Picture the following: You search for “best food for diabetes” on Google. You click on the first result, but the site is unattractive and the content is unhelpful. You click back and select another result. Usually, it takes 5 seconds for you to return to the search results. This short dwell time tells Google that the content was not valuable.

When you click the second search result, you spend 4 minutes reading the content because it is informative and well-presented. This longer dwell time signals to Google that the page is useful. 

Dwell time is an important SEO metric that tracks how long a visitor remains on a webpage before returning to the search results. It serves as an indicator of user engagement and content quality. Generally, longer dwell times suggest that the content meets the user's needs, which can improve search rankings.

Here are a few strategies to keep visitors on your website longer.

Follow Through On What Your Headline Promises:

Getting users to click on your headlines is just the beginning. If you aim to keep visitors on your website for longer periods, ensure that your content delivers on the promise of its headlines. Remember, a captivating headline is only effective if it leads to content that truly delivers on expectations, guiding users toward deeper engagement and fostering trust in your brand.

Create more scannable content. 

Use Bucket Brigades:

What are bucket brigades? The bucket brigade is a copywriting technique that is magnetic.

Why?

Because it captivates the readers. 

Actually, I am using it right now.

Now, I can practically hear you thinking:  “I want to learn this technique too”

Let's start!

Long texts, even with lots of pictures, videos or funny stories, can overwhelm readers. After all, who has the time or patience for all that scrolling? That's where this technique comes in handy. 

By using bucket brigades, you can keep your content engaging and easy to digest. 

Bucket brigades are words or phrases that keep readers on your page! 

Such as: 

• Look 
• I’ll show you
• Let's jump in
• Let's start

Whenever you find a spot in your content where readers might lose interest and click away, sprinkle in a bucket brigade.

Craft Compelling Subheadings: Subheadings serve as effective instruments to maintain reader engagement. They not only visually break up your content but also have the ability to spark a reader's curiosity, preventing them from losing interest and navigating away.

Use A Bulleted List: Bullet points make information more noticeable and easier to scan, helping readers quickly find key points. 

Readability: This might be something you already know, but it's worth mentioning: Ensure your font size and line spacing are sufficiently large to prevent eye strain.

Embed Engaging Videos:

A lot of visitors would rather watch videos than read text. Are you providing them with that option? Think about it, many people will watch the entire video and this will give you over a minute to your Dwell Time. You have the option to replace text content with a video, or you can embed videos into related content. 

Add Comments:

Comments are valuable content that people often read, especially when deciding whether a product is worth purchasing (on a product page) or seeking others' opinions on an article (in a blog). To leave a comment takes time too, thus, comments can increase your dwell time.

Reduce page loading time:

Even a slight delay in page response can significantly impact your conversions. Ignoring the importance of page speed could mean missing out on potential revenue. Online users are impatient; if your site takes too long to load, they're likely to click away. It's crucial to prioritize optimizing your page speed.

To measure Dwell Time:

• Log in to Google Analytics.
• Go to "Behavior" → "Site Content" → "Landing Pages".
• Set up a segment to view "Organic Traffic".
• Check the "Avg. Session Duration" to see how long visitors spend on each page after landing from Google search results.

If you see that some pages require actions to increase their dwell time, try using the technique mentioned above! If you need help, we are here :)