Is Dwell Time a Google Ranking Factor?

The metric commonly referred to as "dwell time" — the length of time a user stays on a webpage after clicking from the search engine results page (SERP), before returning — is not officially confirmed by Google as a direct ranking signal.

However, there is evidence that user-behaviour metrics (clicks, user satisfaction, time on page, pogo-sticking) are used indirectly, which means dwell-time-like behaviour matters from a user-experience and SEO strategy perspective.

In other words: you should not chase dwell time as a standalone metric thinking it will magically boost rankings, but you should optimise your webpage, blog post content, user experience, loading speed, mobile friendliness and internal linking so that users stay engaged longer, because that helps with user satisfaction (which Google is paying attention to).

To understand the topic well, we need to define the relevant metrics and how they differ:

Because the definitions overlap and the measurement is imperfect (especially for dwell time, which Google doesn't expose), many SEO professionals get confused (and some promote myths).

Google spokespersons (e.g., Gary Illyes, Martin Splitt) have said that dwell time, bounce rate and CTR are not used directly as ranking signals. For example, Illyes said "dwell time, CTR, whatever … those are generally made-up crap."

Google's official ranking systems documentation does not list "dwell time" as a separate factor.

That said — from internal documents leaked (e.g., via the U.S. Justice Department antitrust case) there is evidence that user-behaviour signals (clicks, time spent, whether user returns to the SERP) are part of what Google's systems evaluate (though not labelled publicly as "dwell time"). For example, one article reports that Google uses a "popularity signal" that uses Chrome data and click behaviour.

Therefore, while Google denies the metric "dwell time" as used-as-such, they do admit to using click / user-behaviour signals as part of the broader ranking system.

Even though "dwell time" per se isn't a declared ranking signal, the concept reveals important best-practices for content optimisation (blog post, webpage, etc.). Here are key takeaways:

A user who clicks from the SERP to your blog post / webpage and stays awhile (reads, engages, explores) likely found that your content matched their search intent and delivered value. That suggests high content quality, good user experience, and less likelihood of pogo-sticking (user jumping back to the SERP rapidly).

Conversely, a short dwell time may indicate the user did not find what they wanted: maybe the content didn't match search intent, the page loaded slowly, it wasn't mobile-friendly, or the content quality was low. That can negatively affect user satisfaction, and although Google might not penalise for a low dwell time directly, it might affect how the page is viewed in terms of quality/popularity signals.

Because Google is focused on user satisfaction (what the searcher wants) and uses user engagement signals in some form, a page that keeps users engaged is less likely to get demoted for poor experience or low relevance.

Given all that, here are actionable tips:

Link Building & Authority

While user behaviour signals matter, traditional ranking factors remain critical: high-quality backlinks, domain authority, topical relevance, content quality. Dwell-time optimisations alone won't outrank a page with poor content or no authoritative links.

Google's search algorithm uses hundreds of ranking signals (some estimated 200+ major ones in SEO literature) including content relevance, backlinks, page authority, user behaviour signals, technical signals.

User behaviour signals (clicks, time on page, pogo-sticking) can feed into the system as indirect indicators of quality/popularity. For example, one leak described Google using "Anchors (links)", "Body (content)", and "Clicks (user behaviour)" as key components.

Therefore, although "dwell time" is not explicitly marketed by Google as a ranking signal, doing the things that increase dwell time (e.g., engaging content, good UX, matching intent) help you address both the direct ranking factors (content quality, technical SEO, backlinks) and the indirect user behaviour signals.

For blog posts and webpages, the goal is to rank well in the SERP, drive organic traffic, engage the user so they convert (subscribe, buy, etc.), retain them on the site (internal links to related content), and promote social sharing or return visits (which build authority and user satisfaction).

On mobile devices, this is even more significant because user behaviour (quick exit due to slow load, poor UX) is higher-risk; so mobile optimisation and page loading speed tie directly into reducing short dwell times or pogo-sticking.

Many SEO experts and correlation studies find that pages which rank highly tend to have longer average time on page / lower pogo-sticking / more internal engagement (i.e., higher dwell time) — but correlation does not equal causation. For example, a page that ranks well may inherently be stronger (content, backlinks, authority) and thus users stay longer.

Some recent articles emphasise that Google uses click/behaviour metrics indirectly. One article states: "Google improves by learning what users interact with… Every page is stored in the index along with signals such as clicks, queries and spam-score."

Others caution: dwell time may not always mean better for intent. For example, if a user finds the answer quickly, they may leave early — a short dwell time might be fine.

• Create high-quality content that matches search intent.
• Design your webpage/blog post for readability (short paragraphs, headings, bullet points), engagement, internal links to keep user exploring.
• Focus on user experience (UX): fast loading speed, mobile responsiveness, easy navigation, low friction.
• Monitor metrics in Google Analytics / Google Search Console / SEO tools to infer how well users engage (pages per session, average session duration, bounce rate, internal link click rate) and improve accordingly.
• Build authority via link building, quality backlinks, strong domain reputation, topical relevance.
• Optimise your SERP appearance: title tag, meta description, snippet content, so you get the right users clicking (good CTR) — and then keep them engaged so you don't trigger pogo-sticking.
• Conversion & traffic matter: Ultimately, the goal is organic traffic, higher rankings, conversions, user satisfaction and retention. Dwell time per se won't guarantee higher rankings, but improving the factors that increase dwell time will support your SEO performance.

Although chasing a vanity metric like "increase dwell time to rank higher" is misguided (because you can't measure true dwell time, and Google doesn't declare it as a direct factor), focusing on delivering value to the user will naturally lead to longer engagement, better satisfaction, fewer pogo-sticking exits, higher organic traffic and stronger SEO performance.

Your time is better spent optimizing content quality, matching search intent, providing excellent user experience, technical speed, mobile usability and internal linking — rather than obsessing over a specific dwell-time number.