Website – User Engagement
An “engaged session” is any visit where the user takes an action on the website that Google considers a key event. Some of these key events are:
- First_visit – When someone visits the website for the very first time on that phone/computer or browser.
- Scroll – When someone reaches near the end of a page (about 90% of the way down), this indicates the user is interested in the page and has scrolled down.
- User_engagement – When someone stays for at least 10 seconds or interacts with the page. This, together with Scroll, helps identify if people are actually interested in the website and content.
- Click – This shows the number of times a user clicks a link that leads away from the current domain. Although this can sound negative, it’s not a bad thing, as it could indicate the user is clicking on a review site, social media profile, or visiting a form hosted on an external site.
- Page_view – Every time a page on your site loads or when someone clicks a link, it takes them to a different page on the same website.
- Form_submit – When someone fills out and sends a form (contact form, newsletter signup, appointment request, etc.)
This metric is important because it reflects how effectively your website captures and holds users’ attention. Engaged visitors are one of the clearest signs that a website is performing well, as the metric indicates how useful the site is to them (the users). When people spend time reading, clicking through different pages, or scrolling down to read more of the content, it means the website is easy to understand, simple to navigate, and offers information the user actually wants to know more about. In contrast, if visitors leave quickly, it usually indicates confusion, slow loading, unclear messaging, or content that doesn’t meet their needs or expectations.
High engagement also indicates that the website appears trustworthy. This matters because visitors who stay longer are more likely to return to Google to find out more about the practice or its staff. This is why, in the search term (keyword) reports, you often see your name or your practice name searched dozens in different combinations. The reason is that users who initially came to know you through your website want to learn more about you by seeing what others have to say about you through online reviews, etc.
According to a comprehensive benchmarking study by Databox, across all industries and content types, a median site-wide engagement rate of 56% is considered acceptable when compared to industry averages. Below are the engagement rates by industry, which are considered.
- Consulting and professional services 52.43%
- Healthcare: 59.97%
- Health and wellness: 62.22%
Recommended further reading
A detailed breakdown of user actions and engagements on your website, along with the overall engagement rate, can be found in the “Website Engagement” section of your month-end report.
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