Could User Metrics Gradually Erase the Penguin Update?

[aristotle]

Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of speculation about Google using visitor behavior as a ranking factor. Please note that I'm NOT talking about "bounce rate". Instead, I'm talking about more reliable indicators such as:

-- Visitors slowly scrolling down a page as if they are reading it
-- Visitors bookmarking a page as a favorite
-- Visitors exploring other pages on the same website
-- Visitors returning to the page later for a repeat visit

Google can use its Chrome browser to collect this kind of information. There are tens of millions of Chrome users, enough to allow Google to gradually collect usable data for most web pages.

In reading about the recent Penguin update, there seems to be a consensus that many bad pages [poor, irrelevant, useless content] have been boosted to the first page (top 10) of Google's SERPs. But if user behavior is really a big ranking factor, then it will give negative signals for these bad pages, and this will cause them to gradually lose their top positions. And as they drop, better pages [with better user metrics] will have an opportunity to move up. In effect, this would gradually erase the Penguin update.

Does anyone have an opinion about this?

[Planet13]

Does anyone have an opinion about this?

Nothing too deep, but if that is the case, I would (within reason) definitely start optimizing my design for chrome even if it meant that it might not be optimized for FF and IE.

If user metrics are significantly worse for chrome users than for FF or IE users, then MAYBE this is an area to investigate?

[realmaverick]

I don't think it's a ranking factor.

I spent 3 months optimising my website and managed to almost double average page views to 12, time on site to 10 minutes, bounce rate from 50 to under 30%.

The effect? Sod all! It may possible be due to the fact that I'm still suffering ill effects from the January 19th above the fold update, despite not having any more than 1 ad on a page.

Hard to tell, but for me, improving those factors has had zero effect so far.

[Donna]

How do you know google likes low bounce rate or high page views, its counter productive for them. If I was google, the high the bounce rate the better, common sense.

[Whitey]

the high the bounce rate the better

Only if time on site and other quality metrics support the bounce.

Could User Metrics Gradually Erase the Penguin Update

It depends on the severity of the over optimization. Critical cases would probably not benefit, but who's going to invest in a fantastic site with major over optimization abuse, unless the URL's are ditched and/or the IBL's are removed. Keyword stuffing and other such techniques are relatively rare on good sites.

But in my mind Panda is a positive factor to build on, with Penguin being nourished with a reduction in over optimization. The two together would be good.

[realmaverick]

How do you know google likes low bounce rate or high page views, its counter productive for them. If I was google, the high the bounce rate the better, common sense.

No, that's not really common sense is it. I assume you're looking at a bounce, as only viewing a single page. Therefore the user found what they were looking for right away.

It's not quite that simple. A true bounce, happens in a couple of seconds. Which, is definitely bad.

[lucy24]

How accurately can they tell?

Say you get several reasonable-looking results from one search and open them all up in tabs. Lots of people do this. And then unless, ahem, you're using Chrome, they can't tell how long you spend on each of those possibilities before closing its tab.

It's self-reinforcing. Go through the tabs in order, and the one you opened first-- generally the one nearest the top of the list-- will automatically have the longest time lag before you go back and try another search, or open more tabs further down the page.

[Zivush]

@Planet13

optimizing my design for chrome

How exactly? Does Chrome have different design hacks?

@realmaverick

I spent 3 months optimising my website and managed to almost double average page views to 12, time on site to 10 minutes, bounce rate from 50 to under 30%.

Can you share some tips for optimizing a site? I think this is the key for a better website.

Thanks

[onebuyone]

How exactly? Does Chrome have different design hacks?

first thought: client height(greatest in chrome) and "above the fold" metrics.

[realmaverick]

It's self-reinforcing. Go through the tabs in order, and the one you opened first-- generally the one nearest the top of the list-- will automatically have the longest time lag before you go back and try another search, or open more tabs further down the page.

While that's true, this scenario and all others will be present for all websites alike, even if they vary slightly from niche to niche.

Google will still be able to get a reasonable idea of a websites bounce rate. If they didn't believe they had a reasonable understanding of bounce rate, they wouldn't report it via analytics.

[aristotle]

Please let me repeat what I said at the beginning of this thread:
Quote:

Please note that I'm NOT talking about "bounce rate". Instead, I'm talking about more reliable indicators such as:

-- Visitors slowly scrolling down a page as if they are reading it
-- Visitors bookmarking a page as a favorite
-- Visitors exploring other pages on the same website
-- Visitors returning to the page later for a repeat visit

[goodroi]

I would not advocate that anyone focuses on a specific usage metric (bounce rate, time on site, repeat visits, etc.) IMHO those are simply the byproducts of a good site. You can artificially boost those metrics without improving your site and that is not likely to boost your rankings.

Personally I have been focusing on things that will benefit my overall site experience and indirectly will lead to better user metrics.

For example, if you have a very slow site then work on having pages load up faster (reduce images, streamline code, etc). This usability boost will make users happier, leading to more usage and increase the chance of other webmasters linking to you.

Another idea would be to look at your site and determine what useful content you have that is not recreated on other sites. If you don't have any unique content, then work on it. By having content ideas that are not found on competing sites, users will spend more time on your site and this also will boost the chances of people wanting to link back to you or mentioning you in social media.