How to improve click-through rate when open rates are consistent across ESPs?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 26 Apr 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
7 min read
It can be perplexing to see strong, consistent open rates across various Email Service Providers (ESPs) like Gmail and Outlook.com, yet your click-through rate (CTR) remains stubbornly low. This scenario indicates that your emails are successfully landing in the inbox, which is a significant win for deliverability. However, the problem lies not in reaching your audience, but in engaging them effectively once they open your message.
When open rates are stable, it signals healthy sender reputation and technical setup. The challenge shifts from deliverability to content and audience relevance. Your goal now is to transform opens into actions, guiding recipients to click on your links and engage further with your brand. Let's explore strategies to boost your CTR when your deliverability is already on point.
Understanding the high open, low click phenomenon
A high open rate with a low click rate often indicates a disconnect between your subject line (which compelled the open) and the email's content. Recipients open because the subject line piqued their interest, but they don't click because the content fails to deliver on that promise, lacks clear direction, or doesn't provide enough value to warrant further action. It's crucial to understand that an open is just the first step in the engagement funnel.
The true measure of engagement is the click, as it directly reflects a recipient's intent to learn more or take a desired action. If your email clicks are declining despite high open rates, it's a sign that your content strategy needs refinement. This scenario suggests that while your emails are seen, they aren't compelling enough to drive meaningful interaction.Why are email clicks declining despite high open rates?
It's also worth noting that changes in privacy protections, such as Apple's Mail Privacy Protection, can sometimes inflate reported open rates. This makes CTR an even more critical metric, as it provides a clearer picture of actual user engagement with your email's content and offers. Focus your efforts on optimizing the elements within the email itself rather than solely relying on the initial open.
Crafting compelling content and calls to action
The first step to improving your CTR is to scrutinize your email content. Is it clear, concise, and compelling? Each email should have a single, focused objective. Avoid overwhelming your readers with too much information or too many calls to action. Distraction leads to inaction. Ensure your message is easy to scan and understand, highlighting the most important information.
Your call to action (CTA) is the gateway to a click. It must be prominent, clear, and persuasive. Use strong action verbs and make it visually distinct. The placement of your CTA also matters. Consider placing it above the fold, so recipients see it without scrolling. You can also strategically repeat it if the email content is longer. Remember, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the recipient to click.
Optimizing your calls to action
Here are key strategies to enhance your email's calls to action:
Clarity: State exactly what action you want the reader to take. Use direct language like 'Shop Now,' 'Download Your Guide,' or 'Learn More.'
Visual prominence: Use contrasting colors, larger font sizes, or button styles to make your CTA stand out from the rest of the email content.
Placement: Place your primary CTA strategically, often near the top of the email where it's immediately visible. Repeat it naturally if the email is long.
Urgency/Scarcity: If appropriate, add a sense of urgency or scarcity to encourage immediate action, for example, 'Limited Stock!' or 'Offer Ends Soon!'
The value proposition within your email must be clear. Why should the recipient click? What problem will it solve, or what benefit will they gain? Communicate this clearly and concisely. Whether it's a discount, exclusive content, or a solution to a common pain point, ensure the reader understands the immediate value waiting on the other side of the click.
Targeting your audience with precision
Even with a good open rate, if your content isn't relevant to the specific recipient, they won't click. Effective audience segmentation is paramount. Divide your email list into smaller, more homogeneous groups based on demographics, purchase history, engagement levels, or preferences. This allows you to tailor your content to resonate deeply with each segment.
Personalization goes beyond just using the recipient's first name. It involves customizing content, offers, and recommendations based on their past interactions or stated interests. A personalized email feels more relevant and valuable, significantly increasing the likelihood of a click. For instance, recommending products based on their browsing history is much more effective than a generic promotion. You can find more strategies for improving your email click-through rate in this Databox article.
Generic emailing
One-size-fits-all: Sending the same content to your entire email list, regardless of individual preferences or past behavior.
Low relevance: Content may not align with the specific interests or stage of the customer journey for many recipients.
Missed opportunities: Fails to leverage data about subscriber behavior, leading to generic and unengaging experiences.
Segmented and personalized emailing
Targeted messaging: Emails are tailored to specific groups, ensuring the content is highly relevant and addresses their unique needs.
Increased engagement: Recipients are more likely to click when content directly speaks to their interests or past actions.
Better ROI: Drives higher conversion rates and improves overall campaign effectiveness by delivering precise value.
Regular list hygiene is also essential. Remove inactive or unengaged subscribers. While this might seem counterintuitive for maintaining open rates, it ensures that your engaged audience receives relevant content, leading to better overall CTR. Moreover, a clean list can protect your sender reputation in the long run, even impacting future deliverability to prevent you from ending up on a email blocklist (or blacklist).What happens when your domain is on an email blacklist?
Optimizing design and user experience
If your open rates are consistent, your design is likely working well enough for initial engagement, but consider if it's optimized for clicks. Is the layout clean and easy to navigate? Are your links clearly distinguishable? Ensure your emails are responsive and display correctly on all devices, especially mobile phones, as a significant portion of emails are opened on these devices. A broken layout or tiny clickable elements will definitely deter clicks.
A/B testing is your best friend when optimizing for CTR. Test different elements within your email to see what resonates most with your audience. This could include variations in: CTA button text, color, or placement, headline variations, image choices, email copy length and tone, and even the number of links in an email. Continuously test, analyze the results, and iterate based on the data. For more ideas on what to test, consider this article on ways to improve your CTR.
Your sending frequency and timing can also subtly impact CTR, even if open rates are stable. Sending too often might lead to content fatigue, where recipients open but don't engage because they feel overwhelmed. Conversely, sending too infrequently might make your brand forgettable. Use your audience data to determine the optimal frequency for each segment. While clicks don't directly improve inbox deliverability in the same way authentication does, consistent positive engagement indirectly strengthens your sender reputation, making your emails more likely to consistently reach the inbox.Do email clicks improve inbox deliverability?
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Ensure your email content delivers on the promise made in the subject line to maintain recipient trust and encourage clicks.
Implement A/B testing for your email content, including CTAs, headlines, and visuals, to identify what resonates best with your audience.
Segment your email list based on recipient behavior and interests to send highly relevant and personalized content.
Regularly clean your email list by removing unengaged subscribers to improve overall engagement metrics and list quality.
Design your emails to be mobile-responsive and ensure all clickable elements are easily accessible on smaller screens.
Common pitfalls
Assuming a high open rate means your content is perfect; it often means the subject line is good, but the content needs work.
Including too many calls to action or cluttered content that overwhelms recipients and prevents them from taking any action.
Neglecting list segmentation and sending generic emails to a diverse audience, leading to low relevance and engagement.
Failing to clearly articulate the value proposition within the email, giving recipients no clear reason to click.
Ignoring email design on mobile devices, resulting in poor user experience and abandonment.
Expert tips
Focus on the 'Click-to-Open Rate' (CTOR) as a more accurate indicator of engagement, as it measures clicks relative to opens.
Use psychological triggers like scarcity or urgency in your CTAs when appropriate, but ensure authenticity to avoid subscriber fatigue.
Experiment with different content formats, such as short videos or interactive elements, to increase engagement and clicks.
Analyze your click map data to understand which parts of your email are attracting attention and which are being ignored.
Continually refine your subscriber profiles based on click behavior to enhance future personalization and content strategy.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they feel like their job is done once the mail makes it to the inbox and they cannot force clicks.
2021-11-03 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says the click problem is out of scope and belongs to the marketing department.
2021-11-03 - Email Geeks
The path to higher email engagement
When your email open rates are consistently strong across ESPs, it's a clear signal that your deliverability is performing well. The focus then shifts entirely to the quality and relevance of your email content. By prioritizing clear calls to action, audience segmentation, personalization, and continuous A/B testing, you can significantly improve your click-through rates.
Remember, the goal of email marketing extends beyond simply landing in the inbox; it's about driving engagement and conversions. By meticulously optimizing the experience once an email is opened, you can transform high open rates into high click rates, leading to more meaningful interactions and better results for your campaigns. This holistic approach ensures that every email you send works harder for you.
Gmail and 
Outlook.com, yet your click-through rate (CTR) remains stubbornly low. This scenario indicates that your emails are successfully landing in the inbox, which is a significant win for deliverability. However, the problem lies not in reaching your audience, but in engaging them effectively once they open your message.
