Bounce Rate

Definition

Bounce Rate - The percentage of visitors who leave a site after viewing only one page. High bounce rates aren't automatically bad - a blog post where users read and leave satisfies intent. Context determines whether it's a problem.

In more depth

Bounce rate measures the percentage of sessions in which a user viewed only one page before leaving your site without any interaction. A 70% bounce rate on a contact page is alarming - users are leaving without making contact. A 70% bounce rate on a blog post about a very specific topic is probably fine - users found their answer and left satisfied.

Google Analytics 4 replaced traditional bounce rate with "engagement rate" - the percentage of sessions that last more than 10 seconds, involve a conversion, or involve at least two page views. This is a more nuanced measure of whether users found value in a visit, rather than just whether they clicked to a second page.

For SEO purposes, bounce rate matters indirectly: if users consistently click your result in Google and immediately bounce back to the search results (a behaviour sometimes called "pogo-sticking"), it signals to Google that your page didn't satisfy the query. This is a soft negative ranking signal. The fix is almost always content quality - ensure your page actually addresses what searchers expect to find.

Related terms: Search Intent - SERP (Search Engine Results Page) - Organic Traffic

Frequently asked questions

What is a good bounce rate?

It varies significantly by page type. For landing pages, below 40% is strong. For blog posts and informational content, 60-80% is normal. For e-commerce category pages, below 50% is typical. Always benchmark against your specific page type and industry rather than using universal thresholds.

Does bounce rate affect SEO rankings?

Not directly as a metric. Google doesn't use GA bounce rate as a ranking signal. But the underlying user behaviour - visiting a page and immediately returning to search results - may be a soft signal that a page doesn't satisfy the query. Improving page relevance and content quality addresses both.