Bounce Rate and How to Improve It

In the world of digital marketing, not only are visits or keyword positions important, but also user behavior when visiting a website plays a key role. One of the clearest indicators of this is the bounce rate.

So what is a bounce rate? Is a high bounce rate really bad? How can you keep users engaged longer and improve this metric? The article below will help you understand and know how to handle bounce rate effectively, with the right techniques, and aligned with SEO goals.

What is Bounce Rate?

Bounce Rate is the percentage of users who visit a page on your website and leave without taking any further action, for example:

• Not clicking on any links
• Not going to another page
• Not performing actions such as signing up, filling out forms, etc.

📌 Example:
If 100 people visit a blog post and 70 people leave immediately after reading it without doing anything else → Bounce Rate = 70%

What is considered a “good” Bounce Rate?

There is no fixed number, as Bounce Rate depends on the type of content and the purpose of the page:

📍 Note: For blog posts, if users simply read and leave, it is considered a completed behavior → A high Bounce Rate is not necessarily bad if the time on page is high.

Does Bounce Rate affect SEO?

Yes – but indirectly. Google does not use Bounce Rate as a ranking factor, but it reflects user experience, which affects:

• Conversion Rate (CVR)
• Time On Page
• Content quality signals
• Website navigation optimization

An excessively high Bounce Rate can be a sign of:

• Content not meeting needs
• Poor web experience (slow loading, difficult to read)
• No clear CTAs
• Unfriendly interface

Common Reasons for High Bounce Rates

Here are the most common "culprits" that cause bounce rates to skyrocket:

Content not meeting expectations: Users search for "cheap hosting", enter an article but see only content about UX/UI design → they leave immediately.

Poor mobile experience: Website not optimized for mobile: text too small, broken images, difficult-to-press menu → exit in the first few seconds.

Slow page loading speed: Page takes more than 5s to load = >90% chance of leaving. This is a serious technical error.

Lack of internal navigation (internal links): Read and don't know where to click → users leave.

No clear CTA: You don't invite action → readers don't know what to do next.

How to check website Bounce Rate

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

• Access: analytics.google.com
• Select: Reports → Engagement → Pages and Screens
• The "Engagement rate" column is the percentage of people who DON'T bounce

→ Bounce Rate = 100% – Engagement Rate

Other plugins/CRMs

• Rank Math, Monster Insights (WordPress)
• HubSpot, Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity – provides deeper behavioral data (clicks, scrolls, heatmap)

10 Effective Ways to Reduce Bounce Rate

Here are 10 strategies MIMA recommends, and has applied to hundreds of websites:

Optimize page loading speed

• Use the tool: PageSpeed Insights
• Optimize images (compress JPG, WebP)
• Use strong hosting, CDN support

⚠️ Speed > 3s = users are likely to leave, especially on mobile.

Write content that matches search intent

• Research keywords carefully before writing
• Meet the reader's needs from title to conclusion
• Don't use misleading clickbait

📌 Example: Keyword "cheap sales website design" → content should list prices, features, quotation forms, not write rambling about website history.

Optimize interface and UX/UI

• Easy-to-read font, large enough font size
• Reasonable line spacing
• High contrast background - text color
• Clear, recognizable CTA

✅ Website designed to UX/UI standards helps users stay longer → naturally reducing Bounce Rate.

Insert internal links appropriately

• Attach related articles directly to the content
• Use "See more", "You may also be interested in"
• Guide users through the correct journey

🎯 Each article should have at least 3–5 internal links, leading to related articles/services.

Place CTAs appropriately

• CTA = call to action (contact, download ebook, receive quotation,…)
• Don't overdo it, but it must be present at the right time

Can be used in the form of:

• Large button: "Consult now"
• Link: "Learn more about web design services"

Optimize for mobile devices

• Responsive interface
• Easy-to-press buttons and forms
• Content is not cut off, broken layout

📱 70% of traffic today comes from smartphones → a non-mobile-friendly website = losing customers.

Reduce annoying pop-ups

• Don't let pop-ups cover the entire content
• Limit the time they appear: after 30 seconds or when the user is about to leave

⛔ Pop-ups appear immediately = users leave immediately → increasing Bounce Rate!

Use multimedia (video, images)

• Insert illustrations, instructional videos to keep readers engaged
• Videos should have subtitles, light in size

🎬 Content with vivid visuals will keep users longer.

Track behavior via heatmap / session record

Use Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity to see users:

• Click where?
• Drag the mouse to what section?
• Leave where?

👉 From there, optimize the interface and content to the correct position where the "behavior flow is interrupted".

Create content in list form, easy to scan

• Use bullet points
• Bold main keywords
• Separate short paragraphs of 2–3 lines
• Use clear H2 – H3 heading tags

🧠 Today's readers "skim" first → friendly presentation helps keep them longer.

How does MIMA help you improve Bounce Rate?

At MIMA TRADING SERVICE CO., LTD, we have a specific process:

✅ Analyze user behavior using GA4, Clarity, heatmap

✅ Evaluate UI/UX according to bounce rate

✅ Suggest content and navigation optimization

✅ Improve web loading speed

✅ Optimize CTAs, internal links, insert illustrative videos/images

✅ Rewrite content to match search intent

🎯 Goal: reduce the bounce rate to below 40% and increase the time on page to over 2 minutes.

Bounce Rate is not the enemy, but an orientation indicator

Bounce rate is not always bad – the important thing is that you understand the meaning behind that metric. Properly assessing the causes and having a strategy to improve Bounce Rate will help the website:

• More professional
• Optimize user experience
• Increase SEO efficiency
• Increase sales conversions

If you are not sure what your website's current bounce rate is – or don't know where to start to improve it, please contact MIMA. We will help you measure correctly – understand correctly – optimize correctly.

Contact Information
MIMA TRADING SERVICE CO., LTD
📍 Address: Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City
📞 Hotline/Zalo: 0909 035 333
📩 Email: info@mimadigi.com
🌐 Website: https://mimadigi.com