Bounce rate and SEO - The truth

Discussion in 'Google' started by Env, Oct 8, 2009.

  1. #1
    Hey guys!

    http://blog.webdistortion.com/2009/09/05/hangin-with-my-home-boy-matt-cutts/
    http://seoblackhat.com/2008/11/21/bounce-rate-seo/
    http://www.scriptol.com/seo/bounce-factor.php
    http://www.huomah.com/Search-Engine...-using-bounce-rates-as-a-ranking-signal-.html

    Lets have it. Is bounce rate, high bounce rate a real factor in Googles search results. Example, www.network-example.com, this site only has links to all its forum owned networks - hardly any content - does this mean it wont rank well?

    In general I think bounce rate is a factor - spam wise. Even seen results in Google for listing expired domains with keyword optimised pages - the pages are just adfarms though! :mad:
     
    Env, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  2. jNorth

    jNorth Peon

    Messages:
    202
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #2
    I'll bite. Can you tell me how a search engine would know how long some one viewed a page etc..??
     
    jNorth, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  3. openmindz

    openmindz Active Member

    Messages:
    331
    Likes Received:
    7
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #3
    From what I read, Google can somewhat determine based on a time stamp from your initial click-through from organic search engine listings. Now if you have Google analytics installed then you most certainly are giving Google full access to this information.

    If someone is referred from another site or direct type-in, it would take alot to convince me that Google can make any accurate detection of bounce rates. Only your hosting company has access to that type of info.
     
    openmindz, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  4. freeman

    freeman Active Member

    Messages:
    232
    Likes Received:
    8
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #4
    There is a lot of ways to get info about bounce rate.. Hint: Google Toolbar

    Also if user hits back he is taken back to the search results and google can detect that for sure..
     
    freeman, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  5. nowimhere

    nowimhere Active Member

    Messages:
    869
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    60
    #5
    Man oh man, the trenches of organic search!
     
    nowimhere, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  6. GreenDog

    GreenDog Active Member

    Messages:
    1,398
    Likes Received:
    13
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    78
    #6
    It tells you excatly how long people visit your site for in your webmaster tools via google...

    Its hard to say.....

    The way I look at it is if they like you site they will visit more pages but.... That doesnt mean you site isnt quality. If I search for cures for headaches and I visit your site and get the information I need from one page, then I have no need to read anymore. For that reason I don't think google weighs bounce rate heavily. But I do think it plays a small role.
     
    GreenDog, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  7. monosodium

    monosodium Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    50
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    100
    #7
    Yeah, bounce rate isn't really a factor. It would be stupid if it were.

    You have people visiting sites just to check if they've been updated. You have people opening several links in tabs - and closing the remaining tabs unread if they find what they're looking for. You have people clicking on ads or outbound links as soon as they get to the page.
     
    monosodium, Oct 8, 2009 IP
  8. YellowSEO

    YellowSEO Peon

    Messages:
    345
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    Of course it's a factor. Google already tracks bounces in the analytics. It's a trivial thing for them to factor it into their algorithm.
     
    YellowSEO, Oct 19, 2009 IP
  9. WunschShrek

    WunschShrek Peon

    Messages:
    629
    Likes Received:
    15
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #9
    Google could read the time off your wrist watch and whisper it in your ear right now if they wanted to:eek: the GBI is everywhere.

    In all seriousness, their toolbar easily lets them do this.

    If you use google analytics like most of us do, then we give them access to it.
     
    WunschShrek, Oct 19, 2009 IP
  10. geekblogger.org

    geekblogger.org Peon

    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #10
    i don't think that bounce rate is important factor in SEO, if any one is saying that bounce rate is important factor in seo then let me ask one question what about BLOGS /??? ,i think here all are aware from the fact that blogs have higher bounce rates but still they manage to sustain in top 10 serp in google.
     
    geekblogger.org, Oct 19, 2009 IP
  11. rena

    rena Peon

    Messages:
    1,987
    Likes Received:
    13
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #11
    Ok but if the site having more visitors but high bounce rate means the site's content quality is very poor.. and nobody stay long time on it.. So sure this will effect in ranking or reputation by manually and by robots
     
    rena, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  12. jamieellis

    jamieellis Active Member

    Messages:
    427
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    60
    #12
    Google analytics records bounce rates. I don't think enough sites have it installed for them to use it as a major factor in the SERPs though.
     
    jamieellis, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  13. Eugene AG

    Eugene AG Peon

    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #13
    I have a site that has very low bounce rate and I tink this is why it keept its PR2 while all my other sites dropped
     
    Eugene AG, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  14. WunschShrek

    WunschShrek Peon

    Messages:
    629
    Likes Received:
    15
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #14
    important factor? no
    a factor? yes
     
    WunschShrek, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  15. DiscJockey

    DiscJockey Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,689
    Likes Received:
    58
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    100
    #15
    The bounce rate is a very important factor for Google results. I discovered this factor 1-2 years ago. I have pages that have little to zero backlinks and they have gradually over taken sites that have thousands of backlinks. Why? Because of bounce rates.

    Once you learn to lower bounce rates, you'll see your website slowly move up in the search results. Bounce rate is a factor along with time spent on each website. Google can easily track the bounce rate and time spent on each website using Google toolbars but most of all by analyzing the returning visitors back to search pages.
     
    DiscJockey, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  16. shakes

    shakes Peon

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #16
    My two cents is its not a factor - if it is, it's a very small one and not worth reading into. Having a high bounce rate isn't good either way, instead of worry about it - fix the potential problems (site usability etc..) to get your bounce rate lower.

    It's probably a better idea to focus on lowering your bounce rate rather than worrying about how Google views it.

    :-D
     
    shakes, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  17. HarrisonJ

    HarrisonJ Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    227
    Likes Received:
    4
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    118
    #17
    Bounce rate is a big factor. Google wants to deliver the most relevant results possible to their searchers so they will keep coming back, and if people are pressing the "back button" after viewing 1 page of your site it means they aren't happy, and you are going to get dropped fast.
     
    HarrisonJ, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  18. shakes

    shakes Peon

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #18
    Well the idea sounds good but I don't think its very realistic. Have you tested this out? I have several junk domains that I use for testing which have very high bounce rates because they are very limited on content and information and their rankings haven't changed in about 5 months. I am talking about a 95& bounce rate on each - not to mention the keywords are pretty competitive.
     
    shakes, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  19. sunil_gupta20801

    sunil_gupta20801 Active Member

    Messages:
    900
    Likes Received:
    22
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    60
    #19
    That is not true actually. I have a blog with bounce rate <50 and i am sure many owners will have blogs like that. Only good or tweak to look good can sustain in top 10 serp in google.:)
     
    sunil_gupta20801, Oct 20, 2009 IP
  20. lerry

    lerry Peon

    Messages:
    47
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #20
    So I don't think enough sites have it installed for them to use it as a major factor in the SERPs Google !
     
    lerry, Oct 20, 2009 IP