How Does User Engagement Affect SEO?

Google looks at many things when it comes to user engagement. Some things may not apply to your site but are important from an SEO perspective.

User engagement is one of the most important things in the digital world and it affects your SEO. This goes beyond just technical SEO strategies; understanding how users interact with your site and optimising that interaction is key. Google looks at many user behaviour factors which determine your site’s search engine rankings. If you have a podcast, Google looks at listener patterns; if you have video content, it looks at viewing patterns. It personalises results based on users search history and actions.

When you’re developing your SEO strategy you need to consider the freshness and quality of your content. Google ranks current and high quality content higher. So creating content that meets user intent and generates interaction is key to SEO success. Other interaction metrics Google’s algorithm looks at are:

• Impressions: Podcast listens or episode impressions.
• Popularity and Interaction Metrics: Article impressions and how users interact with the article.
• Dwell Time: How long users are on your site.
• User Safety: Is the content toxic, adult or inappropriate.

So, what can we do to create a user-focused search strategy for SEO?

• Personalised Content: Understand your target audience and what they search for on search engines. Optimise your site by creating content users want and adding interactive elements.
• Content According to Quality Guidelines: Create content that meets the criteria in Google’s Search Quality Guidelines. This will help your content get better rated by the algorithm.
• Increase User Engagement: Use methods that encourage users to spend more time on your site and interact. For example, add comment forms, surveys or videos.
• Know Your Target Audience’s Intent: Know what users are trying to achieve on search engines and optimise your site to help them achieve that.
• Track Data: Monitor user behaviour and search results on your site. This way you can see what works and what doesn’t.
• Keep Your Content Up To Date: Especially in industries where current content is important, make sure to keep your site’s content up to date. Google ranks new and current content higher.
• Safe Content: Make sure your site’s content is suitable and harmless to your target audience.

You can use strategies like personalised content, content according to quality guidelines and methods that increase user engagement to increase user interaction and improve your SEO. Also know your target audience’s intent, track data regularly and keep your content up to date. These will help you rank higher and long term success. Remember a user focused SEO strategy is one of the most important things for long term success in the digital world. Review your site and content regularly to see how well it meets user needs and make improvements. That way you’ll satisfy your users and stand out in search engines.

You may interact with the following interactive graphic to examine the important concepts mentioned above.