What is a Good Average Time on Page? + 5 Strategies to Improve It

As a website owner, you’re always striving to get the most engagement out of each visitor. An engaged visitor who stays on your site longer typically means that they’re more likely to convert, whether that be signing up for an email list, buying a product, and so forth. That’s why it’s critical to understand precisely what a good average time on page is and how exactly to achieve it.

In this article, we’ll be covering anything and everything you’ve ever needed to know about the average time on page statistic.

What is Average Time on Page in Google Analytics?

So, what exactly does the average time on page benchmark in Google Analytics mean?

To put it simply, average time on page is a metric used to measure the exact amount of time that a user spends on one specific webpage before navigating away (whether that be back to search results or another page on your site).

Average time on page is just one large piece of the puzzle in figuring out how to optimize your website for engagement and conversion. However, it shouldn’t be confused with other similar metrics.

Comparisons to Average Time on Page

Average Time on Page vs. Average Session Duration

Another metric that some webmasters get confused by is average session duration. While average time on page is a measurement of the time a user spends on a page, average session duration tracks how long the user stays on your site as a whole.

For this reason, it’s important to check both the on-page and session duration metrics. If your average session duration is high, that means visitors are likely clicking between various pages on your site (this is a good thing!).

Average Time on Page vs. Page Views Per Session

On that subject, page views per session is another great indicator of overall engagement. Pages per session indicates exactly what it sounds like: how many different pages a user visits before exiting your site.

Just like average session duration, this metric is critical for understanding how many of your readers click through to different pages (or, in other words, stay engaged with your content).

Good Benchmarks for Statistics

What’s a Good Benchmark for Average Time on Page?

So, what is a good time on page? Is there a certain number to strive for? As is typical in SEO, the answer isn’t very straightforward.

According to Klipfolio, a marketing research agency, the average visit duration is 52 seconds across all industries. However, this can vary vastly by both your niche and the type of website you own.

Following this same research, B2B websites boast an average time on page of 1m22s, while grocery scores the lowest at 44 seconds.

It’s also worth noting that even though your time on page metric may be low, your page views and, by extension, session duration, may be high. Speaking of which…

What is a Good Session Duration for a Website?

Session duration can be used instead of time on page to determine, roughly, the overall engagement of visitors on your site. If you have a lot of small pages, for example, that are designed to move users throughout, then it can be worth looking at session duration over time on page.

Klipfolio, the previously mentioned marketing research agency, also has another study on these very metrics.

In their study, they found that the average session duration across the internet is anywhere from 2-4 minutes on average, depending on a variety of factors such as niche, device type, and content length. Desktop users, typically, lingered longer than mobile users.

How Does Bounce Rate Influence Average Time on Page?

Now, moving on, let’s dive a bit deeper. Another factor that directly correlates with average time on page is bounce rate.

To put it simply, bounce rate is a metric used to determine how well a website retains visitors past the first page. When a user clicks away from a website (back to search results) rather than clicking an internal link, that is considered a bounce.

These metrics are related as a quick bounce means a low time on page.

How to Improve Bounce Rates?

Wait, so if bounce rate ties into average time on page, how do I get my users to bounce less?

The steps to reduce bounce rate are more in-depth and detailed than we can fit in this article, but here are a few quick general steps to follow:

  • Speed up your site and make sure it passes Core Web Vitals
  • Design a strong (not annoying) interface/UI
  • Ensure you have accurate meta information
  • Have a strong interlinking strategy to “funnel” users between posts

How to Improve Average Time on Page (5 Strategies)

So, now that you know all about average time on page and why it’s such an important metric, let’s run through all the methods to improve it and keep your readers engaged.

1. Clean Up Your Site Design

First up, the biggest reason readers will click away from your site is if it is either clunky or annoying. Or worse, both. A typical user (especially on mobile devices) spends only a few seconds deciding if your website is worth staying on.

For this reason, it’s best to keep your website as clean and distraction-free as possible. This means either remove the pop-ups or, at least, delay them a few extra seconds. Make sure ads don’t immediately clutter the top of the page.

Place any important content/CTAs front and center to make it easy for a visitor to “see” what they should click on.

2. Use Great Images (and video!)

Using great images goes somewhat hand-in-hand with “cleaning up site design”. With the exception of a few niches, pictures are becoming more and more important (as is video).

A strong header image, for example, can draw a user’s eye and keep them on the site a bit longer. Inserting (appropriate and fitting) images throughout blog posts can also be a fabulous way to break up text and keep engagement high.

3. Reformat and Improve Readability

In that same vein, improving readability can also do wonders. There’s a reason the term, “wall of text” is used negatively.

If your paragraphs are extremely long, break them up! Paragraphs that are broken down into 2-4 sentences tend to look a lot nicer than gigantic walls of text, especially for readers on mobile devices. When text is broken up, it becomes easier to read and skim (after all, most blog readers don’t read everything, they skim).

Additionally, choose an appropriate font size. For optimal readability, you want something larger than “default” but not so big to where the reader needs to constantly scroll to follow the text. Typically, webmasters agree on 14-18pt font for most blog content.

4. Have Great Internal Links

Next: up your internal linking game. Sure, if a user clicks through to another page on your site, it may not (technically) increase your average time on page, but it will boost your session duration.

When interlinking is done right, it gives readers a bit of “guidance” and nudges them toward what they should read next.

5. Exit-Intent Pop-Ups

This last tip can be a bit controversial, but it works: exit intent pop-ups. Typically, this is done through the use of a plugin (for users of WordPress or most other CMS). When a user moves their mouse to the exit button, a pop-up will show up asking them to read more, sign up for an email list, and so forth.

While the use of pop-ups is becoming more and more controversial among website owners, an exit-intent pop-up is still fairly unobtrusive and inoffensive as the user, of course, can simply exit the page.

Exit-intent pop-ups have been shown to boost average time on page and lead to better conversions. So, if a user is leaving your website, may as well try to get them to stay, right?

Conclusion

As you can see, average time on page and session duration don’t need to be unsolvable mysteries. To recap what we’ve learned:

  • Fast and clean website with good UX
  • High-quality, fitting images for posts
  • Improved readability (font size, breaking paragraphs)
  • Strong internal linking to funnel users
  • Exit intent pop-ups

Following this basic framework, and applying some hard work and dedication, it’s easy to boost your average time on page and session duration metrics.

Additional Content to Read

How Often Does Google Crawl a Site? + 4 Ways to Improve Crawl Speed
How Often Does Google Crawl a Site
What Inbound Marketing Metrics Should You Be Tracking?
Inbound Marketing Metrics
Pierce Reiten
Pierce Reiten

Helping businesses increase sales and build a reputable brand image through SEO, quality website content, and creating a powerful content strategy. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you!

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