The Google search algorithm is tweaked between 500 and 600 times each year. Additionally, Google rolls out major overhauls named after adorable animals, like Penguin or Panda, that terrorize SEO experts.
There are more than 200 ranking factors included in the algorithm. Gaining an understanding of these factors will give you a leg up on your competition.
Sometimes, that’s easier said than done. We’re looking at you, dwell time.
Don’t worry, if you’ve never even heard of dwell time you’re not alone. That’s why we’re here.
Read on to discover what dwell time is, how it’s measured and if it really is even a ranking factor. Plus, if it is a factor for you to consider, how is it optimized?
You don’t have to trust us. This information is from the biggest names in the SEO industry.
Shall we?
So, What is Dwell Time?
Simply put, dwell time is the time that passes between when you click on a search result and when you hit back to look for more.
For example, say you searched “should I dwell on dwell time?”
For some insane reason, you don’t click on this link first. You spend 1:34 seconds on that page and obviously don’t learn everything you needed, so you click back to the search engine and then obviously find yourself here.
Your dwell time is one minute and 34 seconds.
Why does it matter?
A History of Dwell Time
We can thank Duane Forrester for the term. He wrote about it as Senior Project Manager at Bing in 2011.
The idea is the longer someone spends on your site when coming via search, the more likely it is your content was helpful. Two seconds, bad. Two minutes, OK. Twenty minutes? Great.
It seems to make sense why dwell time would be an SEO factor.
What’s the Difference Between Dwell Time, Bounce Rate and Time on Page?
Some SEO experts will use these terms interchangeably. They’re wrong.
You now know that Dwell Time is the time that passes between when you click on a search result and when you hit back to look for more.
Bounce Rate is the percentage of site visitors who only spend time on one page before leaving.
Lastly, Time on Page is how long a visitor spends on your page. They can exit to a search engine, another page on your site, anywhere.
You can find your bounce rate and time on page in Google Analytics, but will not be so lucky for dwell time.
So, Is Dwell Time a Google Ranking Factor?
Maybe. Seemingly? In theory.
Here’s what Nick Frost, head of Google Brain, said recently at a conference:
“Google is now integrating machine learning into [the process of figuring out what the relationship between a search and the best page for that search is]. So then training models on when someone clicks on a page and stays on that page, when they go back or when they and trying to figure out exactly on that relationship.”
This would stand to reason that something like dwell time would be a factor.
SEO Expert, Cyrus Shepard, clarified these statements. While dwell time may in fact feed machine learning, Google Brain does not make the ranking algorithm.
It’s also important to point out that most searchers never go past the first page of results. So, dwell time would not even become a factor until you’re ranking on the first page. As such, improving your page rank via other factors should still be your primary focus.
However, you can work to improve dwell time for pages that already rank on the first page. Here are three reasons may want to:
Dwell Time is a Good Indicator of Relevance
Say you’re looking to go paleo and you search “paleo diet for beginners.”
You find The Beginner’s Guide to Paleo Fitness from Nerd Fitness.
It covers everything a paleo beginner could ever want to know. Visitors will certainly spend a good amount of time on the page. A visitor may never feel the need to go back to the search engine.
Further down in the search results, you see a small post from Fitness Magazine. There are a few issues that would make for a poor dwell time:
- Short post (around 500 words)
- Very basic
- Ad heavy
It’s not hard to see why the first result would have a better dwell time that indicates relevance.
Dwell Time Could Trump Bounce Rate as a Ranking Factor
There are many factors that come into play with bounce rate:
- They found what they were looking for on the page
- Someone left your article on the screen when they left for lunch (or anywhere else), which triggers a new session in Google Analytics after 30 minutes
- The content wasn’t what they wanted
That indicates good and bad experiences.
Google claims they don’t use Google Analytics data in the algorithm. If that’s true, dwell time would be easier to collect. It eliminates some of the variables and give Google a better indication of relevance (as we just learned).
Dwell Time Something Google is Actively Tracking
We have proof that Google does track dwell time.
If we were to search “link building strategies” on your iPhone using Safari, you’d see a result from Moz. Once the page fully loads, hit back. You’ll notice your results appear differently. It’s Google’s attempt at providing relevant content, which you indicated you did not find when you clicked back from the Moz post.
However, this only proves that Google monitors dwell time to improve user experience … not that it’s a ranking factor.
Possible Problems with Dwell Time as a Ranking Factor
There are a few issues with dwell time:
- It doesn’t work great for simple question queries. Eric Enge, founder of Stone Temple Consulting, explains, “There are many scenarios where SHORTER dwell time is an indication of quality. For example, anytime someone is looking for a quick piece of reference information, such as a zip code or phone number for a business. For informational searches like these, you want to design your pages, so users find what they want pretty much immediately.”
- It doesn’t work well for Accidental False Advertising (AFA) Pages. Say a page ranks high in your search results. It’s a long article and you spend a while looking for the single piece of information you required. Turns out, the answer you needed wasn’t there. You spent a lot of time on the page, but it was a negative experience.
- It’s not great for “shopping” queries. Mark Traphagen explains, “One more scenario in which dwell time might be a false flag for content quality and user satisfaction: shopping. Often when I’m shopping, I may click back and forth rather rapidly among multiple results because I’m just at a stage where I’m comparison shopping, maybe for price or certain features.”
Should I Try to Improve Dwell Time? How?
Time and again, great content and a positive user experience will trump any metric.
Says, Search Engine Land founder, Danny Sullivan, “I think Google probably tries to measure and use engagement as part of its ranking algorithm. I think precisely how it does this isn’t known, I think too many SEOs obsess that it must be clickthrough rate. It largely doesn’t matter. As marketers, you want people engaging with your content first and foremost. So focus on that, and you’ll probably align with what Google wants.”
Here is where your focus should be:
- Creating better content
- Targeting the right keyword and avoiding clickbait
- Slow-loading website or intrusive ads? Stop it and make UX/UI your top priority!
- Sprinkle relevant internal links throughout your content
- Always keep your content up-to-date
Conclusion
We know Google has at least considering dwell time and its importance. This still doesn’t mean we know it’s a ranking factor.
All we know for sure is that Google wants its users to have a positive experience. They do that by putting the best, most relevant result in the first position.
Your job as an SEO expert is to reach that rank.
Job requirements include creating great content that meets the needs of your audience and ensuring your website provides a pleasant user experience.
Accomplish those two tasks and dwell time will not be your concern.
Author – Jamie FitzHenry is the founder of Grizzly, a Bristol based SEO agency.