What is exactly the bounce rate?
The bounce rate is not related to any basketball statistics. More precisely, it is the proportion of the people that went on your website and then left without having checked another page or did any action. Think of it as someone that enters a shop and leaves without looking at anything. It is recommended to have a low bounce rate most of the time because it is related to reliable websites. The bounce rate is often analyzed with the time spent on your website. In fact, if someone only spends 3 seconds on your website and then leaves, it can indicate to search engines like Google that your website is not trustworthy or it was not related to what this person was looking for.
It is possible that you have a high bounce rate but a high average visit duration too. It mostly happens with blogs where someone finds an article, read it, and leaves since his needs are fulfilled. As people are generally spending a few minutes of their lives on your website, it should then not harm your general indexing by search engines. One-page websites can also have a high bounce rate since there are no other pages or links to follow.
Where can we find the bounce rate?
There are two main places where you can find your website bounce rate. First, if you have WebSelf’s Pro or Business package, you have access to your bounce rate on your website management page. You will find your weekly statistics there. Click on View detailed statistics located top right of the graphic. You will then have access to data regarding your website including main pages viewed, total page views, your bounce rate, and your average visit duration.
If you do not have WebSelf’s Pro or Business package, do not worry. You can have access to these statistics thanks to Google Analytics. If you are unfamiliar with Google Analytics, we suggest you take a look at our Google Analytics for beginners articles. These readings will help you link your website with this useful tool, as well as having a summary of Google Analytics’ sections.
How to have a good bounce rate?
As mentioned above, it is important to make sure to have a low bounce rate with an average visit duration high. It is suggested to aim for a rate below 30% and an average visit duration of over two minutes. Now, take a look at your statistics. Are you close to these goals? If the answer is no, do not start to stress. The bounce rate and the average visit duration are only two of all data checked by Google and search engines when they index your website.
There are, however, some actions you can take in order to improve your statistics. To start with, you can create links between the different pages of your website to encourage visitors to check other sections (they are called internal links and work the same way as backlinks). For example, if you have a blog, you can mention another article that you did and that has a link with the first one. Moreover, make sure to have a website with good content. This will help your visitors stay on your website. Your home page must consequently inspire your visitors to visit the other sections of your website. This is why you should look for great and sufficient content, as well as a beautiful and professional design. Start with these steps and take note of your new statistics after a while to see if you had any improvements.
In conclusion, it is true that the notions related to indexing can be difficult to understand; however, it is important to know them when you create your own website. As mentioned above, a website that will respect all search engines’ rules will have a better indexing and therefore, better visibility. Keep in mind to create something you are proud of and that has both a balanced and professional look. Do not forget to make your ‘’About us’’ page too! (yes it is a link to encourage you to see another of our articles in order to help our bounce rate :P)