Desktop and mobile click-through rates are trending in opposite directions, as indicated by the latest data from Advanced Web Ranking.
The trend on desktop is different from recent reports on declining organic clicks, with Q1 data indicating an opposite pattern.
The Data’s Findings
The desktop-mobile comparison is based on data from AWR’s CTR tracking tool, which shows dataset-specific changes rather than direct alterations in Google’s algorithm or SERPs.
Top desktop click-through rates increased across 22 industries over two quarters, whereas mobile rates decreased significantly.
On desktop, most gains were seen below the third position, whereas on mobile, there was a 2.20 percentage point decrease in the #1 spot, with minimal changes in the rest of the top ten.
AWR divides the data into branded and unbranded search queries, and the desktop-mobile split remains consistent for both categories. However, branded desktop gains were higher overall.
Desktop searches with brand names increased across the top ten positions by between 1.99 and 5.78 percentage points. Minor changes were observed in branded searches on mobile. Unbranded searches showed a decrease of 3.07 percentage points in click-through rate (CTR) at the top spot on mobile, while desktop positions improved.
AWR categorizes its data further by breaking it down into additional groups, including keyword length and industry, beyond the initial split in purpose.
The report found that the division between desktop and mobile usage was consistent across the 22 industries studied, although there were significant changes in rankings. In the Family & Parenting sector, the top-ranked desktop sites saw a 7.05% increase, while the top-ranked mobile sites in Law, Government, & Politics experienced a 9.03% decrease.
AWR often publishes cumulative data that includes increases in various top-ten positions, but these totals only represent the changes per position and do not provide details about individual sites. Specifically, when referring to the highest-ranked site in a breakdown by position, the per-position numbers correspond to specific ranking positions.
Recent developments regarding CTR are relevant to this discussion.
Recent CTR data shows a decrease, coinciding with the increased visibility of AI Overviews on search engine results pages. Studies indicate a significant decline in click-through rates for top-ranked results on queries featuring AI Overviews. Users who viewed AI summaries tended to click on conventional links less frequently.
Desktop growth does not completely offset the previous decline in mobile performance, but AWR’s Q1 data suggests a potential recovery trend that aligns with other observed signals.
Seer’s recent report in April showed that click-through rates for organic searches with AI Overviews on search engine results pages were increasing significantly from the low levels seen in mid-December. AWR has now included a distinction between desktop and mobile devices in this positive trend, unlike Seer’s analysis focusing specifically on AI Overview queries.
AWR’s report tracks CTR benchmarks for various SERP positions, without specifying the impact of AI Overviews. Desktop CTR rates increased for all positions, while mobile performed less well at the top. The reasons behind these changes are not directly attributed by AWR or Seer, such as the influence of AI Overviews or alterations in ad layouts.
Why This is Important
It is now more crucial to assess the differences in your CTR on various devices. Previously, the disparity between desktop and mobile was not significant enough to be concerned about using one as a substitute for the other.
If we only rely on tests from one device or inaccurate combined data, we may exaggerate the importance of mobile devices and underestimate desktops.
Looking to the future
Modeling future traffic based on previous month’s impressions and your desktop click-through rate curve is effective when search engine results pages remain unchanged, without AI Overviews, Product ads, Featured snippets, or other elements appearing above the organic search results.
Search results are becoming less predictable due to factors such as device, user intent, and search features.
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