Google has not set out a definitive description of what constitutes high-quality SEO content that ranks at the top of search results.
Pogo-sticking describes moving back and forth between a search engine results page (SERP) and the websites linked from it. In other words, pogo-sticking occurs when someone clicks a search result, discovers that the page does not contain what they need, and immediately leaves by pressing the back button. They then open another result to satisfy their information need. This activity can also be measured in Google Analytics through the metric known as “bounce rate.”
Search engines want users to find the content they need on their first attempt. Pogo-sticking therefore benefits neither Google and Bing nor the person searching or the brand. In short, it can pose a substantial threat to a website’s organic presence. Review the production of SEO-friendly content on sites and pages with a high bounce rate. Otherwise, your efforts to achieve rankings may produce disappointing results.
How Can I Recognize It?
The first question to ask of any website is: “Am I creating useful, optimized content that matches what my audience is searching for?” It may sound very basic. Red Bull, for example, understood that its audience did not want to read about the benefits of drinking its products. The company consequently developed the idea of a website focused on extreme sports. This approach, consistent with the brand, helped it stand out from competitors and become more memorable. Its audience became much more inclined to recommend Red Bull to friends. Understanding your audience and its information and entertainment needs therefore matters.
In your SEO work, focus on reducing bounce rate and preventing the behavior behind it. A high rate is among the main factors associated with visitors returning to the results page and clicking competing websites. To reduce it, you can organize your landing pages as follows:
- Identify the keywords bringing traffic to your site, and assess how well they match the information on the landing pages to which they lead. If the query, meta tags and content are disconnected, bring them into alignment.
- Duplicate or recycled content prevents you from gaining a competitive advantage. Do not expect static content alone to deliver success. Update pages with developments in your industry, recent statistics, new sources and topics that provide additional useful information.
- Consider the role of user experience in the success of your brand’s digital presence. If the relevant content is below the fold and visitors must scroll to find it, they may give up immediately and return to the results to look elsewhere. Present important content or a specific call to action early, encourage further reading and make it easy to move between pages.
By adding Google’s customer satisfaction surveys for website owners, you can give Google access to your visitors’ opinions. If you consistently satisfy users, these short surveys can make a substantial difference to search performance.
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