Website Bounce Rate Calculator
Understanding and Calculating Website Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is a critical metric in digital marketing and SEO that represents the percentage of visitors who enter a website and then leave ("bounce") rather than continuing to view other pages within the same site. A high bounce rate often signals that the landing page is not relevant to your visitors or that the user experience is lacking.
The Bounce Rate Formula
The mathematical calculation for bounce rate is straightforward. It is the ratio of single-page sessions divided by the total number of entrances.
Practical Example
Imagine you run a blog post about "Healthy Breakfast Recipes." In one month, the data shows:
- Total Entrances: 1,000 visitors landed on that specific blog post.
- Single-Page Sessions: 600 of those visitors read the article and closed the tab without clicking on any other recipes or your "About" page.
To find the bounce rate: (600 / 1,000) = 0.6. Multiply by 100 to get 60%.
What is a "Good" Bounce Rate?
A "good" bounce rate is highly subjective and depends heavily on the industry and the intent of the page. Here are general benchmarks:
| Website Type | Average Bounce Rate |
|---|---|
| Ecommerce/Retail | 20% – 45% |
| B2B Websites | 25% – 55% |
| Lead Generation Sites | 30% – 55% |
| Blogs/Information Sites | 65% – 90% |
| Landing Pages (Single Call to Action) | 60% – 90% |
GA4 vs. Universal Analytics: The Change in Calculation
It is important to note that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) calculates bounce rate differently than the older Universal Analytics (UA). In UA, any single-page session was a bounce. In GA4, bounce rate is the inverse of Engagement Rate.
In GA4, a session is NOT a bounce if the user:
- Stays on the page for longer than 10 seconds.
- Triggers a conversion event.
- Has two or more page views.
How to Reduce a High Bounce Rate
If your bounce rate is higher than desired, consider these SEO and UX improvements:
- Improve Page Load Speed: Slow pages are the number one cause of immediate exits.
- Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your site looks and functions perfectly on smartphones.
- Match Search Intent: Make sure the content on the page actually answers the query the user searched for.
- Internal Linking: Use "Read More" sections or relevant internal links to encourage users to explore further.
- Clear Call to Action (CTA): Tell the user exactly what to do next.