Pogo-sticking is the act of a user clicking on a result in the SERPs, only to immediately click back to the SERPs because the result wasn’t relevant or useful.
This can happen if the searcher didn’t find what they were looking for, or if the result wasn’t clearly relevant to their query.
Pogo-sticking has a negative impact on the searcher’s experience, as it can be frustrating. It also has an impact on your website’s SEO.
If users are pogo-sticking from your site, it means that your site isn’t providing the information or answers that they’re looking for.
This signals to Google that your site isn’t relevant to the user’s query, which can impact your ranking in the SERPs.
Why Is it Important to Understand Pogo-Sticking?
Pogo-sticking is important to understand because it can have a significant impact on your website’s SEO.
Pogo sticking occurs when users are not able to find what they were looking for on your website. This signals to Google that your site isn’t relevant to the user’s query, which can impact your ranking in the SERPs.
How Do I Know If I Have a Pogo-Sticking Problem?
There are a few ways to tell if you have a pogo-sticking problem.
The first is to check your click-through rate (CTR). If your CTR is low, it could be an indication that users are pogo-sticking from your site.
Another way to tell if you have a pogo-sticking problem is to use Google Analytics. Go to Behavior>Site Content>All Pages. Then, look at the pages with a high bounce rate and low average time on the page. These are the pages that users are pogo-sticking from.
Pogo-Sticking vs. Bounce Rate – What’s The Difference
To begin, let’s distinguish between pogo-sticking and bounce rate:
- Pogo sticking is when a person visits our site from a SERP (search engine results page) and rapidly leaves it to return to the SERP and find a better result.
- A bounce rate is the proportion of people who visit your site and then leave without clicking any other link. So, if someone reads this post and then leaves without taking any other action—that’s a bounce.
What Causes Pogo-Sticking?
There are a few reasons why users may pogo-stick from your site.
1. Clickbait content
Content that is designed to get clicks but doesn’t deliver on the promise made in the title can cause users to pogo-stick. This type of content is called clickbait and can be extremely frustrating for users.
2. Irrelevant content
If your content isn’t relevant to the user’s query, they may pogo-stick from your site. This is why it’s important to make sure that your content is relevant to the user’s query and that your title accurately reflects the content on the page.
3. Poor design
A poorly designed website can also cause users to pogo-stick. If your website is hard to navigate or isn’t user-friendly, users may not stick around.
4. Buried or locked information
If the information that users are looking for is buried on your website or behind a paywall, they may pogo-stick.
5. Poor UX
Poor user experience can also lead to pogo-sticking. If users can’t find what they’re looking for or if your website is difficult to use, they may leave.
6. The searcher is just browsing around
Sometimes, users will click on a result just to see what’s there, even if they don’t think it will be relevant. This is often referred to as “browsing” and can’t really be avoided.
Is Pogo-Sticking a Ranking Factor?
Pogo sticking is definitely a factor that Google’s algorithms take into account when ranking websites.
Google has stated that they use clickthrough rate as a ranking factor. Clickthrough rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who see your listing in the SERPs and then click on it. If people are pogo-sticking from your site, it means that your CTR is low.
A low CTR signals to Google that your listing is not relevant to the user’s query, which will impact your ranking in the SERPs.
How To Avoid Pogo-Sticking In SEO?
Here are some methods for preventing and resolving potential issues with pogo-sticking.
1. Fix your site’s UX
Not every website has to take part in design competitions.
Keep things simple and clutter-free if you want to offer the best possible experience for the visitor. Everything that is not relevant to the search query should be kept to a bare minimum.
Fixing the UI (user interface) is an immediate method to boost your site’s UX. Here are some examples:
- Remove pop-ups like sign-up screens and exit forms. Make the same adjustments to any advertisements that alter the layout.
- Make sure your website’s layout is simple, consistent, and effective. This is especially true for your site’s navigation. Having a lovely-looking website is fantastic. However, it’s more important not to overload the user’s cognitive capacity with stuff that offers no practical value.
- Optimize your website for mobile devices. Mobile device traffic accounts for more than 50% of all web traffic. Furthermore, Google indexes and ranks material based on mobile versions of websites (mobile-first indexing).
2. Keep your site fast
Naturally, no one likes to wait while a website loads.
However, more importantly, if loading takes too long or if your site is sluggish in general, some people will just abandon it. If there are competitors that deliver content faster than you do, many individuals would avoid slow sites. Every second counts in this battle for market share.
Site loading time is a ranking factor in Google. If your website loads slowly, you will have a harder time getting to the top of SERPs.
Here are some methods for increasing your site’s speed:
- Host your website on a fast server. If you can afford it, use a content delivery network (CDN).
- Compress images. Use tools like TinyJPG or Optimizilla.
- Use a caching plugin. W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache are two great examples.
- Use a lightweight theme. If you’re using WordPress, look for “mobile-friendly” and “fast” themes.
- Remove any unnecessary plugins. If you’re using WordPress, deactivate and delete any plugins that you’re not using.
- Minimize the number of HTTP requests. The more files your web page has to load (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images), the longer it will take to load those files. So, it’s important to minimize the number of HTTP requests.
3. Invest in Quality Content
There is no magic bullet for creating quality content.
However, here are some methods that can help:
Do your research. Before you start writing, make sure you understand what searchers are looking for and what questions they’re trying to answer. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest.
Create comprehensive content. Write articles that cover a topic in-depth. In other words, don’t just write a couple of paragraphs about a topic. Write an article that is truly comprehensive and that covers all aspects of the topic.
4. Use the Inverted Pyramid Method
Start with the most important information and then get into the details.
The correct search intent is KEY. This way, searchers can quickly decide if your content is relevant to their needs. The inverted pyramid is a tried and true journalistic technique that places “need to know” above “nice to know.” Following this guideline will assist your readers in locating information more quickly.
It will undoubtedly aid the website on turbocharger failure symptoms, as we previously discussed.
5. Use clear formatting and visual elements
Make your content easy to read by using clear formatting (e.g., headings, short paragraphs, bulleted lists).
In addition, use visual elements like images, infographics, and videos to break up your text and make your content more visually appealing.
6. Make sure your website is readable on all devices
Therefore, it’s important to make sure your website is readable on all devices. This includes making sure your site is responsive (i.e., that it automatically adjusts to the screen size of the device), as well as using large font sizes and proper spacing.
7. Use relevant internal links
Internal links are links that go from one page on your website to another page on your website.
They’re important because they help search engines understand the structure of your website and they help searchers find related content. For example, if you have an article about “how to fix a flat tire,” you could link to a related article about “how to change a tire.”
They are also a great way to keep people on your website longer. By linking to related content, you increase the chances that people will stay on your site and continue reading your content.
8. Demonstrate E-A-T
E-A-T stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.”
It’s a guideline that was first introduced by Google in its search quality evaluator guidelines. In short, it means that your content should be written by an expert on the topic, it should be accurate and trustworthy, and it should be from a website that is seen as an authority on the topic.
There are a number of ways to demonstrate E-A-T:
- Write comprehensive, in-depth articles. This shows that you have expertise on the topic.
- Cite your sources. This shows that your content is accurate and trustworthy.
- Include testimonials and reviews. This helps to build trust with your audience.
Following this will reduce pogo-sticking and help improve your SEO. In turn, this will help you rank higher on the search result page.
9. Keep content up to date
This also helps to build trust and show that your content is accurate. Site visitors want to know that they’re getting the most up-to-date information, so make sure to regularly update your content.
10. Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that provides data and insights about your website’s performance in Google Search.
It’s an essential tool for any website owner who wants to improve their SEO.
Search Console can help you understand how Google sees your website in its search results, which can be helpful in troubleshooting issues like pogo-sticking.
Conclusion
Pogo sticking can negatively impact your SEO in a number of ways.
It can increase your bounce rate, it can decrease the amount of time people spend on your site, and can make it harder for search engines to understand the structure of your website.
Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to avoid pogo-sticking once you have established through google analytics your site is pogo-sticking.
You can do this by optimizing your website for mobile devices, using clear formatting and visual elements, demonstrating E-A-T, and keeping your content up to date.
By following these guidelines, you can avoid pogo-sticking and improve the overall SEO of your website.
