Engagement metrics (dwell time, bounce rate, pages per session) measure how engaged users are on your page. High engagement = a positive ranking signal.
Engagement metrics are signals from user behavior that Google can see through the Chrome browser: (1) Dwell time = total time on the page (how long someone stays before returning to the SERP); (2) Bounce rate = % of users who leave immediately without interacting; (3) Pages per session = average pages visited per visit; (4) Return visitor rate = % of users who come back. Google does not directly confirm that it uses engagement metrics for ranking, but implicitly they matter: pages with high engagement and a higher CTR rank better (logical: if users stay longer, it is relevant).
Engagement is a proxy for user satisfaction. Weak content = a 60% bounce rate (they turn back immediately). Good content = 2-3 min dwell time, low bounce. Google rewards high engagement.
Source: Moz — Engagement MetricsRankBrain is a Google AI algorithm that understands the meaning of search queries and pages, even with new words. It is the 3rd ranking factor after links and content.
CTR is the percentage of clicks on your SERP link out of the total impressions. Higher CTRs = more traffic from the same position.
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without interacting with other pages of the site, indicating the relevance and quality of the page experience.
LLM SEO (or GEO — Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing content to be cited or recommended by AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews.
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