Are Those Clicks on Your Emails and Website “Good Clicks” or “Butt Clicks”? 5 Ways to Tell the Difference

In today’s digital sales environment, we rely heavily on clicks as an indicator—whether it’s from email campaigns, website interactions, or social media engagement. But just like a butt dial, where someone calls you by accident, not all clicks are intentional or valuable. Some clicks are accidental, passive, or simply don’t lead to meaningful conversations or revenue opportunities. As a sales or marketing leader, it’s critical to distinguish between “good clicks” that show real interest and “butt clicks” that don’t lead anywhere.

Here are 5 ways to tell if your clicks are good, smart clicks or just accidental butt clicks:

1. Track Time on Page and Engagement Metrics

One of the most telling signs of a good click is how long a visitor stays on your site or page after clicking. If someone spends significant time on your content, scrolling, clicking through internal links, or interacting with features, it’s a strong signal that the click is intentional and valuable. We have our clients identify website visitors who spend more than three minutes on the site as possible prospects.

Good Click Indicator: Long time on page, high scroll depth, multiple page visits, or engagement with interactive elements (e.g., filling out forms, watching videos).

Butt Click Indicator: Extremely short time on page (bouncing within a few seconds), no interaction with other parts of the site, or clicking on something and leaving right away.

How to Measure: Use tools like Google Analytics or your email platform’s analytics dashboard to monitor time on page and bounce rates.

2. Analyze Click Path Behavior

A good click typically leads to a sequence of meaningful actions—such as exploring multiple pages, reading related blog posts, or checking out product features. In contrast, a “butt click” often leads to a dead end, where the visitor quickly exits or navigates away without exploring further.

Good Click Indicator: Clicks that lead to a clear user journey, such as viewing multiple pages, downloading content, or moving toward conversion points (e.g., product pages or pricing).

Butt Click Indicator: Visitors who land on a page and then leave immediately without exploring other parts of the site.

How to Measure: Use behavioral flow reports in analytics platforms to see how users navigate after clicking. Look for logical paths that indicate a genuine interest.

3. Monitor Form Fills and Conversions

One of the best indicators of a good click is whether it leads to a conversion event, such as filling out a form, downloading an eBook, signing up for a demo, or requesting a consultation. If your clicks lead to these kinds of actions, you can be confident that the user is genuinely interested in your offerings.

Good Click Indicator: A high percentage of form fills, demo requests, or any other conversion actions that follow a click. Even a click that leads to a micro-conversion (e.g., signing up for a newsletter) signals interest. Keep in mind that downloading an eBook or filling out a form does not mean someone is ready to buy in most cases.

Butt Click Indicator: No conversions, abandoned forms, or visits to landing pages without taking further action.

How to Measure: Track conversion events using tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Google Tag Manager to measure how clicks lead to meaningful actions.

4. Review Heatmaps and Click Behavior

Heatmaps visually display where users are clicking on your website and how they interact with various elements on the page. Reviewing these can help you understand whether your clicks are targeted, thoughtful interactions or random clicks that don’t result in engagement.

Good Click Indicator: Consistent clicks on key CTAs (calls to action), navigation menus, and other important areas that guide users toward conversion. This shows users are following the intended path.

Butt Click Indicator: Random, scattered clicks on non-interactive elements or areas that don’t lead to further engagement. Users might click by accident or without clear intent.

How to Measure: Use heatmap tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, or Mouseflow to analyze click behavior and spot patterns of good vs. accidental clicks.

5. Segment by Intent and Follow-Up Behavior

Good clicks often come from users who show high intent—whether it’s by the type of content they’re interacting with or their follow-up behavior, such as returning to your site, opening follow-up emails, or engaging in a conversation. Look for patterns that indicate repeat engagement, such as multiple visits, responding to a call-to-action, or downloading high-value content.

Good Click Indicator: Users who return to your site after the initial click, follow up on emails, respond to offers, or engage with high-intent content (e.g., case studies, pricing pages, demo requests).

Butt Click Indicator: One-time clicks with no subsequent engagement, followed by ignoring further emails or outreach efforts.

How to Measure: Track individual user journeys through marketing automation platforms or CRM systems. Pay attention to users who exhibit repeat engagement across multiple channels.

Not all clicks are created equal. Understanding whether your clicks are meaningful interactions or “butt clicks” that don’t lead to valuable engagement is critical to optimizing your sales and marketing efforts. By focusing on these five indicators—engagement metrics, click paths, conversions, heatmaps, and follow-up behavior—you can better differentiate between good, smart clicks that lead to revenue-driving conversations and those that are just accidental noise.

Ultimately, it’s not about the number of clicks you get, but the quality of those clicks and whether they result in real opportunities. By monitoring these key behaviors and adjusting your strategy accordingly, you can ensure your clicks are leading to conversations that count—and more revenue in the long run.