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When it comes to click-through rates (CTR) on LinkedIn Ads, the answer isn’t straightforward. That’s because LinkedIn defines a click differently depending on the campaign objective you choose. Let’s break it down.

Why the definition of a click matters

• Brand awareness objective: a click can mean almost anything—likes, comments, or even clicking see more if your ad copy is over 160 characters. CTRs can look inflated here, often 1% or higher.
  
• Website visits objective: here, only link clicks to your landing page are counted. CTRs are usually below 0.5%, which can feel discouraging if you’re not expecting it.
  
  

The definition that really matters

The CTR I recommend tracking is landing page CTR:

\text{Landing Page CTR} = \frac{\text{Landing Page Clicks}}{\text{Impressions}}

Campaign Manager won’t calculate this for you, so you’ll need to do it manually. Once you do, you can compare across all objectives and ad types consistently.

👉 On average, landing page CTRs on LinkedIn are 0.45% (a little under half a percent). If you’re above this benchmark, you’re doing great.

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The hidden setting that can ruin your CTR

There’s one sneaky culprit that inflates CTR numbers and drains your budget: LinkedIn Audience Network (LAN).

By default, LAN is turned on. It places your ads on external apps and partner sites. The issue?

• Some low-quality app developers simulate clicks just to cash in on ad revenue.
  
• CTRs may look sky-high (5%+), but these clicks don’t convert.
  
• LAN can burn through your daily budget in minutes—leaving you with no real LinkedIn traffic.
  
  

What to do about it

• Best option: disable LAN entirely and keep traffic only from LinkedIn.com.
  
• Alternative: if you want to test it, use a LAN block list to filter out bad placements (I share mine in a podcast episode linked below).
  
  

Key takeaway

Don’t just rely on the CTR that Campaign Manager shows you. Focus on landing page CTR for a true benchmark, aim above 0.45%, and disable (or clean up) the LinkedIn Audience Network to protect your budget.

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