Bounce Rate and Behavioral Factors
Bounce rate is the share of visits where a person did not take any additional action. There are more myths surrounding it than any other metric, so let's start with the main point: there is no single correct value, and it is not a ranking factor by itself.
What Exactly Constitutes a Bounce
The definition depends on the analytics system and its settings. In some systems, a bounce is a visit with a view of one page; in others, it is a visit shorter than a specified time and without events. Because of this, the numbers in different counters on the same site can vary significantly, making comparisons meaningless.
When a High Bounce Rate is Normal
| Page Type | Expected Behavior |
|---|---|
| Help article, dictionary | Read the answer and left - task completed |
| Contacts, working hours | Found the number and called |
| Landing page with a single button | Either action or exit |
| Product card from search | Compares, will return later |
A concerning case is another: a page from which a person should go further down the funnel, but they leave. You should not look at the site as a whole, but at specific pages with specific roles.
What to Do About It
- Set up events: scrolling, clicking a button, watching a video. Otherwise, a useful visit is counted as a bounce.
- Compare the page with itself over time, not with others' benchmarks.
- If the bounce rate has risen sharply, look for a technical reason: speed, layout error, intrusive banner.
- Evaluate the page based on its goal: reading, transitioning, or conversion.
What to Look at Instead of Bounces
Three things are more useful: the share of people who read to the end, the share who went further on the site, and the share who completed a target action. All three are set up by events and answer a clear question - did the page work or not. Bounces only answer the question 'was there a second page', which makes no sense for half of the sites at all.