Is Avg. Time On Site a Ranking Factor?

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This is interesting, and I'm trying to find some info on it from Google or Matt Cutts.

Basically, do you feel the Average Time On Site count towards your SERP?

If anyone has any articles on this, feel free to share. I've noticed recently some of my pages are ranking for the wrong keywords, thus getting a lower Average Time on Site result in analytics.

Naturally I want Google to stop ranking me for these keywords, and at a guess I'd say they are using it as the information is not relevant for the user on those keywords.

Anymore on this topic?
#search engine optimization #avg #factor #ranking #site #time
  • Google definitely uses bounce rates as a ranking factor....time on site is close to the same thing so I don't see why they wouldn't use it. Not sure I've read anything specifically on this though...

    That's why I never never never use Google analytics on my adsense websites. Google will use your analytics data to make ranking decisions...

    Adsense sites are built to get people to click an advertisement and LEAVE your site...so a successful adsense site will be a site with a high bounce rate and low time on site number... which will penalize your rankings...it's an insane catch 22. Make it as hard for Google to indentify time on site and bounce rate as you can by not using Google analytics...

    end crazy rant.
    • [1] reply
    • Nobody can be sure what "Google definitely does"!

      The truth is a High Bounce and Low Time on Site isn't always a bad thing. You can have a page that provides EXACTLY what the reader is looking for ...then that reader wouldn't have a reason to go elsewhere.

      A good example is the "what is my ip address" keyword. Guess whatismyaddress.com's bounce rate & time on site? Are they suffering in rankings?
      • [1] reply
  • I haven't read anything about it but I have very short times on my landing pages and I use google analytics and my sites are ranking on page one in some pretty competitive keywords so I think it must be with enough other good factors, it must not be such a big deal.
    • [1] reply
    • Sure...bounce rate is only one factor...and probably not a huge factor...if your site has enough going for it, then you probably don't have much to worry about...

      But if your site is on the thinnish side, which many adsense sites are...then it's definitely something to keep in mind...
  • I think it would affect , higher average time on site mean that your content quality is better.
    If you do not have quality website will cause lot of bounce rate due to average on site low.
  • Low Average Time On Site and high Bounce rate, it is bad use experience. Let alone SEO
    • [1] reply
    • Why is it a bad user experience? If someone comes to my site looking for a specific model vacuum cleaner, see's an ad for that exact model on sale 50% off and clicks on the ad, all within 3 seconds of coming to my site...is that a bad user experience?

      The user found exactly what they wanted (cheap deals on the vacuum cleaner they want), I got paid for them clicking on the ad....everyone is happy!

      Except Google...google thinks that was a bad user experience! Go figure...
      • [1] reply
  • The answer from everything I've read is YES it is a factor. The question is "To what extent".

    Anything that Google measures in Google Analytics is a potential ranking factor... the question again is what is the weight used in the Alogrithum?
  • Google Analytics is not only tool with which they can track the bounce rate of a particular website, they can also use cookies when people search from their engine to track the bounce rate. May be they are already doing it.
  • Okay, well if we're going by what Google says they do NOT use GA to influence rankings - Period. However, bounce rate? You betcha. What they CAN see with their little cookies is how long it took the user to see your website, and if they returned to the search page afterwards and how long it took them to do so, hence how Google generates it's own bounce rate figures outside of GA.
  • I am pretty sure a number of the people posting silly responses about "low avg. time on sit e is a bad user experience" cannot read properly.

    Did I not say I am ranking for additional keywords that I do not want to rank for which are unrelated to my site? Is that not in my post above?

    I appreciate all the other posts that attribute to this discussion. I am going to ask Matt Cutts about this, maybe he'll answer my question in a video.
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