Dwell Time / SEO Terms Dwell Time Dwell time is the amount of time a user spends on a webpage after clicking through from a search engine results page but before returning to the search results. It is considered an indicator of how useful or engaging a page is to the visitor. While dwell time is not a confirmed ranking factor in Google’s algorithm, it is commonly used by marketers and SEO professionals as a proxy for content relevance, user experience and satisfaction. A longer dwell time typically suggests that users found the page valuable and stayed to read or interact with the content. A short dwell time may indicate that the content did not meet expectations, loaded slowly or failed to engage the visitor. Unlike bounce rate, which only measures whether a visitor leaves after viewing a single page, dwell time focuses specifically on search-driven traffic and how long those users remain before clicking back to the search results. Tools such as Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity or third-party SEO platforms can help estimate dwell time through session duration and behaviour flow analysis. Improving dwell time involves a mix of content quality, page speed, design and relevance. This could mean writing more engaging intros, using clear headings, embedding videos, including strong internal links or reducing pop-up interruptions. For nonprofits and B2B brands alike, increased dwell time often correlates with higher conversion rates, better SEO performance and stronger audience trust. It signals to both users and search engines that the page is worth exploring.