As you may know, Google uses RankBrain to measure users’ interaction with your page. RankBrain is the third important raking factor following content and backlinks. Dwell time is one of the key user experience signals that matter to RankBrain.
When a user clicks on your result and stays on that page, it indicates that the content is relevant and interesting, so Google will rank it better accordingly. Therefore, you should measure your page dwell time and optimize it. In this article, I will show you 5 strategies to boost dwell time for better rankings.
What Is Dwell Time?
Dwell time is the amount of time that a user spends on a search result before returning to the search page. For example, when a user clicks on your result from Google search page and then clicks the Back button after 10 seconds. In that case, the Dwell Time on that page is 10 seconds.
Note that dwell time is different than time on page. Time on Page means the amount of time users spend on your page before moving on to another page, which can be the search page, next page of yours or a completely different website. A bounce is when someone clicks on your result and clicks back to Google no matter how long the one spends on your page.
Google probably takes bounce rate into account too, but it’s not as strong a signal as dwell time. When a user stayed on a page for 10 minutes, then clicked the back button. That’s technically a bounce. But, the user is probably satisfied with that result based on the long dwell time.
Strategy #1: Content Above the Fold
When users landed on your page, but not able to see what they are looking for, they bounce. So instead of a big fat image at the top of their page, I recommend putting the first sentence of your content above the fold.
This means eliminating any ads, images or anything that’s between a Google searcher and your content. If you use header images, make sure that they’re not so big that they push your content below the fold.
If your site has pop-ups, make sure they do not block more than 30% of the content. In addition, disable pop-ups for mobile users, because it is against Google’s rules.
Strategy #2: Sticky Intros
Generally, you only have a few seconds to make a user stay on your page and read your content, so you have to make your intro stick to the point. Your intro’s main job is to hook your reader and let them know they’re in the right place.
To do that, you need to point out that your article will answer their question or solve the problem. In addition, you should also give your reader a preview of your your content and let them know what they will get.
A good sticky intro should not be too long. Otherwise, users may lose attention without seeing what they are looking for. Your intro should be between 3 and 6 lines.
Strategy #3: Long Quality Content
This is kind of obvious. Longer content tends to have longer dwell time. Some studies have found a strong correlation between long content and higher Google rankings.
Good content should cover the topic in-depth and provide the searcher with a full answer, so the searcher has no need to read another result for that query. To write long content, you’ll need to cite different opinions, add actionable tips, dig potential doubts, etc.
Strategy #4: Make Content More Digestible
With long content can be an overwhelming wall of text, so use subheadings and short paragraphs to break up the long form content into digestible little chunks. This is especially important for mobile users.
For me, I try to make each paragraph no more than 3 lines. 4 lines is probably the longest paragraph.
Strategy #5: Internal Linking
As mentioned, dwell time is measured on the time between someone coming to your site and returning to the search result page. Once users reach your website, you want to keep they on your site. The longer they stay, the more likely they will become a lead or customer.
Use internal linking when you see a chance and give them somewhere to go next. You can should add internal links within the content where you see fit. If it is not suitable to add in the content paragraph, you can use “related content”.
Besides, internal linking can also decrease bounce rate if used properly. Make sure the links are relevant and the anchor texts natural.
Strategy #6: Multi-Media
Use images, infographics, videos, and other media to back up your message. It is a better way to express your ideas and break up your content. You can find loads of free stock photos out there.
I also highly recommend embeding videos because videos can really keep readers engaging. As you may notice, Google also shows a lot of videos in the search results. Above all, it is good way to improve dwell time as well as bounce rate.
Strategy #7: Technical SEO
Google says: “53% of mobile site visits leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load”. And you probably know that more than 50% of searches are generated on mobile devices, so loading speed is important. 
Besides speed, you should also make your site mobile friendly. An unresponsive website will more likely have a dwell time close to zero on a mobile device. That’s not acceptable since Google has mentioned the mobile-first index in 2015.
Therefore, be sure to check ThinkwithGoogle and Google PageSpeed Insights to know how you can optimize your site’s loading speed.
Conclusion
That’s 7 ways to optimize dwell time for your website. Check your old content and make some changes accordingly. If you try all these, you should see a boost in your rankings in some time.
