Search marketers just got new proof that Google’s click landscape is constantly changing. The latest from Advanced Web Ranking Q3 2025 Google CTR trends The report shows a clear pattern: Branded desktop searches now drive clicks to more results further down the page, while commercial and local searches make life difficult at the top of organic search. The study compares data from July to September with the previous quarter and uses an international data set Google CTR trends reflect real global user behavior.
Key CTR trends at Google in Q3 2025
- Branded desktop searches drive more clicks Position 1 lost 1.52 percentage points, while positions 2-6 gained a combined 8.71 points. Users now click below the fold for more branded results.
- Commercial requests penalize the top spot Searches containing words like “buy,” “price,” or “near me” dropped 3.01 points to No. 1 on desktop. Places 1 and 2 lost a combined 4.20 points.
- Local searches follow the same trend Position 1 CTR fell 2.52 points on desktop and 2.13 points on mobile as maps, ads, and rich results pushed organic links down.
- Longer queries remain stable Searches with more than 4 words remain at the top. In contrast, two-word and three-word desktop queries each lost about 1.2 points to position 1.
- Short requests remain volatile Single-word searches on mobile devices gained 1.52 points at the top, but short desktop searches continued to fluctuate from quarter to quarter.
Industry winners and losers
The report tracked 18 industries and found uneven changes:
- The arts and entertainment sector suffered the biggest decline: No. 1 on desktop fell by 5.13 points.
- Travel experienced the strongest upswing: second place on the desktop rose by 2.46 points.
- When shopping, clicks fell: position 1 lost 2.10 points, while positions 2 and 3 together gained 2.83 points.
What this means for your website
If your traffic comes from branded desktop searches, you can expect clicks to spread across more of your own listings instead of piling up at position 1. Whether commercial, local or short-term High volume keywordsEven a consistent #1 ranking may deliver fewer clicks than last quarter.
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Marketers targeting longer, specific searches were the most predictable Google CTR trends in the third quartertheir top positions remained. Advanced Web Ranking emphasizes that no single feature update explains every shift, but the direction is clear: Google continues to distribute clicks more evenly in many important areas SERP Types. Stay tuned as Q4 data will reveal whether these Google CTR trends accelerate or reverse.
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