Dwell Time
The amount of time a visitor spends on a website page before returning to the search engine results page (SERP).
Description
In the digital marketing industry, Dwell Time is a crucial metric that indicates the level of user engagement and content relevance on a website. It is the duration a visitor stays on a webpage after clicking through from a search engine result before they go back to the SERP. Unlike bounce rate, which measures the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page, Dwell Time specifically focuses on how long users find a particular page useful or engaging before deciding to continue their search. This metric is often considered by search engines as a signal of content quality and user satisfaction, potentially influencing search rankings. A longer Dwell Time usually suggests that the content is highly relevant and engaging to the user, whereas a shorter Dwell Time may indicate that the content did not meet the user’s expectations.
Examples
- A user searches for 'how to make a cake' on Google, clicks on a blog post titled 'Simple Cake Recipes for Beginners,' and spends 7 minutes reading the detailed instructions and watching a video before returning to the search results. This longer Dwell Time indicates that the content was engaging and relevant.
- Another user searches for 'best running shoes for flat feet,' clicks on an e-commerce site, but returns to the search results within 20 seconds. This short Dwell Time suggests that the page content did not meet the user’s needs or expectations.
Additional Information
- Improving Dwell Time can be achieved by creating more engaging, relevant, and high-quality content.
- Dwell Time is not a direct ranking factor in Google's algorithm but is often correlated with higher search rankings due to its indication of user satisfaction.