One of the most common conversion killers is a high bounce rate. Why? Because if the majority of your users are abandoning your website on the first page, you don’t have a chance to convert them into customers or subscribers.
What (exactly) is a Bounce Rate?
To understand what a bounce is, think of it this way:
You walk into a store, then immediately turn around and walk back out. You don’t check out any of the products or talk to the clerk – you just leave.
That’s a bounce.
The same is true for your website. Bounce rate is the country email list percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking any action – like clicking on a link, making a purchase, or filling out a form.
You want people to explore your website – and a high bounce rate means that isn’t happening!
Is a High Bounce Rate Bad for SEO?
While bounce rate isn’t a ranking signal for Google, Google Analytics automatically calculates the bounce rate for your website and all your pages. And there is a lot of evidence that Google uses engagement signals to know when its users are engaged and satisfied with the websites they visit.
So, what’s important to measure is how engaged and satisfied visitors are with your site and pages. If they aren’t bouncing, then it means you’re giving them what they’re searching for and making them happy, and they spend more time on your site and visit more pages – and these factors affect your SEO.
Now the goal becomes – how do I increase engagement and satisfaction? When 6 cybersecurity tips for working from home you achieve that, you will automatically reduce your bounce rate. Let’s look at 7 tips that will help you accomplish both objectives.
7 Tips to Increase Engagement and Reduce Bounce Rate:
1. Improve Page Speed
Your site’s loading speed is more important than ever – if a page doesn’t load in 2 seconds or less, users will bounce and go to your competitor’s site!
Google pushes slow-performing websites deep down in search rankings. And since loading speed is critical to user experience, Google uses it as one of the top-ranking signals.
So, check your site speed using free tools like Page Speed Insights and GTMetrix. You should optimize your site speed even if you have a low bounce rate since it’s an essential factor in user experience.
2. Add Internal Links
Add internal links to your content, especially in blog posts and articles, to keep people moving through your site. Internal links allow you to reference other content on your site in a more specific and effective way than a call to action.
For example, when we write a new post and refer to a topic that we’ve already covered in a previous blog, we’ll link it. This provides a relevant reason and an easy way for readers to learn more about that specific topic. Find the natural opportunities to reference other pages of your website within your content. Just be strategic about where and how you add links.
3. Create Clear Calls to Action
Every page on your site needs a clear and convincing call-to-action. Whether it’s your home page, landing page, or product page, you want visitors to know what to do next.
It may seem obvious, but statistics show that 70% of small business botswana business directory websites lack a call-to-action. And that’s a huge reason they have high bounce rates. So, to reduce your bounce rate and boost conversions, you need a clear CTA that’s easy to spot in 3 seconds or less.
4. Simplify Site Search and Navigation
Make sure your site’s navigation system is streamlined and logical – and that it will effectively lead the user to what they’re searching for.
Your site search feature should be clearly visible and easy to use, so when a visitor accidentally lands on a wrong page, they can quickly find the content or product they’re looking for.