Do email clicks improve inbox deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and replies directly impact deliverability. Positive engagement tells ISPs that the sender's emails are wanted and relevant, leading to better inbox placement.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that engagement is a key factor for inbox placement. Higher engagement rates (opens, clicks, replies) signal to ISPs that subscribers find the emails valuable, improving sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from GlockApps explains that low engagement rates signal to ISPs that emails are irrelevant, which directly impacts email deliverability. Improving sender reputation will increase chance of emails reaching the recipient's inbox.
Email marketer from Mailjet states that consistent engagement from email campaigns contributes to a higher sender score and positive reputation. High sender reputation signals to ISPs that you're a trusted sender.
Email marketer from EmailGeek shares that while clicks contribute to a positive sender reputation, they aren't the only factor. A holistic approach to engagement, including opens, replies, and low spam complaints, is essential for sustained inbox deliverability.
Email marketer from Email Geeks says some mailbox providers take clicks into account, and some don't. Clicks can indicate engagement, which builds reputation, which may have some overlaps with a high click rate and positive deliverability, but it's a case of correlation, not causation.
Email marketer from HubSpot emphasizes that a healthy click-through rate (CTR) is crucial for maintaining good deliverability. A high CTR indicates that subscribers are finding the emails interesting and useful, which helps improve sender reputation and inbox placement.
Email marketer from Email Geeks believes clicks are the highest level of engagement with a campaign, so ISPs likely consider them when determining email placement.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares an experience where a client had deliverability issues with release announcements containing all information within the email. When they switched to providing half the information with a 'read more' button, clicks and deliverability increased.
Email marketer from Litmus notes that higher engagement with emails (clicks and opens) means better deliverability. Deliverability affects engagement, and engagement affects deliverability, so improving one improves the other.
Email marketer from Reddit states that clicks indicate positive interaction and signal to mailbox providers that recipients find the emails valuable and it helps improve deliverability.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spamresource.com explains that spam filters are increasingly looking for indicators of positive engagement from subscribers. Clicks help identify wanted mail and differentiate it from spam.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that high engagement is a key factor in positive deliverability. Metrics such as clicks indicate which emails users value and want to see, sending signals to ISPs about sender quality and inbox placement.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost explains that engagement is a critical factor in email deliverability. Clicks and other engagement metrics are used by ISPs to assess the quality and relevance of the sender's emails, influencing inbox placement.
Documentation from Microsoft states that user engagement signals, such as clicks and opens, play a vital role in determining sender reputation. Higher engagement rates contribute to a positive sender reputation, improving the chances of emails reaching the inbox.
Documentation from RFC-Editor describes how engagement metrics, like clicks and opens, are incorporated into feedback loops to regulate email traffic. The RFCs also detail the technical aspects of how ISPs use this engagement data to filter emails.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools highlights that sender reputation is significantly affected by user engagement. Positive engagement, including clicks, helps build a good sender reputation, leading to better deliverability to Gmail inboxes.