There are many interesting concepts in the world of SEO which you will get to learn and gain insights from. One such thing is pogo sticking.
It is basically when a user will be browsing through various different search engines.
This is done so that it can be able to find results which are satisfying to the query they are looking for.
It is something on which content strategists and SEO enthusiasts have long wondered how it is important to have well-written content which is performing great when it goes in the search loop.
It definitely plays a major role when we look into how it actually impacts analytics reporting and makes some severe changes to how we look into the SEO effect.
Also while many consider bounce-rate and pogo sticking as being one and the same thing. They are both actually different.
In this article, we will be looking into and discussing what is the difference between the two, what is pogo sticking and its impact on the world of SEO.
So let’s begin:
What is Pogo-Sticking Effect
So this basically means and relates to how we go back and forth when we are looking into search engine results and how they define our search results.
Pogo sticking has been around for decades.
It is when a searcher is going to click on a link on the SERP.
But when that click does not generate the kind of results they were hoping to find, it will make the user immediately bounce off by hitting on the back button.
When they do that, what happens is that you will notice that the results are readily asking for more.
So when they are not satisfied. They will be looking onto choosing other results from other result page.
This is done so to make sure that the informational need is looked into from another perspective.
It is now becoming quite a common practice which indeed yields results.
When we talk about its impact in Google Analytics, it is something which is quite similar to bounce rate but it does yield different results.
Now let’s look into how do these two majorly differ.
Difference Between Bounce Rate and Pogo Sticking
The first major thing to understand is that both of these have their very own definitions.
Let’s see what those are:
This is looking into the percentage of visitors coming onto the single page of a website.
When you are having a high bounce rate, it will not mean that the searcher came for a split second and left.
Nope.
It can also refer to how the visitor may have spent some time on the site. They didn’t get the answer they were looking for.
Thus they went off to look for it on another site.
In some cases, a visitor may also simply bookmark a page and share it on social media.
But that will still count as a bounce.
Now that you know what is a bounce rate, let’s now talk about the implications of pogo sticking.
Pogo sticking
This is something which happens when you clearly know that a user was not happy with the search results.
It differs because in this, a user is going to performing a search.
They saw the first result, clicked on it.
But very soon knew this is not what they wanted and clicked back on the search page and looked into yet another search result.
This is a behavior which points and highlights dissatisfaction.
It is not like bounce-rate because it is clearly showing that a person was not happy with the result.
Hence when it comes to pogo sticking, it is always something which points at the negative as being unhappy and dissatisfied.
How To Recognize Pogo-Sticking Problem
So now that you know that this is a situation that can happen, the next thing to look into and understand is how to have it sorted out.
For any SEO strategist, the first thing you need to look into is ” How Content Optimization is key?”
It all comes down to making smart decisions.
You need to understand what is the audience looking for.
And market the brand to reach out to that target audience.
It is different for different brands.
Hence you need to do your thorough research to know how your brand will be targeting the concerned market.
The next thing to look into is how you will be lowering the bounce rate.
You have to create tactics that will be surely allowing your visitors complete satisfaction with their results.
This is possible when you are creating content which is engaging and informative.
So that all comes to realizing where your landing pages are lagging and making an effort to ensure the bounce rate is low by:
- See what are the traffic driving terms. And ensuring that you are making use of them in your landing pages.
- This will sync your information even better.
- If you feel there is an obvious disconnect than you have to look into it and analyze the situation better to understand what is lacking
- Here’s something you should know- landing pages are not static. You should be updating them regularly.
- In case you see some missing information and statistics, this should be analyzed and amendments should be done to cover for it
- Arranging your text in the proper, engaging manner also matters.
- See this from the user’s perspective.
- If they have to scroll down too much to see the results than they will be bouncing back in no time
- So make sure your content is written and organized from the perspective of the user
- SEO marketers also pay attention to how Google’s customer surveys. These are solid methods for ensuring you see results and how they can coordinate in great ways to your visitor’s search.
Google’s Take on Pogo Sticking
So now that we have talked about in great detail what is pogo sticking, we will now see how does Google view it.
Let’s just start off by saying that Google is not a fan of pogo sticking.
It is even more regretful than having very high bounce rates.
This is because its onset happens within the first five to ten seconds of someone viewing a page on a site.
Just by that you will get an impression from a visitor that they do not consider your site as being worthy enough.
The content is not answering the basic questions.
Hence it is not worthy of visiting. As the content is completely falling flat.
Another issue is that Google also notices this.
If there seems to be too much pogo sticking on the page, Google will also notice the same and even penalize y0u for this behavior.
This impacts your site in a major way and will definitely be making your site even lose more of its quality and insights.
So now lets look at some of the integral causes of this condition.
Causes for Pogo Sticking
Well for starters, it is something which takes place because people are just not happy with the site’s results.
And what could those be?
Good news is that we are going to be listing out some of the most common causes of pogo sticking for you:
- The content has not much relating to the meta description
- In some cases the content can even seem spam in nature. This could be relating to how the title is talking about 10 ways to win an argument and is just one paragraph long.
- Also sometimes the content will not be in direct coordination with the focus of the site. Remember these two must be coming together and in proper sync.
- Grammar matters. Make sure you are checking on spellings and other grammatical errors.
- These are sure shot ways in which the quality of your article is going to fall if not done in the right manner
- In some cases, technical errors can also take place
- This can include suffering from a very slow page loading time.
- Having too suffer from too many pop-up windows. This can really irritate a visitor and lower the viewing time
- Sometimes the design can be outdated and this in itself can cause major problems
These are just a few of the leading ways in which pogo sticking can come into play.
But if you just address these, they will in itself be playing a major role in giving your site a mega boost and ensuring you are getting the results you deserve from satisfied visitors and users.
Conclusion
So there you have it. This article was an overview on understanding what is pogo sticking. How does it impact your site and ways to curb the problem.
It is actually a common issue which can cause severe problems for your site.
However when you are able to analyze the main causes of pogo sticking, they will definitely be helping you to create solutions.
Your site can only improve when you identify ways in which your site is not getting the kind of views that it deserves.