Why engagement rate matters
Traffic volume says people arrived; engagement says the page gave them a reason to stay. For content and landing pages especially, it separates real interest from drive-by clicks.
What counts as engagement
- Sessions lasting past the tool’s time threshold
- A second page view in the same visit
- A conversion event of any kind
- On social platforms: likes, comments, shares per view
Questions
Engagement rate vs bounce rate: which to use?
They’re inverses in most modern tools, so pick one and stay consistent. Engagement framing tends to read better in reports because up means good.
Why does engagement differ so much by channel?
Intent. Search visitors came looking; social visitors were interrupted. Compare each channel against its own history, not against the sitewide blend.