In real life, when someone says ‘Let’s bounce’, they’re ready to head out.
In the digital world, Google refers to a “bounce” as “a single-page session on your site.”
Think of it as a quick pop-in and pop-out from a party guest you’ve invited to your digital home.
Now, imagine a scenario where a significant percentage of these guests enter the hallway and then leave without even going into the kitchen to try the snacks. 😞
That’s the equivalent of a high bounce rate.
Bounce rate is the percentage of site visits that are single-page sessions, with the visitor leaving your site without viewing a second page.
Why does this metric matter when it comes to ranking your pages?
Because Google’s watching.
To Google, bounce rate is an indicator of the quality of the search result it displayed. If a lot of visitors bounce away, Google starts thinking, “Hmm, maybe this isn’t the best place to send folks.”
Essentially, a high bounce rate sends a red flag, suggesting that your site might not be the most relevant or valuable destination for that search query.
This is why we recommend making sure that your bounce rate is below 50%.
If using Squirrly SEO to rank your site, you can monitor this in the ‘Traffic Health’ section of your Focus Pages.
Now, you might wonder, “Why are my visitors ghosting me?”
Let’s break down some of the top reasons why visitors might be saying “bye-bye” before they even say “hi!”
🐌 Slow Loading Times:
In the age of lightning-fast internet, even a few extra seconds of loading can seem like forever. If your site takes its sweet time to load, visitors might just hit the back button.
👽 Unfriendly User Experience:
Ever visited a site and felt like you were trying to navigate an alien spacecraft? Confusing navigation and cluttered design can scare away even the most patient of visitors. Aim for clean, intuitive designs.
📱 Not Mobile-Friendly:
With more people surfing the web on their phones, having a mobile-responsive website isn’t just nice—it’s essential! No one likes to pinch and zoom just to read your content.
🔎 Misleading Title Tag and/or Meta Description:
Imagine clicking on a link from a SERP expecting a delicious cookie recipe and landing on a page about lawn mowers. Disappointed? Your visitors would be too.
🎵 Auto-playing Music or Videos:
This one’s a pet peeve for many. Visitors might leave your site faster than you can say “Turn that off!” if they’re greeted with unexpected noise. Let them press play on their own terms.
🚫 Annoying Pop-ups and/or CTA-heavy Features:
To a marketer’s eye, ads, pop-ups, and email subscribe buttons are like candy in a store. But if visitors are bombarded the moment they land on your pages, they might not stick around for long.
So, what can you do? 💡
Make sure that the content of your pages is accurately summarized by your title tag and meta description.
Check your site’s speed, review your design, and test the mobile experience. And remember, it’s okay to ask for feedback.
Sometimes, fresh eyes can spot issues that you might have missed!
