356 impressions, 1 click at position 11: is it the title or the ranking?
I have a page that Google shows a lot and nobody clicks. It's an explainer for the .pkpass file format, the file Apple Wallet uses for boarding passes and tickets. In the last 28 days it had 356 impressions and 1 click.
I have a page that Google shows a lot and nobody clicks.
It's an explainer for the .pkpass file format, the file Apple Wallet uses for boarding passes and tickets. In the last 28 days it had 356 impressions and 1 click. Average position: 11.4. The searches behind it are short and vague: pkpass, .pkpass, pkpass file, .pkpass file.
The same site's homepage, ranking 8.7, got 26 clicks from 365 impressions. Another page at 9.4 got 9 from 139. So the site can get clicks. This page can't.
What I've tried
Two title changes, one at a time. Each time only the title and meta description changed; the heading, body and URL stayed the same:
| When | Title | Impressions | Clicks | Avg position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7–18 | PKPASS File Format: What Is a .pkpass File? | 126 | 0 | 12.0 |
| Oct 20–31 | What Is a .pkpass File? How to Open One | 201 | 1 | 11.2 |
| From Nov 2 | What Is a .pkpass File? Open It Free, No App | — | — | — |
The second title gained impressions and kept the old queries, so the third one builds on it. One click isn't a result, though. It's noise.
What I can't tell apart
There are three explanations and they need different fixes:
- Position 11 is page two for most people. If that's it, no title will help, and I should be building links to this page instead.
-
The intent doesn't match. Someone typing
pkpassmight be a developer looking for Apple's docs, or someone with a ticket that won't open. A "what is" title speaks to neither of them strongly. - The title is just weak. Then the third version should show it within a few weeks.
Search Console gives me averages, which makes this harder. "Position 11.4" could be 8 on desktop and 14 on mobile, and the click could come from either.
My plan is to leave the November 2 title alone until November 30 and compare the same length of time. In the meantime, new links go to the pkpass file page instead of the homepage.
What I'd like to know
- When a page sits around position 10–12 with near-zero CTR, what has moved it for you: the title, the content, or links?
- How long do you leave a title before judging it on this little traffic?
- Do you split impressions by device or country before deciding, or is that overthinking a few hundred impressions?
I'll come back with the November numbers.
Originally published by Dev.to WebDev. Aggregated on AIWithGhost for educational purposes — full credit and traffic to the original publisher.