Does Bounce Rate Affect SEO? It is important to distinguish between dwell time, time-on-page, and bounce rate when discussing SEO strategies for your business. They are often confused with one another. Each is a key element of a successful digital marketing outlook, so understanding the nature of each matters.
What is dwell time?
Dwell time is the amount of time that passes between a user’s click on a search result and the moment that user returns to the search engine results page (SERP). It is a measurement of how much time a user remains on a web page between viewings of the SERP—dwell time always begins and ends on the SERP. A good dwell time to strive for is between two and four minutes.
What is time-on-page?
Time-on-page refers to the amount of time spent by a user on a page before he or she navigates to another page. This particular metric suggests the extent to which visitors to a page interact with the content there before clicking on a link to another page within the website, an external link embedded in the content, or back to the SERP. Time-on-page is determined based on the click that brings the user to the webpage and the click that takes the user from that page to another.
What is bounce rate?
A bounce rate refers to a website’s percentage of single-page sessions on a website during which a user takes no action. A bounce rate is calculated by dividing the number of single-page sessions by the total number of sessions. Whether a user spends a few seconds or more than an hour on a page doesn’t matter—the bounce rate is impacted merely by the arrival of that user on a page and his or her lack of engagement and action there before leaving that page.
A low time-on-page might mean that the user found the information he or she needed and navigated away from the website quickly. The bounce rate is similar—the user might close the page quickly if he or she found what was needed immediately. But dwell time is a little different. If the user viewed a webpage briefly and returned quickly to the SERP, it is possible that the webpage did not provide the information being sought by the user. It is critical to pay attention to all three of these elements when implementing an SEO plan.
There are various ways to measure the success of a business’s SEO campaign, like using the metrics of dwell time, time-on-page, and bounce rate. By understanding what these elements are and how they can impact digital presence, we can develop better ways to improve user experience on your website. Are you interested in learning more about how our professional SEO and web design services can benefit your business? Eye See You Now is a professional Austin, Texas-based SEO company, focused on enhancing the online presence of your business via digital marketing methods. Contact Eye See You Now to help with your SEO, web design, marketing, and social media needs.