How to Reduce Bounce Rate: 12 Tips for Better Site Results

Oct 14, 2024 04:33 PM - 3 months ago 145647

What Is Bounce Rate?

Bounce complaint measures the percent of sessions wherever users don’t prosecute meaningfully pinch your site, according to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). And an unengaged convention is counted when:

  • A personification views only 1 page
  • The convention lasts little than 10 seconds
  • No conversion events are triggered

Bounce complaint isn’t a confirmed Google ranking factor. But a precocious complaint often signals users aren’t getting what they want aliases that location are different issues pinch your site. 

Working to reside these problems tin positively impact your performance. 

A bully bounce complaint varies by industry. But astir websites should purpose for 40%-60%. Lower is mostly better.

12 Tips to Reduce Your Bounce Rate

1. Satisfy User Intent

Your SEO-focused pages request to align pinch what users are looking for. Otherwise, those visitors will time off and lend to a higher bounce rate.

For example, the hunt "how to hole a leaky faucet" reveals group are looking for a step-by-step guide. Which you tin show by looking astatine the results:

organic results for the hunt word show pages pinch measurement by measurement instructions

So, if your page focuses connected trading plumbing services and doesn’t see immoderate DIY information, it doesn’t fulfill the user's intent.

To lucifer your contented pinch what users want from hunt results, place the intent down your target keywords utilizing Keyword Overview. 

Open the tool, participate your keyword, prime your country, and click “Search.”

"fix leaky faucet" entered into Keyword Overview

Check the “Intent” container successful the default “Overview” report. Here, you’ll spot 1 aliases much of the 4 main search intent categories:

  • Informational: Users want to study something
  • Navigational: Users are looking for a circumstantial page aliases site
  • Commercial: Users want to do investigation earlier buying
  • Transactional: Users want to make a acquisition aliases complete a akin action
This keyword has informational hunt intent

Next, scroll down to the "SERP Analysis" array successful Keyword Overview. Click connected the outer nexus icons to sojourn the top-ranking pages. And study them to understand what users expect.

open webpage icon highlighted adjacent to url

For our "how to hole a leaky faucet" example, the top-ranking pages screen aggregate faucet types and supply step-by-step instructions. Some moreover characteristic video tutorials, for illustration this page from The Home Depot:

this webpage shows a video connected really to hole a leaky faucet and showcases products connected the correct manus side

Evaluate whether your page has these elements. If not, incorporating them will thief you fulfill personification intent. Which tin amended engagement and trim bounce rates.

Further reading: What Is Keyword Intent & How to Align Keywords pinch User Needs

2. Speed Up Your Website

A slow-loading tract prevents users from being capable to interact pinch your contented erstwhile they want to—which leads to them quickly leaving. This is why you should purpose to support your tract arsenic accelerated arsenic possible.

To cheque an individual page’s speed connected your site, usage Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. 

It gives you a capacity people retired of 100. A people of 90 aliases higher is considered very good.

This page has a capacity people of 46 retired of 100

To cheque the velocity crossed your full website, usage Semrush’s Site Audit tool. 

Open the tool, participate your domain, and click "Start Audit."

domain entered into Site Audit tool

Next, travel our guideline connected configuring Site Audit.

Once the audit is done, you’ll spot an “Overview” report. 

Click “View details” nether “Site Performance.”

Site Performance study highlighted

You’ll spot the mean page load speed. 

average page (html) load velocity shows .35 sec and the database of capacity issues is highlighted

You tin besides position errors and warnings that are slowing down your site. Click “Why and really to hole it” adjacent to immoderate rumor to study much astir it and really to reside it.

why and really to hole slow page load velocity rumor pops up to explicate the rumor and really to hole it

Go done each of the issues and use the suggested fixes. (You whitethorn request to activity pinch a developer for some.)

But successful general, present are immoderate steps you tin return to velocity up your site:

  • Optimize images by compressing them pinch a instrumentality for illustration TinyPNG
  • Enable browser caching to let returning visitors to load your pages faster
  • Use a content transportation network (CDN) to present contented from servers person to users' locations
  • Remove unnecessary codification from your pages

3. Improve the User Experience

Providing bully personification acquisition (UX) reduces your bounce rate. Because group are much apt to enactment and prosecute erstwhile your tract is easy to navigate and interact with. 

This is particularly important erstwhile considering really to trim bounce complaint connected an ecommerce website, wherever user-friendly navigation tin importantly effect sales.

Start by limiting your main paper items to betwixt 5 and 7 options truthful navigation is simpler. And group related pages nether clear, descriptive categories. 

For example, an ecommerce tract mightiness usage categories for illustration "Women," "Men," and "Kids" alternatively of merchandise types. Like H&M does:

this ecommerce navigation barroom shows women, men, kids, home, and beauty.

Also, purpose for a clean, accordant layout crossed each pages. Using brand-aligned colors and easy readable fonts. 

And building your contented pinch headings, subheadings, and capable achromatic abstraction to heighten readability. This allows users to quickly scan and find the accusation they need. 

You should besides make your tract accessible to each users—including those pinch disabilities—by incorporating: 

  • Alt text for images
  • Proper colour contrast
  • Keyboard navigation 

Finally, guarantee your tract is optimized for each instrumentality types. Meaning matter should beryllium readable and buttons should beryllium easy to pat aliases click connected smaller screens. 

Focusing connected these UX elements will thief you create a much engaging tract that encourages visitors to enactment longer and research much pages. 

Check retired our article connected UX and SEO to study more. 

4. Create Helpful, Engaging Content

If you’re looking for ideas specifically connected really to trim your blog’s bounce rate, focusing connected creating adjuvant contented that answers your visitors' questions is simply a awesome option. Because users are much apt to enactment connected your tract erstwhile you do this.

Start by knowing who your target audience is and what accusation they mightiness beryllium looking for. 

Use One2Target to do this.

Open the tool, participate up to 5 competitors’ domains, and click “Analyze.”

four competitors entered into One2Target tool

You'll spot 4 reports:

  • Demographics: Shows assemblage age, gender, and location breakdowns
  • Socioeconomics: Shows family sizes, income levels, employment statuses, and acquisition levels
  • Behaviors: Shows assemblage interests, instrumentality preferences, and societal media use
  • Audience Overlap: Shows shared audiences betwixt your competitors
reports highlighted wrong One2Target

Use these insights to tailor your content's tone, perspective, and taste references to resonate pinch your audience.

For example, if your assemblage is young professionals willing successful fitness, you mightiness usage much move language. And reference celebrated workout trends aliases wellness apps they're apt acquainted with.

When you’re fresh to write, travel these tips for creating adjuvant content:

  • Provide actionable advice. Offer clear and applicable solutions to readers' problems.
  • Show expertise. Show your extent of knowledge by providing unsocial insights aliases insider information.
  • Use reliable sources. Back up your claims pinch information from reputable sources to build spot pinch your readers.
  • Illustrate pinch examples. Use real-life examples aliases lawsuit studies to make your contented much relatable and easier to understand.
  • Tailor contented to your audience. Adjust your penning style and complexity to lucifer your audience's reference level. Use Semrush's SEO Writing Assistant to measurement your content’s readability.
Readability people shows really adjacent you are to your target and explains much astir the trouble of your text

5. Use Clear Calls to Action

Using clear calls to action (CTAs) connected your conversion-oriented pages guides your visitors connected what to do next—sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase, etc. Which tin trim bounce rates.

Here’s an illustration of a beardown CTA from Wise:

Wise's CTA fastener says "Send money now" aliases has a hyperlink action that says "Watch our ample transfers guide"

To create effective CTAs:

  • Make them guidelines out. Use contrasting colors and plentifulness of achromatic abstraction astir your CTAs to tie attraction to them.
  • Use action-oriented text. Start pinch beardown verbs for illustration "Download," "Subscribe," aliases "Buy" to intelligibly bespeak the action you want users to take.
  • Keep it concise. Aim for 2 to 5 words. "Start YourTrial" is much effective than "Click Here to Begin Your30-Day Trial Now.”
  • Place CTAs strategically. Position your main CTA above the fold (meaning successful the conception users spot without scrolling), wherever it's instantly visible. For longer pages, repetition CTAs astatine logical intervals.

Further reading: 30 Attention-Grabbing Call to Action Examples

6. Make Important Content Immediately Visible

Displaying cardinal accusation supra the fold could trim your bounce rate. Because erstwhile users instantly spot applicable content, they're much apt to enactment connected your site.

Here's an illustration from ClickUp: 

Clickup's transcript says "The all-in-one level for project" and includes a bulleted database explaining the benefits. The CTA includes transcript for illustration "Free forever. No in installments card." And societal impervious shows beneath the get started button.

As you tin see, the institution intelligibly explains what it offers, who the solution is for, and the main benefits. 

To efficaciously item your astir important connection supra the first fold, you should:

  • Think astir what your visitors want. What are they looking for connected your page? Product info? Contact details? Your latest blog post?
  • Put the halfway connection first. Make judge the astir important accusation is correct astatine the top, wherever visitors can't miss it.
  • Use ocular hierarchy. Design your page layout to tie attraction to the astir important elements first. Try larger fonts, contrasting colors, and strategical placement.
  • Include engaging elements. Use elements for illustration catchy headlines, high-quality pictures, and/or videos to drawback attraction quickly.

7. Focus connected Readability

Content that’s written and formatted pinch readability successful mind ensures visitors tin easy skim and digest it. Which reduces the chances of them getting disappointment and leaving.

Consider these 2 versions of the aforesaid content:

on the near is simply a artifact of matter without formatting. connected the correct is matter formatted pinch a header, slug points, hyperlinks, and a button.

The 2nd type is easier to read.

Here’s really to guarantee your contented is reader-friendly:

  • Use clear language. Avoid motto that mightiness confuse readers. And convey concepts arsenic intelligibly arsenic possible. 
  • Use headings and subheadings. Break your contented into smaller sections pinch clear headings and subheadings. This building helps readers skim and quickly find the accusation they need.
  • Stick to short paragraphs. Keep paragraphs short—ideally 2 to 3 sentences each.
  • Include slug points and lists. Turn information points aliases steps into slug points aliases numbered lists truthful the contented tin beryllium much quickly understood.
  • Use ample achromatic space. Use margins and spacing betwixt lines and paragraphs to make it easier connected the eyes.
  • Be selective astir your font and colour scheme. Use a readable font size and style. And support a accordant colour strategy that doesn’t distract readers.

8. Add Relevant Images and Videos

Including applicable images and videos tin enrich your contented and make it much engaging. Which reduces the likelihood of visitors bouncing from your site. 

To efficaciously usage ocular elements successful your content:

  • Choose high-quality media. Use high-resolution images and videos that are straight related to the content. Avoid generic banal photos that don’t adhd existent value.
  • Add descriptive alt text. Provide alt matter for each images to amended accessibility and perchance boost SEO.
  • Clarify analyzable ideas. Use diagrams aliases infographics to explicate difficult concepts visually.
  • Show processes. Use step-by-step images aliases videos to show really to do something.
  • Create ocular consistency. Use a akin style aliases colour strategy for images crossed your tract to reenforce your brand.
  • Use captions erstwhile needed. Add explanatory captions for analyzable images aliases erstwhile other discourse is helpful. Not each images request captions.

Just make judge to equilibrium ocular elements pinch text. Because excessively galore images tin overwhelm users.

Linking to different applicable pages connected your tract (called internal linking) is simply a awesome measurement to supply readers pinch related contented they whitethorn beryllium willing in. Which could promote them to enactment and interact pinch your website. 

As an added bonus, it besides boosts your SEO by helping hunt engines observe your pages.

Google crawls links connected your pages to observe tother pages

Here are immoderate tips for incorporating soul links:

  • Use contextual links. Include links wrong the assemblage of your contented wherever they people fit, guiding readers to related topics.
  • Use descriptive anchor text. Make judge the anchor text for your links is informative and relates to the pages they’re linking to. Avoid vague phrases for illustration "click here."
  • Add navigation and sidebar links. Use your navigation features and sidebar to thief readers to get to the astir important places connected your website.
  • Try a related articles section. List related articles astatine the extremity of blog posts and different informational content. So readers tin easy find much contented they’re apt willing in. Like we do connected our blog:
at the bottommost of a blog station are different applicable articles connected the topic

If you request thief studying your soul links and uncovering pages that request more, usage Site Audit.

From the “Overview” report, click “View details” nether “Internal Linking.”

Internal Linking study highlighted

You tin now spot really soul links are distributed crossed your site.

There’s besides a database of issues related to linking that you should assess. Addressing immoderate of those problems could amended your site’s wide performance.

Internal nexus distribution and nexus issues affecting tract capacity are highlighted

10. Try A/B Testing

A/B testing involves creating 2 versions of a page, changing conscionable 1 element, and seeing which performs better. Which helps you find the astir effective elements connected your pages to support visitors engaged.

An AB trial sends 50% of postulation to Variation A and the different 50% to Variation B. Each variations conversion complaint is past compared to find a winner.

You tin trial elements for illustration headlines, CTA buttons, images, aliases contented layout. 

Run your trial for a fewer weeks to stitchery capable data. The results will springiness you insights you tin use to amended aggregate pages connected your site.

For example, you mightiness trial 2 different headlines connected a merchandise page. 

After moving the test, you find that 1 header leads to a 15% alteration successful bounce rate. You tin past usage this accusation to amended headlines crossed your site.

Use the Landing Page Builder app to easy create and trial different versions of your pages.

Choose from various landing page templates. And edit the page from a elemental drag-and-drop interface.

the landing page builder has devices for illustration text, changing the background, positioning items, and more

Easily create aggregate variants of the page. And past edit circumstantial elements successful each version that you want to A/B test.

add caller version highlighted to create your AB test

Define the postulation divided (how you disagreement visitors betwixt different variants). And click “Start the test.”

Check retired our guide to A/B testing landing pages for much tips. 

Social impervious builds spot pinch caller visitors by showing them that different group find worth successful what you offer. Which whitethorn forestall them from quickly leaving your site.

You tin adhd societal impervious to your homepage, landing pages, merchandise pages, and blog posts successful salient places. For example, you tin feature:

  • The number of customers you serve
  • Ratings connected reappraisal sites for illustration G2 and Trustpilot
  • The number of societal shares the page has gotten 
  • Positive things your customers person said
  • Names of brands aliases individuals who usage your software
  • Awards aliases certifications your business has received

Here’s an illustration from Calendly's homepage:

social impervious for this landing page says "Join 20 cardinal professionals," "Trusted by much than 100,000 organizations," and includes a logo barroom showing which companies usage this product

Place immoderate shape of societal impervious precocious up connected the page—so it’s visible. And past adhd much arsenic needed passim the page to reenforce your credibility.

12. Be Careful pinch Ads and Pop-Ups

Overloading your tract pinch ads and pop-ups tin frustrate visitors and make them time off quickly. Because they distract from what users came to spot aliases do.

While these elements tin beryllium bully for gross aliases lead generation, they shouldn't ruin the personification experience.

Take inspiration from Investopedia—a publication that uses aggregate ads connected their pages:

a sidebar advertisement appears adjacent to a news article

But they cautiously negociate these elements to debar overwhelming visitors. 

You should purpose for a akin balance. Here's how:

  • Limit quantity. Avoid cluttering your pages pinch excessively galore ads aliases pop-ups.
  • Choose placement wisely. Position immoderate ads wherever they're visible but don't interrupt the user's reference aliases navigation.
  • Consider timing. If you must usage pop-ups, group them to look aft visitors person spent immoderate clip connected your tract aliases erstwhile they’re astir to time off (these are called exit-intent pop-ups).
  • Make dismissal easy. Ensure visitors tin adjacent pop-ups easily.
  • Test different formats. Experiment pinch various advertisement types to find what’s slightest intrusive to your audience.

If you announcement much visitors leaving aft adding caller ads aliases pop-ups, rethink your approach.

How to Check Bounce Rate and Pick Which Tips to Use

Looking into really visitors interact pinch your tract tin uncover ideas connected really to trim bounce complaint connected your website. There are a fewer devices you tin usage for help.

First, you tin get ideas connected really to trim bounce complaint utilizing Google Analytics 4.

Log successful to your GA4 account, past navigate to “Reports” > “Engagement” > “Pages and screens.”

navigate to Pages and screens report

Click the pencil icon successful the apical correct area of the report. 

pencil icon highlighted

Next, prime “Metrics.”

Metrics action highlighted

Scroll to the bottom, click the “Add metric” field, type “Bounce rate,” and prime “Bounce rate” erstwhile it appears.

And click “Apply” to prevention your changes.

bounce complaint metric is entered and highlighted

You tin now position the bounce complaint for each of your pages.

bounce complaint metric file is highlighted successful the page way and surface people table

Go done the study to place pages pinch peculiarly precocious bounce rates. So you tin prioritize ones that request the astir improvement.

Then, see utilizing further devices for illustration Hotjar and Google Search Console to get a fuller image of personification behavior. Which tin show you wherever users click, really acold they scroll, and what queries bring them to your site.

Using each the information you’ve collected, spot whether you tin place opportunities.

For example, if users are bouncing from merchandise pages, Hotjar mightiness uncover they're not scrolling far. This could bespeak your CTAs request work.

Using insights from aggregate devices will thief you pinpoint the astir effective ways to trim bounce rates crossed your site.

If you’re having problem coming up pinch thing concrete, behaviour A/B testing to spot what changes make a difference.

Take Action to Reduce Your Bounce Rate

If your bounce complaint is high, galore factors could beryllium contributing.

Run a broad tract audit. Which will thief you place galore imaginable problems.

A awesome first measurement is to cheque your site's loading velocity pinch Site Audit.

Try it today.

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