A high bounce rate is a challenge for SEO people. It can bring down a website’s ranking and eventually affect its popularity. Apart from doing various corrective actions, the SEO people need to keep a check on bounce rate. Else, it can affect the outcomes adversely.
Though this article’s title asks about the ‘best way,’ there is not a single trick to lower it down as such. It takes efforts on multiple fronts for SEO and content manager to manage the bounce rate at the lowest possible. We present to you here all the possible ways you must try to decrease this website quality’s parameter.
Table of Contents
First of all, what precisely is the bounce rate
If a visitor clicks on your site and comes out of it instantly, without exploring it further, it amounts to a bounce. Thus, the bounce rate means the website has a click-through rate, but its retention capacity is questionable. Hence, it reflects poorly on the website’s content; understandably, the content writer gets the most heat when the bounce rate is on the high side.
However, it is not the content alone that is responsible for a high what is bounce Rate in Google Analytics. So, let’s take a look at all possible actions to make the site engaging.
To close this guide on what is bounce rate in Google Analytics, here is a checklist of common strategies you can use to reduce your bounce rate. You should review this list and test the impact of each option on your bounce rates.
Ways to decrease bounce rate
Wish there was a secret recipe or a proven trick to reduce the bounce rate! Since it is not there, let’s focus on some most sustainable habits and practices one can follow for enhancing the retention capacity of the webpage or website.
1. Match the listing description with the main content
You may have written a mind-blowing meta description and got the click. However, if the feel of meta description and that of the page’s content is not the same, it can put the reader off. It matters more seriously when the page is a product page. The offer given in the ad has to be there on the page too. The more clarity you bring in the offer’s description, the better will it be for the page’s retention rate.
The biggest issue faced is the correctness of the credibility of the information. Since the internet is the place where only words are playing a salesperson’s role, there has to be uniformity throughout all platforms.
2. Make more readable content.
Short sentences, short paragraphs, and written in lucid and easy-to-understand language are characteristics of more readable content. People coming to the internet for information have limited time and a more limited attention span. If they are made to crack through the technical jargon or given to read long, boring passages, they are most likely to shift to your competitor.
So, understand the target audience first; then, select the type of writing and format that would appeal to them. A simple example can be a site meant for kids. It is worth understanding that kids will not be accessing the website all on their own. They will be doing so under parental guidance, at least when it is an educational website. Hence, it is essential to have content that appeals to the parents and provides them a quick or readymade solution for keeping their kids engaged.
You can enhance the readability quotient of the content by following these tips:
- Use easy language
- Use bullet points to stress important information
- Bold keywords in very few places
- Make an interactive post where readers are engaged better and asked to do something
- Include a conclusion in a highlighted manner, wrapping the whole discussion with a CTA
- What is Bounce Rate in Google Analytics
3. Don’t overpopulate the page with pop-ups and ads.
Simple pages attract readers and retain them too. No reader wants a page to look like an advertisement column of a newspaper. Also, the excess of pop-ups can interfere with the reading rhythm of the visitor. In short, you may be pleasing the advertisers but will lose these advertisers soon if traffic fades down with time due to excessive use of pop-ups. So, never compromise on the balanced look of the page to make more money from it. You will lose readers or traffic, which can hit you badly. Making a comeback will be another uphill task.
4. Update blog regularly with fresh information.
Every piece of information has an expiry date. After some time, it is not relevant to the readers. If you think that having a blog with 50 odd posts is the end of the story, you need to think again! The truth is people will come to your blog only when they know something new, and difference-making is waiting for them at your digital touchpoint.
Besides keeping the blog fresh with updated information, it is necessary to intimate loyal readers. A little proactive approach can help earn and retain traffic. People coming to your blog can be made to sign up for an opt-in so that they always remain in the loop about the latest happenings. Thus, the bounce rate will never be an issue for your site if it is updated regularly with fresh, relevant, and straightforward information.
5. Use the phrase match or exact keyword match strategy.
Using an exact keyword match strategy, only those people will come to your site looking for the same information as provided by you. Since the phrase match and exact keyword match filter the audience, these may cost higher. However, the better results achieved by their use take away the pinch.
Also, choose high-value keywords in your exact keyword match strategy when you are entirely sure of your blog’s audience. By pitching in extra pennies, you are likely to get a loyal audience. It works more effectively when you have done the keyword research correctly, and your audience persona is clear in your mind.
Sometimes even the best laid plans can fall apart when something unexpected hits the market. You could have the best keywords and a strong strategy using custom intent audiences in Google Ads to target a focused niche.
Conclusion
Bounce rate is not something you cannot fix. All you need is the right strategy and better knowledge of the audience. By writing good content, inserting meaningful links, and providing the best information possible, you can rise above the challenges posed by bounce rate. Besides, go for the correct keyword and content redesigning or updating often. It keeps the audience amused and satisfied too.
