Comments on: Looking for Meaningful Data in Google Analytics http://www.dewpointproductions.com/seo_blog/analytics/looking-for-meaningful-data-in-google-analytics/ We make change happen! Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:56:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: david http://www.dewpointproductions.com/seo_blog/analytics/looking-for-meaningful-data-in-google-analytics/comment-page-1/#comment-782 david Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:54:43 +0000 http://www.dewpointproductions.com/seo_blog/?p=252#comment-782 Rob, I agree with you. I think the bounce rate and time on page are pretty easy to manipulate (depending on the traffic the site gets) and I don't think that it would make much sense for Google to make these a significant part of their ranking algo. The thing to remember though is that they have over 100 ranking factors. Maybe 10% of these play a major role in how a site ranks the others play a minor role. This means two things, they can afford a little slop in those and in really competitive fields if you're trying for a first place placement in the SERPS the minor factors will be what give you the extra boost. Rob, I agree with you. I think the bounce rate and time on page are pretty easy to manipulate (depending on the traffic the site gets) and I don’t think that it would make much sense for Google to make these a significant part of their ranking algo. The thing to remember though is that they have over 100 ranking factors. Maybe 10% of these play a major role in how a site ranks the others play a minor role. This means two things, they can afford a little slop in those and in really competitive fields if you’re trying for a first place placement in the SERPS the minor factors will be what give you the extra boost.

]]> By: On Stage Lighting http://www.dewpointproductions.com/seo_blog/analytics/looking-for-meaningful-data-in-google-analytics/comment-page-1/#comment-780 On Stage Lighting Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:59:10 +0000 http://www.dewpointproductions.com/seo_blog/?p=252#comment-780 Hi David,I agree with the sentiment of your post and reminded me of something troubling me regarding analysing visitor data and search engines. You mentioned visitors that spend a long time on a site but don't have a good experience, suggesting that they can't find what they are looking for. The flip side of this is Pageviews per visitor or bounce rate. Perhaps a site is so well organised, SEO'ed and put together that every visitor that comes from search, finds exactly what they are looking for, converts and then leaves happy. There has been talk of Google and the like using bounce rate data to determine the match between searcher intent and destination. I don't see how these metrics could become a significant part of any search algorithm for the reasons above. Perhaps the whole voting, bumping and reviewing democracy (which would seem to be too easily manipulated) will grow and the more obtrusive 4Q style questionaire will become a bigger part of our online experience in search. Rob Hi David,I agree with the sentiment of your post and reminded me of something troubling me regarding analysing visitor data and search engines. You mentioned visitors that spend a long time on a site but don’t have a good experience, suggesting that they can’t find what they are looking for.

The flip side of this is Pageviews per visitor or bounce rate. Perhaps a site is so well organised, SEO’ed and put together that every visitor that comes from search, finds exactly what they are looking for, converts and then leaves happy.

There has been talk of Google and the like using bounce rate data to determine the match between searcher intent and destination. I don’t see how these metrics could become a significant part of any search algorithm for the reasons above.

Perhaps the whole voting, bumping and reviewing democracy (which would seem to be too easily manipulated) will grow and the more obtrusive 4Q style questionaire will become a bigger part of our online experience in search.

Rob

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