Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
What Is Bounce Rate
Do you know what it means when your bounce rate is high?
It means you’re NOT relevant.
youch!
Well not you…your content.
oh, that’s comforting.
not.
It can also mean:
your blog is nothing more than a one trick pony.
your blog is slower than a bloody snail.
your design is based on being an advertiser and not an entertainer or informer.
As far as I know, these are the four discrepancies that will hurt your bounce rate.
1. Irrelevant search engine optimization
2. Not enticing visitors to stick around.
3. Slow load time.
4. Dissatisfying design.
Bounce Rate in SEO
We’re discussing why you need to consider relevancy when search engine optimizing your post.
Here’s the deal…
When you think SEO, what make-or-break-your-blog-traffic-dynamo pops into your head?
i’ve had people say, “there are other search engines besides Google ya’ know.”
and I always respond, “really? i hadn’t noticed.”
Fact is, Google is, on average, the search engine of choice worldwide.
Over the last 6 months of 2012, 65% of online searches across the globe have happened using Google – resulting in 674,243,000,000,000 searches.
So who wouldn’t want to be found in the Google Search Results?
(besides those who are practicing irrelevant seo.)
Irrelevant SEO Pisses People Off
When I go looking for something, I want to find exactly what I’m looking for.
Don’t you?
Google wants that for their consumers too.
When I plug into Google’s search box “how to make eco friendly soap” I want to find instructions on how to make the soap.
Not a site misleading me into believing they have DIY instructions on soap making when instead have nothing but crappy content and soap to sell.
That would just be…irrelevant.
And I would leave.
Adding to that site’s bounce rate.
Yes, me leaving, hurts a site’s ranking because it’s considered a bounce.
Google Wants You To Lower Your Bounce Rate and Stop The Irrelevant SEO B.S.
Seriously.
One of the many things Google wants from publishers, and that’s what we bloggers are – publishers, is for us to produce content that Google can serve up to consumers – those searching the web. But not just any content.
Google wants your posts optimized to be relevant to the content you’re publishing so they can match up the right content to their search engine queries.
So they can serve up relevant content to their consumers.
So their consumers will continue to use them and advertisers will continue to pay the SE giant for ad space.
Follow me?
Here’s The Low Down On Bounce Rate
Google deems a visit a bounce if:
- a visitor follows a link to your blog from a social media site (tweet, pin, fb post) and then leaves.
- a visitor follows a link to your site from the search engine and then clicks back to the search engine to keep searching.
- a visitor doesn’t click through to any other internal links on your blog.
These bounces are a signal to Google that something is wrong with your content – and they could be right.
Perhaps your SEO is irrelevant…
Your headline promised something you didn’t deliver. Your description promised something you didn’t deliver. For example the below screenshot really does not apply to this post at all.
However I do have enough relevant keywords in this post that can rank the page for the term “how to drop your bounce rate,” it can’t be done in 10 minutes and it’s not easy. You’ll see for yourself later in this post.
Misleading advertisement can increase your bounce rate and lower your search engine ranking.
Using irrelevant seo tactics to drive traffic increases your bounce rate.
You may be thinking “oh, I’ll seo my post for this, and though it’s not exactly what my post is about, people will read the post and love my blog and stay anyway.”
Guess what…that’s BULLSHIT.
If I need something now and I go googling it, wherever it takes me, that page has 3 seconds to prove it has what I’m looking for before I “bounce”.
Reducing Your Bounce Rate By Being Relevant, Not A Shady Jerk
I know if you’re search engine optimizing your posts, you’re researching keywords.
if you’re not, visit The Strategic Mama’s WP + SEO Training Website and check out the Google Luv Course.
And I know it’s tempting to choose those keywords that have a high search volume.
And then stick ‘em into your meta tags (title, description, headings, etc).
It may even be tempting to try and fit keywords into your post that are relevant to that keyword with the high search volume.
BUT DON’T.
Temporarily tricking the search engines is possible, but remember, it all comes down to how the users engage with your content. Google’s always watching, whether it’s coming from their search engines or a social media share.
Don’t be a shady jerk.
Find a keyword phrase that matches your content or change your content.
Either will work as long as your seo aligns with your content.
Next time, we’re talking about teaching your pony more tricks to keep your bounce rate low.
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artwork Doodle for Google by ~Velveteeniris
I know a few shady jerks! I use Google to search all the time, and nothing irks me more than websites/ blogs who use sensational and/ or misleading headlines just to get a search hit. All I’m gonna do is leave your site, dude.
That said, my bounce rate is not great, I think it could be because I get a lot of hits from searches for semolina cake, they find my recipe, bookmark/ Pin it, then leave within seconds. Not even kidding. Also, I don’t really use my title/ headers etc with SEO in mind. Ahem. It stifles my writing, so, I don’t. Need to apply what I’ve learned from you!
Alison recently posted..Putting Thought, Paying Mind, Present For, And Proud
girlfriend how does using the plugin after you write your post stifle your writing? considered this, filling out those seo plugin fields, adding a description that really, enticingly describes your post instead of the few lines google strips from your post and uses for you description, people would know before they visit your post what it’s about and only those that are interested will stop by and spend a while. (aka targeted traffic)
Vanita recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
What I mean is, the titles/ keywords WITHIN my post, not the SEO plugin. Which is a good plugin, and I do try and insert my own short descriptions and titles.
If I had to write my actual post with SEO in mind, then no, I can’t do it. That’s what I meant.
Alison recently posted..Dear Future Friend
that’s the beauty of thinking about seo after you write.
how you seo the post – the post title, the plugin fields, your permalink – will all be based on what you wrote, so no need to add keywords within your post, as long as your search engine optimizing is relevant to your post topic, all the keywords are naturally in there.
Vanita recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
I never bothered to figured out what bounce rate is, until you told me, a few months ago in absolutely simple terms – that visitors should find precisely what they clicked a search result to find. I think as long as we remember that one line, everything else will take care of itself. Relevancy is the key.
Of course, there will always be random visitors (thanks to social media) who just flit by and add to the bounce rate unintentionally. Not everyone who arrives on a blog/blog post comes with the desire to read an entire post. I know many people just come and “check out” stuff for two seconds and then buzz off. Then again, there are those crazies who randomly click any post and leave a totally spammy control+v type comment because they’re doing it in various places.
This reminds me of something: I subscribe to someone’s newsletter via email and I read the post – and decided to go over to comment. But when I directly scrolled down to comment, having read the post, I saw a stern pop up that told me I hadn’t spent enough time on the site to comment!
It may have been very clever, but it totally put me off. So anyway, I kept that window open and continued to browse elsewhere, then came back and commented. Nice of me, I know – I could have simply walked off in a huff.
Thanks. I am looking forward to reading this series.
Vidya Sury recently posted..The Gift Of Friendship
lol that comment warning is a form of spam protection. there are ways to auto comment on sites to build backlinks. timing how long a person spends on the page helps to weed out the spammers from the people who actually are engaging.
and i am so touched you remembered that advise so well. thank you.
Vanita recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
Both useful and funny. Lengthy but not long-winded. There really are only four factors to bounce rate, as you mentioned. In a way, you can almost distill it into one statement:
“Have a nice site.”
It should be clean, appealing, load properly and have good content.
Of course, you said it much better… but until entrepreneurs “get it”, the details can’t hurt.
Thanks for stopping by and the compliment Daniel.
I notice your site offers content writing.
do you find that a badly designed site cancels out the benefits of a well written seo article?
Vanita recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
Good question.
I try not to get in the situation if I can avoid it. If the site stinks, I tell them. If it’s an eCommerce site with a bad UI, I tell them. If it’s got clunky functionality (usually due to some vendor or previous marketer that suckered them into it) I tell them.
So I guess the answer is that I really never try to optimize content for a truly poor page. I will say that a BETTER looking page and friendlier to use site will HELP… but I try not to win up in a situation where I provide beautiful, optimized content and the site still gets kicked around.
as you do, I never try to optimize poor content
thanks for answering my Q and it’s great meeting you.
Vanita recently posted..My Heart Hurts For You
Dude, spending some time on both your sites it is so clear that I NEED help. No wonder I only have 4 readers
My head hurts, I’ll be back in the morning!
Poppy recently posted..2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC 4-Door Review
What’s a good bounce rate? This is a timely post considering my recent title, which has nothing to do with my rant. Oh, well.
Adrienne recently posted..I don’t care if this title is SEO friendly.
30% would be kick ass but on average bloggers have 60% to 80%. mainly because regular readers drop by read a post and leave because they’ve read the other stuff. next post, we’ll devise a way to be sticky even to regular visitors.
Vanita recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Your Irrelevant SEO
I have also read that the bounce rate is almost never reported properly by google because if someone lands on your site but does not exit in a certain way it will show as an immediate bounce…do you know what I mean? I can’t seem to find that article anywhere but will post it if I do.
I had no clue of bounce rate. I see it all the time in google analytics but never took time to find out, UNTIL NOW. also, my SEO knowledge is zero. I am going to subscribe to your emails and see what else you have to say.. thanks
Vinma recently posted..Daughters of Tomorrow
Hey Vinma!Thanks for subscribing. I hope you enjoy the new post. don’t forget to let me know how those changes we went over worked out.
Vanita Cyril recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Wrap Your Blog In Honey
Coming back via your guest post at Vidya’s site! Yeah, my issue is that I have 56% returning visitors (so regular readers) who read the post of the day and then leave. I have tried to put internal links into each post, but maybe they’ve already read those, who knows! Is there any way of figuring out what the bounce rate for new visitors only is? That would help me find out which are my truly poor performing posts!!
Roshni recently posted..Equality and diversity
Roshni! girlfriend! my partner in classroom candy. So nice to see u. Have you seen the post about making your blog sticky? Also, you’ve given me a great idea for a video on breaking down google analytics. But next week. I’m off for the weekend
.
Vanita Cyril recently posted..Feel Like The Web’s Against You?
Awesome!! You rock!! I actually did click on your sticky honey post and bookmarked it to try out! I love your suggestions about the email page and other landing pages!! I’m going to try and implement that stuff soon on my blog!
Roshni recently posted..Equality and diversity
Mmmm…WP+SEO Training…
Tammy recently posted..We’ve So Not Come a Long Way, Baby
sssh im busy signing up for blue ballz
Vanita Cyril recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Increase Blog Speed
For some of my articles, when I blog or write a tip, I can get the SEO green, but on most, the best I can do is chartreuse LOL…as a recipe writer, it’s hard to get the required words, headings, etc into my posts, they are after all, a recipe. I’m not a photographer (per se) so it’s really, ingredients, directions and an informational intro. I see a high bounce rate in my analytics, but I think it’s because they read, printed and left. At least, I hope they read, printed and left. I seem to have pretty good linger time, but no click throughs…ah the Catch 22 of the web!
LindySez recently posted..Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Hey girl! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing. I took a quick look at this post: http://www.lindysez.com/recipe/1137/ you can help your seo by using Heading 2 tags for headings like “Make the Balsamic Berry Compote” and “For the Balsamic Berry Compote” and “Ingredients” instead of using heading 4. If you find your theme’s design has built Heading 2 too large visually (it’s a common reason why people choose not to use it) than i suggest having the coding edited so heading 2 displays at a smaller size. believe it or not, recipes can be easily search engine optimized. I have a food blogger client who’s ranking in the search results for hundreds of keyword phrases that are food based.
Vanita Cyril recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Increase Blog Speed
Thank you thank you. I’m 5 years into this hobby
and on my third site (I should have read your article on hiring a designer and moving my blog cause I did it ALL wrong…learning and improving my traffic…I will utilize your ideas and promote the shit out of your site! Love it and thank you from all of us who aren’t in the know but want to be … Cheers ~ Lindy
LindySez recently posted..Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
it’s my pleasure girlfriend. i’ve got a post brewing in my head about social sharing buttons and how it helps your seo while it hurts it.
stayed tuned girlfriend.
Vanita Cyril recently posted..Bounce Rate Defined Series: Increase Blog Speed