Google Analytics Bounce Rate – The Golden Metric

Google Analytics is one of the best web analytics tools available. It provides so much information about your web site traffic and visitors. This is not only its strength, but can also be a hindrance to new users of Google Analytics.

There are so many really good metrics to look at you can easily get lost in the sea of information. But the Bounce Rate is by far the best metric for validating the content of your site and the relevance of your advertising campaigns.

So what does Google Analytics (GA) define as a “bounce”? If a visitor comes to your site and doesn’t look beyond the page they landed on, it’s considered a bounce. In essence, they took a peek at a single page on the site and decided this is not the place they wanted to be.

The Bounce Rate Percentage is simply a metric that compares the number of single page visits (bounces) to the total visits. GA gives you an overall bounce rate for your site; however, I find that looking at this metric at the page level is best.

What should your bounce rate be? Obviously every site is different and your bounce rate can vary depending on several factors. Generally a bounce rate of less than 30% shouldn’t give too much cause for alarm. Alternatively, a bounce rate in excess of 50% should send you hunting for the culprit. Again, look at your bounce rate at the page level, not the overall site level.

What can cause a high bounce rate?

• Poor content on the landing page
• Technical browser errors on the landing page
• Disconnect between an ad campaign promise and the content on the site
• Poor selection of target audience for an ad campaign

Start improving your bounce rate by picking 3 pages on your site with the highest bounce. Taking 3 or 4 pages at a time can keep this otherwise daunting task a bit less overwhelming.

(To explore bounce rates in more detail, check out Jeremy's blog Bounce Rate Primer: 7 Common Issues or contact us today.)