Bounce rate is probably one of the most undervalued and underestimated metrics of any website’s search engine optimization campaign. But what is bounce rate and why is it so essential? Well, that’s certainly a very interesting question to ask and unfortunately, Google doesn’t really help you answer it.

Therefore, the first thing we need to do is explain what bounce means in search engine optimization terms. So a bounce is basically when someone uses Google in order to look for a product or service online, finds your website, clicks on it and then clicks the “Back” button on his/her browser in order to get back to the original Google search engine results page. While to some people this may sound like something very complicated, in truth it’s not.

Why Does Bounce Rate Matter?

Google interprets the actions of everyone that uses their search engine, on a very large scale. Since there are billions of searches performed every day on Google, it’s safe to say that there’s a tremendous amount of data that people are looking for and because of that, the search engine giant makes various assumptions about websites and users that some may even think are impossible.

It does these things to ensure that users eventually find what they’re looking for. For instance, Google is fully aware of the fact that knives are indeed associated with swords. While as a human that conclusion is very easy to get to, for a robot like Google, that can be very difficult to grasp. In Google’s case, it has seen thousands of internet pages with the KW “knives” and it also detected that a great percentage of those internet pages also list the keyword “swords”. Because of that, in Google’s eyes, swords and knives are related.

In the same key, let’s picture a website that Google ranks on the 1st page for a specific keyword. As we all know, everyone wants to see their website on the first page of Google’s SERP. Now let’s consider that this website that ranks on the first page of Google receives a lot of traffic, yet a lot of that traffic leaves the website in five seconds or even sooner. To Google, that website isn’t that great or valuable because 95% of the people that clicked on it will leave in five seconds or sooner. So what can a website, in this case, gain in those five seconds or less? Everything about the traffic the website receives is carefully recorded by Google and in the end, Google will choose not to rank that website high for long and that’s because its goal is to offer the top ten search results for websites with relevant content.

How Does Google Measure a Bounce?

There is currently no information about the way Google measures a bounce. Our assumptions have been detailed above, yet it’s obvious that they aren’t perfect nor concrete. We’re actually continuously researching and trying to learn more about the topic, so this is a work in progress. The number one reason why Google doesn’t tell us how they calculate bounce rate is because if they were to reveal their secret, everyone would trick Google into thinking that their website has o% bounce rate.

How Can I Minimize My Sites Bounce Rate?

Minimizing your website’s bounce rate can be both easy and difficult and that’s because no 2 websites are the same. For example, an e-commerce website is much different from a service related website or a blog website. Our theories regarding bounce rate suggest that this rate is calculated differently depending on the type of website we’re talking about. So yes, if you had a hunch about it, you’re right: Google takes footprints into account and it also categorizes websites. The reason it needs to do so is because searchers can at times be pretty vague with their queries.

One thing you could do though in order to lower your bounce rate is to make sure that you build your websites for people and not for the search engines. This is exactly what a seasoned SEO company can help you with.

It’s actually very simple, but only if it’s performed by experienced internet marketers and SEO professionals.When coming up with a website, always try to emphasize with your audience and then put yourself in their shoes. What would you like to see on a website you’ve just clicked on to find the answer to your question? By establishing and delivering the message right away, not only will your bounce rate decrease, but you’re also going to rank a lot higher in Google.

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By: David Montalvo.

 

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We’re once again witnessing great changes in the SEO landscape and in 2016 there are quite a few ranking factors that Google has decided to leave behind. According to HubSpot, SEO is going to be completely different from what it is now in the next 5 years and marketers will have no choice but to adapt. However, this time, the changes Google made to their algorithm will force marketers to come up with completely new strategies. So with that being said, let’s take a closer look at these changes and how they’re going to affect you.

Mobile Internet Browsing is King

According to ComScore, last year mobile online browsing surpassed desktop browsing by a massive sixty percent. Because of that, you need to ensure that your website is properly optimized for all screen sizes. In fact, Google even released an algorithm last spring which penalizes websites that haven’t been optimized for mobile browsing. Even better news is the fact that based on info from a Forrester report, the majority of people are spending money in apps. Because of that, SEO marketers may need to greatly change their strategies. Namely, a great increase in in-app content and a lot more marketers linking to certain pages within applications.

Rich Answers are Gaining More Traction

Google is doing everything they can in order to improve their search. Thanks to its Rich Answers feature, they can easily answer search queries instead of just offering users a list of top sources that they can choose from.

Since 2 years ago, Rich Answers gained more traction in both utilization and offering. They basically offer answers to questions by way of:

• Forms.
• Maps.
• Slide Shares.
• Tables or charts.
• Answers generated by Google.
• Feature excerpts (pulled from third party websites).

For marketers, this translates into the fact that audiences aren’t actually required to analyze the search rankings in order to find what they require. However, if you want an in-depth answer, then you’ll need to do that.

In 2016, having your content indexed in rich answers should be a priority. While getting recognized as a source for information is not going to be easy, it is indeed possible. Better yet, you can also improve your website traffic if you decide to get the feature snippet spot.

 Personal Assistants and Voice Search Have a Great Impact on SEO

A great driver behind changes in search engine optimization are personal assistants (voice activated), especially due to the fact that technology has now matured enough to allow for more accuracy. This means that instead of typing what you are looking for, you can just use your voice to do that.

Thanks to this option, you can search anything, anywhere and anytime. Better yet, these search assistants can deliver more accurate results by using your prior context and search history. For instance, if you’re buying clothes from the same online store and use voice activated personal assistants, then you may be provided with your favorite retailer as a top search results.

Lastly, it’s important to mention that there’s a lot more emphasis on local search engine optimization when using voice search. In general, people that use this type of search are in a rush and since they mostly want to find a nearby location, this is definitely going to become an important asset for any business that wants to rank in these queries.

 Social is Becoming More and More Important

You probably noticed by now that when you click an article in Facebook that the article is going to remain in-app. You won’t be routed to the website where the original article was posted on anymore. In this regard, it seems that Twitter is adopting the same strategy. This is going to greatly impact SEO and that’s because you won’t get traffic from social media anymore. To actually increase your SEO ranking, you’ll need to get more social signals, including mentions, comments, shares and likes.

But long-form content isn’t where Facebook stopped either. In fact, it decided to add a search feature that gains Google about three point five billion searches per day, instead of 1.5 billion. This is a very good stimulus for marketers to focus more on social media.

How Will SEO Stay the Same?

Do you feel like SEO completely changed in 2016? Well, it’s not really like that. There are a few things that will stay the same, as following:

Content is Still King

You’re probably used to this, but we’re going to reiterate the fact that content is still king. However, since the market is getting saturated, length starts to become a lot more important. Since Google and its algorithms can interpret meaning a lot better than before and with earned media and social sharing becoming more important, you need to ensure that your content is share worthy in order to make an impact on your website’s ranking.

Videos are Becoming More and More Important

Video marketing is becoming even more popular and the search engines seem to love them. In fact, compared to text, video is about fifty times more likely to get organic page ranks via Google. This piece of information should be enough for you to make some pretty effective changes to your SEO strategy for this year.

User Experience is Still Top Priority

We spoke a lot about SEO, but user experience is still essential for ranking and even Google agrees with that. Because of that, they are paying a lot more attention to page layout and the landing page experience, too.

According to UX experts, it’s a lot more important to understand your users than Google’s algorithms. That’s because doing so, you have a much higher chance of getting more organic traffic, distribution and sharing.

In Conclusion: Learn How You’re Searched If You Want To Be Found

It’s very clear for a lot of people that technology is changing a lot and it directly impacts the way we engage with others. This is especially true when it comes to the way users interact with the info at their fingertips and their devices. And since Google’s algorithms are leading the revolution, you need to learn how to adapt in this never-ending race in order to make sure you don’t lag behind.

Should businesses start thinking of a new location marketing strategy in 2016? Since more than fifty percent of computing is currently done on mobile devices, location marketing should be very important for every marketer in the new year. The strength of mobile and the ever increasing strategic value of location data are going to transform local marketing forever. So with that in mind, below we’re going to take a closer look at the top 6 trends that are changing the local marketing landscape this year.

1. Local Marketing Will Fully Rely On Location Data

For a very long time, businesses have treated location info, including phone numbers, addresses and also their names as a great passive asset that shields their brands. The way it goes is that if a company keeps its location info accurate, then it’s going to be easier for it to get more clients.

However, many brands are starting to realize that publishers like Foursquare and Apple, but also data aggregators like Localeze can be excellent partners that can boost location data across the internet world where clients search, live and buy.

Because of that, many businesses today have a new goal: to ensure that their data is more accessible by making it available through major aggregators and publishers, but also select vertical market platforms.

Based on research from SIM Partners, companies that managed to boost the reach and accuracy of their location data by just twenty percent experienced a four hundred and fifty percent increase in traffic to their location pages, while their on-page action conversion rates increased by two hundred and sixteen percent.

2. Local Search Is A Priority For Google

Google stating that local knowledge graph results are soon going to be editable, releasing a Google My Business Application Program Interface and adding local search to their SQRG all signal the fact that local search is currently very important for Google.

Also, the drop of local business data from Google Plus may just be one of the many such disruptions to follow in the local search space.

3. Apps Will Take Advantage Of Location Marketing

More and more businesses are becoming aware how applications like Snapchat and Periscope can support direct response and advertising at a national level. For instance, Taco Bell promoted a biscuit taco giveaway by using Periscope, while Dunkin Donuts did something similar by using Snapchat.

National companies have what it takes to accurately track the success of such campaigns and then use the data in order to create more targeted and effective campaigns and that’s where local marketing starts to become more and more important. Soon we’re going to witness the use of more complex local marketing techniques for capitalizing on regional differences in local events, seasons and demographics.

If they are to take full advantage of micro-platforms, it’s important that businesses aggressively syndicate their location info to the previously mentioned data amplifiers and then share it with these applications.

4. Beacon Mania Will Experience Growth In The Coming Months

Location marketing relied heavily on beacons in 2015 and many big brands, including Target announced national implementations that would help consumers get what they need. According to BI, beacons accounted for about 4 billion dollars in in-store sales in the US in the previous year, a figure which is going to get another zero in 2016.

However, some early adopters have noticed a few cons in the beacon system, including high maintenance and limited range, especially for brands that have many locations.

This year, brands are going to be more serious about adopting beacons as they analyze other alternatives to generate more in-store sales and traffic, including new technologies such as IndoorAtlas. This technology actually relies on the magnetic signature of a building in order to make it easy for people to find the products they need. While beacons are certainly here to stay, businesses are going to use them a bit more selectively in order to properly target shoppers.

5. Mobile Wallets Are Going To Become Very Popular

While many companies are becoming fully aware of the limits of beacons usage, they also become aware of the massive opportunity they have to make more sales by means of mobile wallets. Based on info from Vibes, at least 50% of consumers want to get mobile wallet content every week and seventy percent of consumers said they would save a great offer to their mobile wallet if given the opportunity to do so.

Since many consumers are starting to use mobile wallets and given the fact Apple Pay has become so popular in such a short period of time, companies such as Pep Boys was very inspired to come up with a great mobile wallet offer that can boost sales and foot traffic.

Since about eighty percent of near me searches occur on mobile phones/tablets, more and more businesses are coming up with great strategies to convert searchers into buyers.

Yet the factor that’s going to really boost the use of mobile wallets this year is the fact they can be used for a wide range of apps, from coupons and all the way to mass transit.

6. Google Still Is The Search King

Even if Facebook and Apple are going to try to get their share of traffic, Google is still king when it comes to online searches. For instance, think about how Apple is making efforts in order to ensure that search is smarter and more predictive when using iOS 9. In such a world, Apple Search is a much better search tool and that’s because it can draw up many local data sources, including native application content.

Meanwhile, Facebook is gaining more ground as a local search platform and it’s not long until we’ll see it recommend local enterprise content in your queries and conversations about what to buy and where to go.

It’s very important for brands to be very attentive with the way people use alternatives to Google and then try to build relationships with those alternatives.

Conclusion
If they want to improve their local marketing in 2016, companies need to cater to the needs of mobile users, treat their location info as a scalable asset and also boost their local search ecosystem so it includes applications like Snapchat.