighted click-through at position one an order of magnitude below the old benchmarks.
Organisation
Slate
Written By
Akilan Arumugam
PUBLISHED
August 5, 2026
Read
3
min

What it is.

This pulls non-branded Search Console data across 16 B2B tech verticals for the first quarter of 2026, totalling 4.5M impressions.

Position one returns 1.80% weighted click-through against the 27.6% to 28.5% figure most forecasts still use. The gap is what makes traffic models wrong.

Intent explains more than position does. At position one, informational queries return 1.18% and commercial queries 4.23%, and informational makes up 77.5% of impressions.

What you get.

  • Weighted click-through at position one of 1.80%, against a traditional benchmark of 27.6% to 28.5%
  • The intent split at position one: 1.18% informational, 4.23% commercial, 2.83% tool and reference
  • Impression share by intent, with informational at 77.5%
  • The commercial cliff, a 64% fall between position four and five
  • Tool and reference pages taking 19.6% of clicks on a small impression share
  • A traffic forecast formula with a worked example

Read it at the source.

Opens on Slate. Free, and the figures on this page all come from it.
Read the guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the click data come from?
Whose sites are in it?
What is a realistic click-through rate at position one?
Does position still matter?
Why is my SEO traffic forecast always wrong?
Which query intent still earns clicks?
Strengths
  • Search Console data, so the click figures are observed and not derived from a curve.
  • Splits by intent as well as position, which is what makes the numbers usable in a forecast.
  • States how far the old benchmarks overstate, 24.2 times for informational at position one.
Limitations
  • Slate's own research, drawn from properties it and TripleDart work on.
  • B2B tech verticals only, so consumer and ecommerce curves will differ.
  • Non-branded queries only, so it says nothing about branded click-through.
Skip this if
  • Skip it if you have Search Console history deep enough to set your own click expectations.
Ideal for
  • SEO leads building a forecast
  • Content leads sizing traffic upside

The plays behind the reading.

We build inbound GTM engines for B2B software teams, and these are the frameworks we build from. Bring us a pipeline target and we'll map the route.