Bounce Rate: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It
Bounce rate is one of those metrics everyone loves to cite—but few really understand. You’ll find it sitting in your analytics dashboard, sometimes waving red flags, other times misleading marketers into unnecessary panic. So what does bounce rate really mean? And more importantly, how can you use it to genuinely improve your site’s performance?
What Is Bounce Rate?
Bounce rate measures the percentage of website visitors who land on a page and leave without engaging—no clicks, no scrolls, no conversions. In the new GA4 world, that means they:
Stayed on your site for less than 10 seconds
Didn’t click through to another page
Didn’t trigger any tracked event (like form fills, button clicks, etc.)
Put simply, they showed up, looked around, and said: “No thanks.”
This is distinct from exit rate, which measures how many people left your site from a particular page—regardless of how long they engaged beforehand. Someone could have clicked through six pages and then exited, which wouldn’t count as a bounce.
How Is Bounce Rate Calculated?
The formula is straightforward:
Bounce Rate = (Unengaged Sessions / Total Sessions) × 100
So, if you had 1,000 sessions last month and 400 of them ended in a bounce, your bounce rate is 40%.
No need to break out the calculator though—GA4 tracks it. Here’s how to find it:
How to Find Bounce Rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
GA4 doesn’t serve bounce rate up on a silver platter anymore, but you can still access it:
Search bar method
Simply type "bounce rate" in the GA4 search bar. A quick summary will appear in the sidebar.
Custom report method
Navigate to: Reports > Engagement > Pages and Screens
Click the pencil icon (top right) to customize the report
Under Report Data, click Metrics
Click Add metric and search for “Bounce Rate”
Drag it to where you want it, click Apply, then Save
Bounce rate will now appear in your default reports
Or, you can go to Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens, where you’ll see this report:
Click the pencil at the top right of your screen to customize the report. Then, under Report Data in the right sidebar, click Metrics.
Then, click Add metric at the bottom of the list and start typing to find Bounce rate. Click it to add it to the list. You can click the six dots on the left side to drag it to where you want it to appear in the report, then click Apply.
Click Save, then click Back to see the report. Now, you’ll be able to see Bounce rate as part of your page report in Google Analytics.
What Is a Good Bounce Rate?
Let’s cut to the chase: there is no universal “good” bounce rate. It’s contextual—based on page type, industry, traffic channel, and device.
Tomorrow’s benchmarking across dozens of client sites and case studies shows this spread:
It makes sense when you dig into user intent. A contact page that gives a phone number? High bounce is expected. A product collection page? Not so much.
Industry Impact
From our experience:
Real Estate sites average around 44.5%
Food & Beverage sites? Up to 65.5%
Why the spread? Because a real estate site encourages deep browsing across listings. Meanwhile, restaurant visitors just want hours, a menu, and a location—fast.
Channel Breakdown
Where your traffic comes from affects bounce too:
Organic search = lower bounce (intent-driven)
Social media = higher bounce (passive scrolling)
Device Matters
Mobile bounce rates are consistently higher than desktop, thanks to slower load times, clunky navigation, and distracted users. It’s not your content—it’s the context.
All in all, it’s impossible to know what a good bounce rate is without considering these other factors. However, using your industry’s average as a benchmark is a good place to start.
How to Improve Your Bounce Rate
Now that we’ve diagnosed the problem, here’s how to fix it. These 10 tactics can help reduce bounce rate and improve engagement.
1. Improve Page Load Time
According to Google, 53% of mobile users bounce if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Fix it by:
Compressing image files
Minifying CSS and JavaScript
Using caching and CD
Limiting redirects
Choosing a high-performance hosting provider
Faster sites = happier users = lower bounce.
2. Optimize for Mobile
Mobile-first isn’t a trend—it’s table stakes. Your mobile site should be:
Responsive
Easy to navigate
Free of intrusive pop-ups
Built with legible fonts
Designed with high-contrast CTAs
Pro tip: use a hamburger menu and eliminate friction.
3. Match Search Intent
Every page should answer the question a searcher had when they clicked. If it doesn’t, they’ll bounce.
Ask yourself: What problem is the user trying to solve?
Then make sure your page answers it fast.
4. Grab Attention Above the Fold
Don’t bury the lede. Your content above the fold should:
Use strong visual imagery
Include a clear H1 headline
Feature a subheading that teases the value below
Hook them in the first scroll—or risk losing them.
5. Make Content Skimmable
Walls of text are bounce magnets. Structure your content with:
Bullet points
Subheadings (H2s and H3s)
Short paragraphs
Pull quotes and callouts
Visual aids and infographics
Make the page feel digestible, not daunting.
6. Use Internal Links Strategically
Interlinking relevant content can reduce bounce and increase session depth.
For example:
Mentioning landing page design? Link to your “10 Best Converting Landing Pages” post.
It’s not just good UX—it’s SEO gold, too.
7. Embed Videos and Visuals
Adding videos can increase time on page by 2x or more. Create companion YouTube videos and embed them directly.
Other engaging elements include:
GIFs
Checklists
Custom illustrations
Interactive graphics
8. Add a Table of Contents
Especially for long-form blogs, this helps users navigate quickly—and reduces bounces from those just looking for one nugget of info.
Bonus: TOCs also boost accessibility and SEO.
9. Include Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
CTAs don’t have to be pushy. They just need to be present.
Whether it’s:
“Read more”
“Watch the video”
“Start your free trial”
“Download the checklist”
Tell users what to do next.
10. Prioritize User-Friendly Design
Design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about trust and usability.
If your site looks outdated or confusing, users will leave—fast. Keep your UI:
Clean
Modern
Easy to navigate
Consistent in branding
Even subtle design changes can cut bounce by double digits.
Bounce rate isn’t just a vanity metric, it’s a feedback loop. It tells you whether your site is serving its audience or sending them packing. By improving speed, clarity, and relevance, you don’t just reduce bounce you build trust, engagement, and conversion paths.
Use Tomorrow’s bounce rate benchmarks to gut-check your performance, and follow the 10 tactics above to transform fleeting visits into sticky, meaningful sessions.