Glossary
What is expected CTR in Google Ads?
Melvin Salas1 min readVerified 15 October 2026
Short answer
Expected click through rate (Exp. CTR) is one of the three components of Google Ads Quality Score. Google defines it as the likelihood that your ad will be clicked when shown, and evaluates it as Above average, Average or Below average, based on a comparison with other advertisers whose ads showed for the exact same search over the last 90 days.
You see it as the Exp. CTR column on the Keywords page, in the Quality score section of the columns menu, with Exp. CTR (hist.) for past reporting periods. Google says you can view the change in daily scores by segmenting your table by day.
It is a status, not your click through rate. Our reading: because Google rates it against other advertisers on the same search, it can read Below average on a keyword whose own click through rate looks healthy next to the rest of your account.
If it reads Below average or Average, Google suggests editing your ad text to make your offer more compelling, ensuring the details in your ad match the intent of your keywords, highlighting a unique benefit and being more specific in your ad text. It also warns that there may be times when a more specific ad leads to lower CTRs, but higher conversion rates, and says to look for the balance that leads to the best possible performance for your goals.
Reading these columns is daily work for us
Riibon watches every campaign daily and holds a baseline for each metric, so a move in impression share or Quality Score is judged against what is normal for that account, not against a rule of thumb, before anyone acts on it.
Ask the Riibon app whether your campaigns are losing to budget or to rank. Access starts with a short call: we look at your ads together, then run them for you or set the app up with you.