Rank Quest (https://rank-quest.jp/column/column/how-to-seo/), an SEO support company,

analyzed the click-through rates (CTR) by search ranking in the clinic industry based on its proprietary data from May 2026. They also examined the CTR by ranking in the SEO industry for comparison and organized the differences in trends by industry.

In this survey, the CTR for the 1st position in the clinic industry was 35.7%, and for the 2nd position, it was 9.1%. Notably, the 2nd position showed a difference of -26.4 percentage points compared to 35.5% in the SEO industry, suggesting that there may be challenges in acquiring clicks even with high rankings.

1. Significant Difference in CTR by Ranking in the Clinic Industry Between 1st and 2nd Positions

In this survey, the CTR for the 1st search ranking in the clinic industry was 35.7%. On the other hand, the CTR for the 2nd position was 9.1%, and for the 3rd position, it was 4.4%, indicating a difference of 26.6 percentage points between the 1st and 2nd positions.

The click counts, impression counts, and CTR by ranking are as follows:

Data shows a trend in the clinic industry where the click acquisition power of the 1st position is high, but the CTR drops sharply from the 2nd position onwards. Compared to the 1st position's CTR of 35.7%, the 2nd position's CTR is 9.1%, which is approximately one-fourth when compared directly.

However, it is important to note that the impression count for the 1st position was 9,733, which is a smaller aggregation base compared to the positions below 2nd. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the impression counts and click counts from the 2nd position onwards, rather than treating only the 1st position's CTR as the overall industry standard.

From a practical standpoint, it is important in the clinic industry to confirm not only whether a site is ranking high but also whether it is being selected in the search results. Particularly for positions 2 to 5, there is a significant number of impressions, and there is room to increase clicks by improving the title and description.

2. Significant Gap in 2nd Position CTR Compared to the SEO Industry

When comparing the CTR of the clinic industry and the SEO industry, a significant difference was observed particularly at the 2nd position. The CTR for the 2nd position in the clinic industry was 9.1%, while in the SEO industry, it was 35.5%. The difference was -26.4 percentage points.

This result suggests that in the clinic industry, there are cases where sufficient clicks are not being acquired even at the 2nd search ranking. While the SEO industry has a CTR of 35.5% even at the 2nd position, the clinic industry remains at 9.1%.

Of course, search intent and how search results are viewed differ by industry. In the clinic domain, it is likely that there are many factors that users consider, such as locality, treatment details, reviews, map information, and comparative information outside of the official website.

Therefore, rather than simply viewing it as "worse than the SEO industry," it is more natural to interpret it as the clinic industry potentially having a higher tendency for comparative consideration within search results.

In practice, pages ranking 2nd to 3rd have a higher priority for improvement. In addition to measures to further improve rankings, it is important to clearly communicate treatment details, regions, ease of booking, and expertise in the titles and descriptions displayed in the search results.

3. Some Room for Clicks Below 4th Position, but Absolute Values Remain Low

Looking at positions 4th and below, the clinic industry's CTR exceeds the SEO industry's CTR in many cases. For example, the 4th position was 2.6% (+1.0 percentage point compared to the SEO industry), the 5th position was 1.9% (+1.5 percentage points), and the 8th position was 0.6% (+0.5 percentage points).

On the other hand, the absolute values are 2.6% even at the 4th position, 1.9% at the 5th, and 0.6% at the 10th. This means that while there is potential for clicks even below the 4th position, aiming for the top 3 positions, ideally the 1st, is highly important for consistently targeting conversions and bookings.

What is particularly noteworthy is the very high impression count for the 2nd position, which is 956,633. If the CTR improves by 0.1 percentage point with the same number of impressions, it would theoretically lead to an increase of approximately 957 clicks. A 1.0 percentage point improvement would result in a difference of approximately 9,566 clicks.

This indicates that not only measures to improve search rankings but also improving the CTR of pages that already have a high number of impressions can significantly impact the increase in traffic.

In the clinic industry, impression counts can be large for searches including symptom names, medical specialties, and regional names. For pages ranking 2nd to 5th for such keywords, there is potential to improve click acquisition efficiency by reviewing the consistency of titles, descriptions, and page content.

4. Direction of SEO Measures Required in the Clinic Industry

From this data, it is clear that SEO in the clinic industry requires both "improving rankings" and "creating search results that get clicked."

The CTR for the 1st position is high at 35.7%, clearly demonstrating the importance of high rankings. On the other hand, the CTR for the 2nd position remains at 9.1%, with a large difference compared to the SEO industry. This indicates that even with improved search rankings, it is difficult to drive traffic if the site is not sufficiently selected in the search results.

As for measures to be taken by clinic websites, it is effective to first identify pages with high impression counts and then examine rankings and CTR separately. For example, pages ranking 2nd to 5th with low CTR have room for improvement in their titles and descriptions.

Specifically, it is necessary to check if the information that search users want to know is being conveyed in the search results. It is important to appropriately organize information that serves as a decision-making factor for users, such as medical specialty, symptom names, region, business hours, booking availability, expertise, and treatable conditions.

Furthermore, with the advancement of AI search and diversification of search results, the clarity of information within official websites also becomes important. While this survey did not directly measure the impact of AI search, the amount of information users compare in search results is increasing.

Therefore, clinics need to clearly indicate on their pages "what they treat," "what symptoms they can handle," and "for which regional patients the information is intended."

5. Summary

This survey resulted in CTRs by search ranking in the clinic industry of 35.7% for 1st position, 9.1% for 2nd, and 4.4% for 3rd. The difference between the 1st and 2nd positions, in particular, was a large 26.6 percentage points, highlighting the importance of achieving the 1st position even among high rankings.

On the other hand, the impression count for the 2nd position was a large 956,633, and the potential for CTR improvement cannot be overlooked. In the clinic industry, there may be pages that are ranked high but are not sufficiently clicked.

Compared to the SEO industry, the 2nd position CTR in the clinic industry was -26.4 percentage points lower than in the SEO industry. This difference may indicate differences in search behavior and comparative consideration between industries. In the medical and clinic domain, users tend to compare multiple pieces of information such as sense of security, expertise, and regionality, making the appeal design in search results even more important.

Going forward, SEO and web managers of clinic websites need to look not only at whether "rankings have improved" but also at "whether clicks are being acquired relative to impression counts" and "whether pages ranked high are actually being selected."

In particular, pages ranking 2nd to 5th with high impression counts are areas where increased traffic can be expected through CTR improvement. Reviewing the consistency of titles, descriptions, and page content, and designing information so that users can click with confidence in the search results will be important points for future clinic SEO.

Supervised by: Takayuki Sugimoto

Provides SEO consulting for over 120 companies annually at eclore Inc. Leverages analytical skills cultivated in the SEO field and extensive communication experience with numerous companies to deeply understand consumer purchasing behavior and market trends.

Actively disseminates reliable and high-quality information through the supervision of content based on primary sources.

[Certifications] SEO Certification Level 1, Google Analytics Certified

Survey Overview

Survey Period: May 1, 2026 - May 31, 2026

Survey Organization: eclore Inc.

Survey Target: Rank Quest's fitness industry client sites

Valid Responses (Sample Size): 8,806 keywords

Keywords targeted were limited to those displayed in positions 1 to 10 in the search results for Rank Quest's fitness industry client sites in May 2026, and the click-through rate for each ranking was analyzed.

Survey Method: Using Google Search Console data, the click-through rate (CTR) by search ranking for the target keywords was calculated. The click-through rate (CTR) is expressed as a percentage by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying the result by 100.

<<Conditions for Use of Survey Results>>

Please cite "Rank Quest, boasting over 4,300 SEO support achievements" as the source of information.

When using on a website, please include the following link as the source.

URL:

https://rank-quest.jp/column/column/how-to-seo/

About Rank Quest

At Rank Quest, under the concept of "a professional group that thoroughly generates traffic through SEO," we have provided services to over 4,300 companies. For those who are completely unsure about the optimal SEO measures for their company, we offer support from dedicated SEO consultants who can propose a wide range of measures, including content creation and internal optimization.

Point (1) "Rank Quest's Full-Service SEO" to Improve Your Own Resources

Many SEO companies' services end at proposing measures, and it is not uncommon for clients to be left to implement them or to be charged extra for execution. However, at Rank Quest, we handle everything from thoroughly considered SEO plans to the execution of measures at no additional cost.

Point (2) Quality Assurance by a Full-Time Writer Team

To maintain high-quality content, all article structures are handled in-house. We have a thorough quality control system where every article is checked by the editor-in-chief while adhering to over 100 strict content creation rules updated weekly. Furthermore, we can also produce original content with high SEO effectiveness.

Point (3) All-Around Web Marketing Business Beyond SEO Measures

We offer a wide range of measures beyond SEO, including display advertising and social media management. By providing comprehensive planning that does not focus on the effectiveness of individual measures, we offer total marketing consulting to meet client expectations to the fullest.

Recommended Articles

◆ [Latest 2026] What is SEO? A Professional Explains SEO Basics, Specific Implementation Steps, and Precautions in an Easy-to-Understand Manner for Beginners - For Thorough SEO Measures, Choose Rank Quest

◆ Recommended SEO Companies: 59 Selections! A Professional SEO Consultant Thoroughly Explains How to Choose an SEO Company Without Failure and Precautions - For Thorough SEO Measures, Choose Rank Quest

Rank Quest Overview

Company Name: eclore Inc.

Representative: Takayuki Miyajima

Location: 4F, KDX Shinjuku 286 Bldg., 2-8-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

HP: https://rank-quest.jp/

Business Activities: Primarily SEO consulting and content creation services

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Survey結果