Bounce rate

What is the bounce rate?

The Bounce rate or Bounce rate is a key term in web analytics. It is expressed as a percentage and indicates how many visitors leave your website after a short period of time. According to Google Analytics, a bounce occurs when a user visits only a single page and sends only one request to the Analytics server.

Possible values and their meaning

The bounce rate assessment depends heavily on the content and purpose of your website. As a rule of thumb for commercial offers, the rate should not exceed 50%. Typically, pages of well-known brands and institutions have a lower bounce rate because users type in the address directly. Google Ads landing pages often have a higher bounce rate because visitors quickly assess whether the ad is relevant to them.

What does a high bounce rate mean?

A high bounce rate doesn't necessarily have to be a problem. If a user is looking for specific information and finds it directly on the first page they visit, a short visit can be a positive experience. An example of this is finding contact information that subsequently leads to a call or visit to a store. In many cases, however, site operators want visitors to stay longer on the website and consume more content. In such contexts, a high bounce rate is viewed negatively.

Relationship to length of stay

Whether a short session duration is negative depends on the context. For purely informational pages, a short dwell time may mean that the user has quickly found the information they were looking for. On the other hand, longer dwell times are often desirable for landing pages, as they aim to encourage the visitor to make a purchase or contact us. An effective way to analyze dwell time and bounce rate is to Event trackingBy tracking interactions like sharing content, you can better understand how visitors actually use your site.

How can the bounce rate be improved?

The bounce rate is influenced by various factors. To reduce it, you can:

• Optimize page loading time: Fast loading times keep visitors on your site.
• Reduce advertising: Too much advertising can be off-putting.
• Improve the design: An attractive and user-friendly design encourages dwell time.
• Optimize page titles and keywords: Relevant titles and keywords ensure appropriate visitor flows.
• Simplify navigation: Intuitive navigation makes it easier to find content.
• Provide relevant content: High-quality content increases user interest.

When a bounce rate is high, it's often helpful to analyze the data more closely in Google Analytics. Sometimes the causes lie in specific channels or specific combinations of source and medium.

The difference to the dropout rate

The Exit rate Refers to the percentage of visitors who leave the website from a particular page after visiting at least one other page. Unlike the bounce rate, this means that the user has already shown interaction with the website. Analyzing the exit rate helps website operators understand which subpages cause visitors to leave the website.

A high exit rate isn't necessarily a negative, especially when it comes to logical endpoints like order confirmation pages. However, pages with high exit rates that aren't linked to a conversion should be considered for optimization.

Benchmarks for bounce rates

Bounce rates considered “normal” vary depending on the website type:

• Content websites (not e-commerce): 40–60 %
• Landing pages: 60–90 %
• B2C e-commerce websites: 20–45 %
• Retail websites: 10–40 %
• Blog pages: 70–98 %
• B2B websites: 25–55 %
• Dictionaries and news sites: 65–90 %

Does bounce rate have an effect on search engine optimization?

Whether the bounce rate has a direct impact on Google rankings is controversial. Many experts believe that SERP return rate for a more important criterion. It measures how quickly users return to the search engine after visiting a search result. This metric is considered more reliable and easier to measure.

However, a high bounce rate can be an indicator that a website isn't user-friendly or doesn't match search queries. If visitors feel their information needs aren't being met, they'll be less likely to visit other pages on the domain.