When we search Google for something, we tend to click through the different results on the first page of websites in the hopes that we will find what we are looking for. When we cannot find the answer, we will likely click back to that page of results and look at the next one, and so forth. What we do not know is that, when we are doing this, we are contributing to an important SEO (search engine optimisation metric) known as dwell time.Â
When you are building an SEO strategy you need to measure certain metrics. While it is important to look at demographical metrics such as who is looking at your site, where they are located, and what devices they are using, you should also be looking at how long people are spending on your website or webpage before returning to the search engine results page.Â
To newcomers, this might sound a little overwhelming and confusing, so below we take a look at what dwell time is and how you can improve yours.
What Is Dwell Time?
In layman’s terms, dwell time is the amount of time that a person spends looking at a webpage after they have clicked on a search engine results page (SERP), but before they click back to the SERP. If a webpage has a low dwell time, it usually means that the page or the content did not match the searcher’s intent.Â
The content on a webpage will either instantly provide you with the answer to your query or provided nothing of value, and so you instantly clicked back to the SERP. It is important to note that dwell time and bounce rate are different, despite sounding very similar. Bounce rate is when a user clicks onto a page and then almost immediately leaves the site.Â
For a metric to be considered as dwell time, a user needs to click onto a page from their search results, stay for a while, then either click back to the search results or leave the page altogether. Dwell time, as a metric, shows digital marketing agencies if webpages are capturing the attention of their audience.Â
How Can You Improve Your Dwell Time?
Now that you have a better understanding of what dwell time is, you can work on a strategy to improve it for certain webpages or for your website overall. Below are some simple tips to help you boost your dwell time.Â
Create Better Content
A sure-fire way to increase the dwell time of a specific page on your website is to create better content. People who search for information online are not inclined to spend a long time on a page if the content is not relevant, helpful, or valuable to them, and so you should work on creating content that meets these needs.Â
Whatever content you are creating, you should ensure that it is useful, entertaining, and accessible. You should always be sure to perform keyword research before writing any copy so that it appears in search results and so that consumers can see it is answering their questions. The better and more relevant your content is, the longer the dwell time on those pages will be.Â
Improve Page Loading Speed
If a page loads too slowly, a user will simply click back to the SERP and look for a website that loads quickly and that answers their question. Many people do not enjoy waiting for a page to load if all they require is a simple answer to their question. If a page loads quickly, browsers tend to dwell a little longer due to a positive user experience.Â
To improve your page loading speed, perform a website audit to find out which pages are loading slowly and what the load speed is. This information will help you to make the necessary changes to these pages to boost their loading speed. Be sure to perform this audit on a regular basis so that there are no slow pages to deter users.Â
Make Answers Easy To Find
One important factor that can increase the dwell time on an article or page is having the answers to a search query at the top of, or at the very least, in the second paragraph of a blog or piece of content. Instead of having a massive header image and answers low down on a page, focus on answering the question earlier in the content.Â
Browsers today often do not have the attention span to read a long blog or article, only to find two sentences at the bottom of the page that answer their question. This will almost certainly ensure that browsers will click back to their search results to find a better answer.Â
By not addressing dwell time, you might be losing out on consumers due to your content or webpages not answering their questions. If you would like to improve your customer engagement with a professionally designed, SEO-friendly website, speak to NetMechanic today to find out how we can help you.Â
