How does Google calculate bounce rate for rankings?

Question

Google uses Bounce Rate as an indicator of whether users find a site useful and thus bumps these sites up the ranking. How does Google calculate the bounce rate?

Bounce Rate as stated in Google Analytics
By users 'by clicking on you site then on the back button the get to back to the Google listings?

I've seen this question: How does google calculate bounce rate? - which explains what Bounce Rate is but does any one have any data on how they actually calculate it for use with rankings?

Only Google knows if bounce rate affects their rankings and, if so, by how much — John Conde, May 03 '16 at 11:09
We do know that it is from users quickly bouncing back to the search results though which tells Google that the page they landed on was potentially not useful to them. Google Analytics could never be used as there are thousands of websites that don't have GA tracking. — zigojacko, May 03 '16 at 11:57
This is mostly answered by Does a site's bounce rate influence Google rankings? — Stephen Ostermiller, Jan 29 '23 at 11:27

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 03 '16 at 21:54

Your two bullet points are a distinction without a difference. The bounce rate shown in Google Analytics is calculated by the users clicking back from a visit from Google.

The actual effect of Bounce Rate on the SERPS is an unknown variable since Google doesn't release this info. I can tell you from personal, anecdotal experience that reducing my site's bounce by 20% really improved results across the board.

How does Google calculate bounce rate for rankings?

1 Answers1