A high bounce rate is a sign that a few things could be wrong with your website. Figuring out what causes a high bounce rate can be difficult. It can be poor content, an inaccessible navigation system, or a bad user experience. If you are keen to rectify what would contribute to a low bounce rate, it is crucial to know the right reasons. Without understanding what causes a high bounce rate, you will never be able to fix it.Let us discuss a few possible reasons why some websites have high bounce rates in comparison to others.
What is a bounce rate in SEO?
The bounce rate is the number of people who land on your website page and leave without clicking on any links. What is bounce rate in SEO? It depends on the industry and from where your specific traffic arrives. E-commerce websites have the lowest bounce rate of 20% to 45%, whereas blogs have a bounce rate of up to 90%. So, if you are trying to ascertain what would contribute to a low bounce rate, ensure that you compare your website with others in the same category.
The reasons why bounce rate is important
What is a bounce rate in SEO and its importance is of critical importance. As discussed, a higher bounce rate is a fair indicator that there are several problems with your website. A high bounce rate indicates that most website visitors are not converting. They are not clicking on any links or taking the action that you want them to take.
- Does bounce rate affect SEO? and the definite answer is a yes. A study found a direct correlation between a low bounce rate and higher search engine rankings.
Once you have a grasp on these factors, rectification measures for what would contribute to a low bounce rate can be ascertained.
The reasons for a high bounce rate
Let us get to the main topic: what would be the reasons for a high bounce rate? A few of them are as follows:
Low-quality content
If the web page has low-quality content, it creates a negative impression. The users will not feel encouraged to check out other pages on the website, as this will lead to a high bounce rate.
Secondly, if the content is not encouraging, users will not take the desired action. An example is clicking on the call-to-action button, as this will lead to a high bounce rate.
The web page may not meet the expectations of the clients
When online users visit a web page, they have two major expectations. Most website users are seeking out some form of information. It is necessary that the web page meet the expectations of customers, and if it does, what would contribute to a low bounce rate? Hence, it is fundamental that you get a couple of things right.
- Ensure that you create pages and their content in a proper way. This needs to be in accordance with the visitor’s search intent. Rather, it is better to develop your own page, addressing the problems that visitors may have and how to cope with them.
- Make sure to create accurate and descriptive meta tags that bring us to the next point.
Accurate meta descriptions and title tags
The meta description and title tag play a crucial role in setting up specific expectations. If the title page says something that is different from the web page, it would lead to a high bounce rate.
Let us understand what a bounce rate is SEO with an example. Suppose a user searches for “buy a washing machine.” Once the user clicks and lands on the web page, they come across an article that compares the different types of washing machines. They are left with no other option but to quit the page, as the meta description was not accurate.
An accessible and poor navigation structure
The bounce rate on a website will be low if the website visitors click on other link pages. One of the better ways to find the other pages is via the main menu.
If, for some reason, the menu is poorly designed, it will create problems for all those who access your website. Hence, it is important that the menu and all the items on it are self-explanatory, easily accessible, clear, and concise.
Poor website design and user experience
Bad UX and UI will lead to a significantly higher bounce rate. The quality of the content is not going to matter if the user experience and website design are not up to par. A poorly designed website means that the bounce rate is expected to be higher.
Web pages take a lot of time to load
Online users do not like to wait. If the web page does not load within a couple of seconds, clients will leave, contributing to a high bounce rate. Google went on to analyze 11 million web pages. They went on to realize that a high bounce rate could be an outcome of numerous factors.
Check how quickly the web pages are likely to load. If it takes less than 2 seconds, you would need to speed them up as soon as possible.
Do you think there is an average bounce rate?
Experts will argue on the point “Does bounce rates affect SEO”, and the answer is yes. Different industries have different bounce rates, just as there are bounce rates for different businesses, industries, and types of web pages.
In case you have a number to target, keep the bounce rate lower than 50%. The average bounce rate for the websites that they analysed would be 41% to 50%.
To conclude, when it comes to optimizing a web page or a website and making it search-friendly, SEO professionals focus on meta tags, keywords, and backlinks. Though they are important factors, the bounce rate is also a quick engagement matrix that should not be ignored.
There is a need to monitor the bounce rate over a period of time, and for various pages, you can identify low content, enhance your overall web page design, and address your problems in a better way. By addressing the bounce rate, you are going to fix several other issues that your website may have. As a result, in a direct or indirect way, the website will be in a better position to cater to the audience.