Dwell Time

Dwell time is the period between a user clicking a search result and returning to the SERP. It is useful as a behavioral concept for diagnosing content usefulness, but it is not a consistently exposed first-party metric in Google interfaces and should not be treated as a direct ranking input. Longer dwell patterns can indicate stronger intent match, while very short returns may signal unmet expectations. Interpret it alongside related signals such as bounce patterns, scroll depth, and conversion behavior, because session context matters. Teams can improve outcomes by sharpening page intent, improving readability, and placing key answers earlier in the content so users find value faster.