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Link clicks
Link clicks indicate the number of clicks where a user moves from a post or ad to another web page (e-shop, blog, landing page, microsite). That page may, however, also be located within the network itself.
alternative names
- clicks on a link
- link click-throughs
related metrics
units
- Count
Additions, clarifications, extended definition
Unlike total clicks, which include all interactions with a post, the link clicks metric counts only actions that take the user out of the post towards further content. This makes it a narrower and more precise indicator, as it captures only those users who were motivated enough by the content to continue to the brand's website or another digital channel.
Interpretation
This is a key acquisition metric that shows how many people the content prompted to take the next step – leave the platform and visit a website or another destination. Link clicks thus directly connect social media communication with traffic and campaign performance beyond social networks.
Watch out: limits and risks of distortion
- Definitions vary across platforms, as Meta, for example, distinguishes between "link clicks" and "outbound clicks".
- Not every click brings a quality visitor – some people leave the website quickly (bounce), which increases the bounce rate.
- Tracking and measurement – poorly configured UTM parameters can distort downstream data, e.g. in Google Analytics.
- Low share of total clicks – link clicks tend to be a smaller subset of all clicks, which must be taken into account when evaluating.
Where and how to measure
- Native analytics (Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Analytics, TikTok Analytics, etc.).
- Additionally via web analytics tools, e.g. GA4, for more precise measurement.
Formulas
link CTR = (number of link clicks / number of impressions) × 100
share of link clicks in total clicks = (number of link clicks / total number of clicks) × 100
Example from practice
A LinkedIn advertising campaign promoting a webinar achieved 30,000 impressions and generated 1,500 clicks, of which only 400 were actual link clicks. While the total number of clicks indicated interest in the content (clicks on the profile, the post detail), it was the link clicks that revealed how many people actually reached the webinar landing page.
