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Why Google Makes People Leave Your Site Faster
That's one of the best articles I've read in ages.
Oh yeah - I forgot - not all my home pages show up.
I could just as easily argue that Google allows people to find relevant sites quickly, and because the site they find is relevant, surfers spend more time on the site they found than they did, say, 7 years ago. You know, when SE algos were in their infancy, or when hyperlinks were the way in which people found new sites.
Jakob has managed to point out the obvious once again, something copywriters have known for ages. Smack people in the face with pertinent info.
So, my question is still, faster than what?
[www2.parc.com...]
However, it does seem a little obvious.....
And I think he meant faster than before google & always on connections....
Faster than before.
Great article.
It would make more sense not to have your website in the first few results of a google search. Users are most likely to "wonder off" to some other "tasty" place?
When I think about it, I always do that too. Because user wants to compare something that he/she found to some other results. But at times you get so sucked in into secondary results that you forget about first ones. Even if the first one might be a little better.
What do you think?
It would seem that because results are relevant people would enjoy what they find and stay longer.
Unless of course you want to argue that irrelevant results showing up in indices would somehow imbue the searcher toward more patience for reading sites that are totally irrelevant to what they were searching for.
>>Faster than before
That still begs the question, before what? Do you mean to say that the title should have been "Google Makes People Leave Your Site Faster Than Before Google Existed"? Seems kind of non-sensical... ;)
With all the recent talk about quality titles I have to say that the title of that particular article is misleading. What Jakob means is that with fast connections and the ease in which people can find relevant results, they simply don't have to deal with irrelevant sites.
>>Yah I wouldn't want to pick on "number 6 of the Web's 10 most influential people
I don't care if he's the number one most influential person on the web, a usability "guru" should be able to craft a more accurate title. Google doesn't make people leave a site faster, Google affords people the opportunity to find relevant information quickly.
personally speaking i tend to open the top few sites that look related from google results into new windows - and a quick skim through each tells me just which subtopics each deals with.
i certainly learnt from that article in terms of webdesign - it puts a lot more importance on the DMOZ description than i'd previously figured.
What I've learnt from it....If people leave my site too fast to realise what a Real Good Time they could have if they stayed, then it is my duty to them to delay their departure:
That's the only way I can think to get people to like me :)
What I found interesting about it is that he seems to be pointing out the transition between "stickiness" to "snacking".
I am always trying to provide "sticky" content for my sites...so it's interesting to think that instead of trying to keep people on my site, I should try to shift away from that and provide content that people will keep returning to.
All this to day, I completely agree with the presented theory.
Now as a webmaster, I am scared to learn that many others do the same... the best thing I can think of to combat this is to provide the Google search box right on my pages. Give the user the ability to search within my sites for better information.
If you got anything out of this drivel, there are many beginner site design and user interface design books that may interest you (Don't Make Me Think, by Krug comes to mind).
Nothing original nor groundbreaking in the article. Like most of Jakob's stuff, he says a lot without saying much, IMO. Your mileage may vary.
Its marketing nonsense applied to 'the bl**ding obvious' in an attempt to create a viral buzz for his conference, where there will be a 'full day tutorial'.
I can't believe that such a renowned figure has sunk this low.
..coincidence? I think not! ;)
- Chad
Jake bites the hand that feeds
Is he? I think Jackob is merely highlighting that fact that elasticity is the new sticky.
Old measurement: the amount of time user spends on your site. New measurement: the fact that anyone spends any time on your site at all. And having done so, do they return?
Its called marketing folks, better add that to your SEO :-)
It said nothing new, unknown or unexpected.
Ouch.
Bob Massa was "just marketing", Paddy Bolger is "just marketing" and Jakob unloads another piece of fluff and it's "just marketing. Discerning buyers aren't buying it...
Why Google Makes People Leave Your Site Faster
Yes and thats I want and very funny for a e-commerce point of view!
My point is, if I optimize a e-commerce site I want only 1, or at max 2, clicks of mouse to get the customer to get to their product they search for!
Even with no navigation system (menu) in a site you can get a lot of customers directly to the page he request with is search!
With a good optimization the client should get directly what is looking for, pass thru the cart and thats-it! If after, or before to go for the check-out, he look for others products, it is probably not only for the look and feel, but for the price.
For a information site (vitrine) it is a very different approach for optimization.
So what is the take home conclusion for webmasters. I guess it tends towards "rich get richer" ie. quality sites get more percentage of total user time as people tend to leave poor sites even faster.
