An outline at the top kept visitors 2.6 times longer
compared different article layouts and found that adding a or a short at the top increased the time visitors stayed by 2.6 times. Readers often hesitate to begin a long article when they cannot see what it will cover.
Showing the structure first helps them judge its value quickly and makes them less likely to leave right away. The is that staying instead of immediately returning to Google can signal that the page answered the question, which may help its in search results.
Key points
- compared different ways of laying out its articles.
- A or short at the top increased time spent by 2.6 times.
- Readers were shown what a long article would cover before to it.
- The change can be tested first on existing pages with steady search traffic.
- Track inquiries, sign-ups, and purchases as well as reading time.