Dwell time is one of the most significant factors in SEO metrics. Essentially, it tracks how much time a user spends on a search result before returning to the search engine results page (SERP).

Google use dwell time to measure the quality of its search results. For example, if someone clicks on a link listed on Google but only spends a few seconds, it’s likely an indicator that the page didn’t meet the searcher’s needs or that the page’s quality was poor. As a result, Google will typically rank the page lower than other links.

Higher dwell times usually represent good-quality and accurate information. People who find what they are looking for from search engines tend to spend more time ready articles or watching videos. They won’t stay long if the link they click doesn’t deliver the necessary information.

Learning how to calculate dwell time and use it with other important metrics like bounce rate and time on page can help companies and marketers improve search results to get in front of more people faster.

Dwell Time & SEO

Focusing time and resources on search engine optimization is a smart choice for any business. Your rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines give you more visibility and brand recognition.

Likewise, your SEO performance is an excellent way to gauge how well your marketing works. Effective ads, engaging content, and frequently posting new articles, promotions, and links can move you steadily up the search rankings and onto the first page where most people focus their attention.

Google is the leading search engine and uses hundreds of ranking factors to determine where each site or link sits on its pages. Dwell time is likely a factor, but the company typically stays tight-lipped about which factors impact ranking the most.

It’s easy to believe that Google tracks how long people stay on a site once they click through to measure user satisfaction and the quality of the search results they provide. For instance, if someone searches for the local mechanic and clicks a link but only stays on the site for 30 seconds, it shows that there’s something wrong with the experience. Maybe the page layout isn’t great, or the location is incorrect. Either way, dwell time tells Google that users aren’t loving what they’re seeing.

If, however, people click on the first or second link and spend several minutes on the page, it represents that the user is more pleased with the result.

Does Dwell Time Impact Search Ranking in Google?

It’s hard to know just how much impact dwell time has on a page’s rank. With so many factors in their formulas, Google, Bing, and other search engines are constantly changing how certain things weigh on search results. However, dwell time certainly plays a role.

Years ago, a Google executive hinted the company was examining dwell time and the relationship between ranking and how long someone spends on a page before returning to search results.

It’s a good bet that dwell time is factored into Google search rankings, and anything companies can do to improve that engagement will yield positive results regarding what people see on future searches.

How to Calculate Dwell Time

Using dwell time to boost SEO returns is easy; you just have to know how to calculate it. Since Google and other search engines don’t populate dwell time statistics, many people mistakenly think it’s unavailable.

However, you can use the Average Session Duration metrics in Google Analytics to discover dwell time for any of your pages.

The next time you log in to your Google Analytics account, follow these steps:

Click into Behavior → Site Content → Landing Pages → Create a New Segment → Only select Organic Traffic → Average Session Duration

If you have multiple pages, look at which pages have the highest session durations. Perhaps their information is structured in a certain way, or they use a similar template that’s more attractive to users. Use the findings you glean and mirror them across your sites to boost dwell time across your digital properties.

Dwell Time versus Time on Page

Many people confuse dwell time with time on page. A site’s time on page is a great metric to track because the more time people spend on the page, the more they read your content and learn about products. However, time on page is different than dwell time. Here’s how:

Time on page – This refers to the time spent on a page before they navigate to another site. They can return to the SERP or move to another website. The time on page is more general than dwell time because more things can draw a user away from a specific site.

Dwell Time – The main difference is that dwell time refers only to how long a user spends on a page before returning to SERPs. The dwell time indicates a page’s accuracy and content quality relative to the search query.

The Benefits of Increasing Dwell Time

The main advantage of increasing dwell time is that your search ranking will likely improve. If Google and other search engines know that people spend more time on your site than the competition, they’ll rank you higher and drive more people to your site!

Dwell time is also a fantastic way for companies and marketing teams can gauge the quality of their user experiences. Naturally, people who enjoy the content they are reading or watching will spend more time on a site before returning to the SERPs.

Finally, boosting dwell time will help you build better pages across offers and businesses. Follow the lead of your sites with the highest dwell times to create better engagement and higher conversion rates.

Ways to Boost Dwell Time

Once you understand the significance of dwell time, it’s essential to focus on boosting how long people stay on your site after clicking your SERP link.

It’s not easy to know exactly how to boost dwell time because Google and other search engines are exactly forthcoming about how things work. However, there are ways to keep people engaged with better content and make the user experience more welcoming. The type of content you produce and your stylistic choices will make a big difference.

Here are some things you can do to increase dwell time and rank up in search.

Make Better Content

The best thing anyone can do to improve dwell time is to make better content. If people click on your link and see a well-made page with dynamic content and good writing, they are more likely to stay on your site to see if you have what they’re looking for. Whether they’re searching for an answer to a question or browsing a product, the quality of your content matters greatly.

But how do you make better content if you’re already doing your best? One mistake people make is having too little content. Try making your product descriptions longer or putting longer-form videos on your site. Make your articles 20% longer and see how it impacts the average session time when people click on your links.

2. Make Your Site Responsive

The user experience influences dwell time. If people enjoy being on your site, the links work, and things load quickly, they have an enjoyable experience and are more likely to stay. Dropdown menus are a fantastic idea, and you should keep your content easy to read with bullet lists, short paragraphs, bold sentences, and friendly fonts.

Also, ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. There’s nothing worse that will drive your visitors from your site than a site that only works on a single interface. These days, more people are using their phones or tablets to search for videos, do homework, and get work done. Guarantee that your experience matches what your users expect.

3. Include Good Internal Links

An excellent way to boost dwell time is to include good links on the first page that visitors land on, which keeps them on your site. Be careful not to spam links, however, because that degrades the quality of your site and the content you’re providing. Strategize about which links work best where, and include them to enrich the user experience.

4. Use Video Content

If you’re not using video, you could certainly include some on your sites to keep people there longer. Internet users love watching videos, evidenced by the explosion in YouTube and other streaming platform growth in recent years. What’s more, users are more patient in waiting for answers to their search questions when they are delivered in video format.

A great strategy is to mix video into your written content. That way, the users can read the article or product description, then click on whatever video you have next to it.

5. Build a Rich Comments Section

People love reading comments because they can learn from other users. For example, people enjoy reading comments and reviews before they buy a product because it makes them feel more confident about their purchase decision.

If you’re running a site, spend time responding to comments and engaging with your audience. It brings them back and creates loyal customers, but it also gives new users finding you through search more info to read on your site, which is terrific for dwell time.

6. Analyze Metrics

Of course, you should also understand what brings people to your site and how they get there. Whenever possible, look at where the site’s visitors are coming from, what they enter into the search bar, and which searches make people spend the most time on your site.

Analyzing your metrics is possibly the easiest way to boost dwell time because you can make small changes and wait to see how they affect your average session times.

7. Answer User Questions

Many sites need to avoid burying the answer to questions at the bottom of articles. It may seem like a good way to get people to read the entire thing or make them stay longer, but ultimately it turns people away because they need to get to the answers they want.

If you’ve ever tried to search for a recipe online, no doubt you’ve seen sites that tell a story about the dish, which tools you’ll need to make it, why it’s a great dinner date night meal, etc., before you get to the ingredients list.

Good content delivers answers in tight introductions, then keeps people reading by giving them the information they enjoy, but maybe they need to know. This is a much better approach than spamming content to get to a word count. Err on answering questions earlier in your content rather than later.

8. Use Keywords

Using keywords helps align your site to search intent. Whether someone’s looking for a transaction, service, or information, how you deploy keywords on your site can boost dwell time.

However, keywords must sound natural, and Google and other search engines will often penalize sites for spamming keywords. Instead of telling yourself that you need a specific number of keywords, just make sure you’re putting them throughout the article and keeping them in headings to increase your chances that people will click your link and read through the content.

Summary

Rather than spending all your time worrying about how to get people to your site, start building content that keeps them there longer. By focusing on dwell time, you’re more likely to build rich content that will be better for your brand in the long run.

Ultimately, it’s the user experience that matters. People will stay on your site if the information is readily available, things look nice, and it is easy to navigate. When visitors come to your site, dwell time is a great measure of the user experience quality. If you have good dwell time relative to your peers, you can have some confidence knowing you’re delivering rich content that people want to read or watch.

Dwell time will improve your organic traffic and, done right, will lead to more conversions and people staying on your site for good.

What Is Dwell Time | Why Is it Important?