Dwell time

Dwell time is the amount of time a person spends looking at a webpage before going back to their search results. Think of it like visiting a store – the longer you stay and look around, the more interested you probably are in what’s there.

How It Works

When someone:

  1. Clicks on a search result
  2. Reads or browses the page
  3. Returns to the search results

The time between steps 1 and 3 is the dwell time.

Why It Matters

For Website Owners:

  • Longer dwell time suggests visitors find your content useful
  • It helps search engines understand if your page answers people’s questions
  • Can influence how high your page appears in search results

For Visitors:

  • Helps them find useful information more easily
  • Shows search engines which pages actually solved their problems
  • Makes future searches more accurate

What Makes People Stay Longer

Visitors typically spend more time on pages that:

  • Answer their questions clearly
  • Are easy to read and understand
  • Load quickly
  • Work well on phones and computers
  • Have clear headings and organized information
  • Include relevant images or videos

Common Misconceptions

Dwell time is different from:

  • Bounce rate (when someone leaves your site after viewing just one page)
  • Time on page (which measures all visits, not just those from search)
  • Session duration (the total time someone spends on your website)

Tips for Better Dwell Time

  1. Write clear, helpful content
  2. Make your text easy to scan
  3. Use headings to organize information
  4. Keep your website fast and responsive
  5. Make sure your content matches what people are searching for

This understanding of dwell time helps create better websites that serve visitors’ needs, rather than just trying to game search engines.