Google CTR Trends Show Shifts in Branded Searches, Query Length, and Industry Performance in Q3

A new clickthrough rate (CTR) analysis from Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) indicates notable shifts in how users interact with Google’s organic search results, with branded desktop searches, commercial queries, and location-based searches showing the most movement in the third quarter of 2025.

The report compares CTR data from July–September (Q3) with April–June (Q2) across an international dataset, offering a broad view of global search behavior rather than country-specific trends.

Branded Desktop Searches Lose Ground at the Top

AWR found the most significant change in branded searches—queries that include a brand or business name—conducted on desktop devices.

• Position 1 CTR declined by 1.52 percentage points, while
• Positions 2–6 collectively increased by 8.71 points.

Unbranded queries remained mostly unchanged, suggesting the shift is concentrated within branded SERPs. Analysts note that these search results often include rich features such as sitelinks, carousels, knowledge panels, and other modules that can pull attention away from the first organic listing.

Commercial intent queries showed similar patterns. Desktop searches containing terms like “buy” or “price” saw:

• A combined 4.20-point CTR decline for positions 1 and 2, with
• Position 1 accounting for a 3.01-point drop.

Location-based searches also weakened at the top spot, falling 2.52 points on desktop and 2.13 points on mobile. Local SERPs are among the most heavily populated with Google’s proprietary features, from map packs to business profiles, which may contribute to the erosion of organic clicks at the top.

Overall, the data shows that premium organic placements captured a smaller share of clicks in Q3 across key query categories.

Longer Search Queries Prove More Stable

CTR trends diverged further when segmented by query length.

On desktop:

• Two-word queries saw position-1 CTR drop by 1.22 points.
• Three-word queries dropped by 1.24 points.
• Queries of four or more words were the only group that remained stable, according to AWR.

Mobile performance went in the opposite direction for the shortest queries: one-word searches gained 1.52 points at position 1.

The findings suggest that short, high-volume desktop searches remain the most volatile, while longer, more specific queries showed stronger consistency in Q3.

Industry-Level Shifts: Travel Up, Arts Down

Across 18 industries tracked, AWR reported uneven movement:

• Arts & Entertainment saw the steepest single-position CTR decline, with a 5.13-point drop at position 1 on desktop.
• Travel recorded the largest gain, with position 2 on desktop increasing by 2.46 points.
• Shopping showed redistribution near the top:
  • Position 1 fell 2.10 points, while
  • Positions 2 and 3 gained a combined 2.83 points.

These findings indicate that CTR shifts are not uniform across verticals. Some sectors are experiencing pressure on the top listing, while others are seeing clicks distribute more evenly across the upper results.

Implications for Search Performance

Because Google rankings often remain stable even when traffic fluctuates, CTR data is increasingly important for diagnosing changes in organic performance.

The Q3 report suggests:

• Branded desktop queries remain dominated by position 1, but the top result is capturing less of the total clickshare than in Q2.
• Businesses tracking branded search traffic may see growing dispersion across multiple listings.
• Sites relying heavily on short, generic desktop queries may continue to face quarter-to-quarter volatility.
• Longer queries—often associated with more specific intent—were comparatively stable.

What Comes Next

AWR does not attribute these shifts to specific algorithm updates or feature changes. However, the patterns align with ongoing trends including increased prominence of SERP features, changing user navigation habits, and rising mobile-first behavior.

While the report is based on global data, Q3 adds another reference point suggesting that branded searches, commercial queries, and local intent results continue to see pressure at the very top of Google’s organic listings.