Introduction: Rankings are determined by algorithms, but signals are created by users.

SEO in the past was designed around search engines. Keywords, meta tags, and link structure were all that mattered. However, in today's search environment, search engines apply far more human-centric judgments. While "how optimized this page is" is important, they also use reference data to determine "whether this page is being chosen by people." The basis for this judgment is user behavior signals.

Market Needs: Content Has Become More Similar, But the Difference Comes from Response

Most corporate websites now meet basic SEO requirements. The question is what comes next.

• Dozens of pages competing for the same keywords
• Content quality with no significant difference
• Similar domain trust

In this situation, the most powerful signal a search engine can reference is the user's actual behavior. Users click, stay, and leave. Search engines interpret all of these traces.

5 Key User Behavior Metrics That Impact SEO

1. Click Through Rate (CTR)

This metric shows how many users selected a page after it appeared in search results. The title and meta description are not simply summaries; they are the first step in driving conversion. Even with the same ranking, if the CTR is low, search engines question the attractiveness of the result.

2. Dwell Time

The time a user spends on a page is a key indicator of whether or not they're consuming the content. If they quickly leave, it could be interpreted as a mismatch between their search intent and the content. A long dwell time is an indirect signal of intent relevance.

3. Bounce Rate

This is the percentage of visitors who leave a site after viewing only one page. While bounce rates aren't always bad, a high bounce rate on an information-searching page is likely to be problematic. Search engines interpret this as a mismatch in expectations.

4. Internal Navigation

After viewing one page, do users navigate to other related pages? This indicates how well the site's structure and content context are connected. The more internal navigation there is, the more search engines perceive the site as having subject-matter expertise.

5. Returning Visitors

A site that users return to again and again signals trust. Search engines believe that repeat visits indicate that this site is not a one-time resource, but rather a valuable resource.

Challenges from a technology, content, and UX perspective

User behavior metrics cannot be improved through the efforts of a single team; they can be improved through a combination of knowledge and performance tasks.

• Technical challenges: loading speed, stability, mobile compatibility
• Content Challenge: Structure that Accurately Responds to Search Intent
• UX Challenge: Creating a Flow That Naturally Guides the Next Action

Iropke's perspective: Behavioral indicators are a matter of design, not outcome.

Iropke doesn't view user behavior metrics as "performance indicators to be analyzed later." Rather, he sees them as conditions to be designed from the outset.

• Is there a good reason to click on this page?
• Is there a path that leads you to the next step without stopping while reading?
• Is there a clear reason to return?

Search engines no longer simply cite keywords. Beyond SEO, AI citations are also evolving to understand user intent and context.