Bounce Rate

November 24th, 2009 by Lisa Rosenkrantz
Bounce rate, the measurement of how many visitors came to your site and left without taking any action, is one of the most insightful perspectives you can have about your site. The SEO bounce rate metric gives you invaluable information because it’s clear-cut and hard to misunderstand. While your site may get a page view, it’s more important to have the visitor respond the way you want them to. If they don’t instantly see what they want or they feel uncomfortable, they will try somewhere else.

You can determine your bounce rate by using Google Analytics, among the most helpful tools available. The primary reason for using Google Analytics to measure the bounce rate is that it helps you understand where and how to make changes on your website. Armed with this information, you can:

  • Establish which pages are not impressing visitors
  • Make sure your pages are relevant to searches
  • Identify referring sites and which are sending you visitors with high bounce rates

Your next step is to tidy up your website to prepare for higher engagement from visitors and, hopefully, an improved bottom line for your business.

Ways to Improve Bounce Rate:

  • Make sure you have top navigation.
  • Include a clear call to action in the content of the page.
  • Use catchy headlines.
  • Don’t use popups – they’re an annoyance.
  • Decrease your page load time – optimize your images and code to cut out clutter.
  • Present a quality, trustworthy and welcoming image that is relevant to your product or service.
  • Make sure your website is compatible with all browsers.
  • Keep your content up-to-date and make sure it is appropriate for your audience. Use shorter chunks of text with clear headings.
  • Add a search box.
  • Use well-chosen images.
  • Place relevant content above the fold.
  • Simplify and remove unnecessary distractions.
  • Be aware of and clear up any technical issues so users never see error messages.
  • When using forms, keep them short and clear.
  • Make sure your main menu is simple to use.

What is considered a decent bounce rate in analytics? Most experts say it should optimally be under 50%, depending on the type of website you have. It is more acceptable for a blog to have a higher analytics bounce rate than a retailer because there’s no need to go any deeper. Obviously, an e-retailer or a site that aims to have visitors fill out a contact form hope for a low bounce back rate.

Let’s discuss your bounce rate in Google analytics and come up with a campaign to make sure visitors are coming to your site and heeding your call to action! Contact us today at 1-877-RANK321.

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One Response to “Bounce Rate”

  1. Goms says:

    Thanks for the very helpful information about SEO.The SEO bounce rate metric gives you invaluable information because it’s clear-cut and hard to misunderstand.

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