BUSTED
Bounce rate affects rankings
TECHNICAL
LOW Impact
INTERMEDIATE
The Myth
"High bounce rates cause Google to rank your pages lower."
The Truth
Google does NOT use Google Analytics bounce rate as a ranking factor. They've confirmed this. Not every site uses GA, and bounce rate can be misleading—a user might find exactly what they need and leave satisfied. Google may use their own engagement signals, but not your GA bounce rate specifically.
OFFICIAL
John Mueller, Google
We don't use Google Analytics data for ranking.
OFFICIAL
We have our own engagement metrics, not reliant on GA.
DInsight from @dejanseo
"Bounce rate anxiety is overblown. A search for 'what's the capital of France' should have a high bounce rate—user got their answer! Focus on serving intent, not GA metrics."