"Dwell Time" Keeping People on Your Site

People click and then instantly hit the back button. How can you keep more people on your site and the RIGHT people? 

Google looks at "Time on Site" or "Dwell Time" and the average dwell time for a high-ranking website is 3 minutes according to Google but we only have 2 seconds to catch their attention! So how can we do that?

How to Keep More People on Your Site Longer

You can write 5,000 words that clearly declares you know what you're talking about but if people click away because they're bored Google will slowly devalue your page until you're nowhere to be seen. That's not what you want.

You have to not only KNOW what you're talking about but present it in a way that keeps people on your site. 

You know those Buzzfeed and similar sites where you are clicking 100 pages just to see the next snippet of whatever you originally clicked on? Then the "click-bait" articles that shock and awe you? Well, how long do you end up being on those sites? IF you're like me, I stay to the end as long as there is not too much advertising getting in the way and the page loads fast. Before I know it, I've stayed 5 minutes on a site to learn what kind of Disney Princess I am.

So how can you implement that in a real estate or mortgage site?

I'm not just talking about long articles or posts. Anyone can add fluff to pages. People get bored and they click away. That's not what you want, obviously. So how can you get them to stay?

I would say take a look at your analytics and find the pages that ARE keeping people on the site and see what's working for those and then branch off from there. If all of your pages are not holding people's interest, start here:

#1. Multiple pages

Are you writing long articles all on one page? Try breaking it up. Have a great image, then if they want the second option, have them click to another page - like this > "4 Signs You Shouldn't Buy the House" There's a nice image, a little text, then links to other tips. And always have links in the text or at the end so people know what to do when they reach the end. But in this short post, we have people clicking on 4 pages, hopefully increasing the time on site to over a minute. Sliders don't convey this as easily so it's important that you give people a reason to click to the next tip, page, or whatever.

#2. Subheadings, Subheadings, Subheadings.

Use them. Everywhere. Make them benefit-driven. People skim but most people are not going to skim 5,000 words. Even if you break it up, they may not have the brain power to sit through it all. Break it up, lead them from one place to another and before you know it, they are 6 pages from where they started reading about something completely different.

#3. Images rule.

I look at recipes A LOT! And I noticed something interesting, I want the recipe, but I have to scroll through about 8 images and 1,000 words of content ABOUT The recipe before I actually GET to the recipe itself. Google seems to LOVE this and ranks these recipe pages really high. Why?

Content - Images - TIME ON SITE. I AM just there for the recipe, but in the meantime, I might stop, stare at an image of the finished dish or a couple words about the ingredients that caught my eye. Maybe there's a technique that I have to use and I'll miss it if I scroll too fast. By the time I get to the bottom where the recipe actually is, I've been on the site a minute or two. THAT'S What you want.

So I created a few real estate pages like that. "How Much Are Homes in Frisco?" The good stuff is at the bottom, which keeps revolving and updating but by the time the reader gets there, I hope they have paused a couple times to look at homes that could be in their price range or whatever.

#4. One More - SNAG THEM!

Backlinko.com uses the term "Bucket Brigade" and that's a phrase he says keeps people reading. At any point in your content when you feel you may be losing people, put in a catchphrase to keep them such as:

• Bottom Line
• That's Not All
• Here's the Point
• The Best Part...
• What Does This Matter?

And make it a subheading. Keep them there just a little longer.

Take Away - Whatever keeps people on your site longer for your keyword or phrase is what you should be doing.

Make every page important for that keyword. Use keywords like "Near Me" because Alexa and Google are being asked this all the time. Clearly make every title exactly what the page is about so the people that search for it, find it and find value in it. 

Give them more of a reason to stick around

• Give them an idea or concept they agree with
• Give them a glimpse into a better world 
• Give them a taste of what you're going to do for them

ALWAYS, ALWAYS provide a lead capture throughout the process and at the end.

Make great content and keep them engaged....!

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