Time on Site

Time on site, often referred to as session duration, is a metric in web analytics that indicates the average time a visitor spends on a website during one session. This is determined by measuring the interval between the first and last page views of a user, providing valuable insight into the engagement level of your site's content. Notably, this metric does not account for the time spent on the last page visited before the user exits, as there is no further action to indicate the end of the measurement.

This metric serves as a vital gauge of user engagement. A longer time on site typically indicates that visitors perceive your content as valuable and pertinent to their interests. It offers a broad perspective on the overall usefulness of your website to its audience.

Increased engagement often leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can positively affect conversion rates. Moreover, search engines may interpret a longer time on site as a favorable indicator of your site's quality, potentially enhancing your search rankings over time.

Several important factors influence the duration of visitors' stays on your website. Gaining insight into these factors can assist you in optimizing your site for improved engagement and user satisfaction.

Although the terms are frequently used interchangeably, there are distinctions in how they are typically understood in web analytics.