> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.platelunchcollective.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dwell Time

> Dwell time is how long a visitor stays on a page after arriving from a search result before returning, a proxy for whether the page answered the query.

*Measurement* · *Social Search*

## Definition

Dwell time is how long a visitor stays on a page after arriving from a search result, measured from the click to the moment they return to the results. A long stay suggests the page answered the query. A quick return suggests it did not. It is a behavioral read on satisfaction rather than a stated one.

## Why It Matters for AI Search

Search systems have long used what people do after they click as a check on whether a result deserved its place. Dwell time is one such signal, a piece of the engagement picture a ranking system builds from real behavior rather than from the page's own claims. It cannot be gamed by markup, because it measures what a reader actually did. Writing that holds attention, answers the question, and gives a reader a reason to stay is the practical lever on it, and the same qualities that raise dwell time make a passage worth quoting.

## Related Terms

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Engagement signal" href="/ai-search-glossary/engagement-signal">Narrower term</Card>
  <Card title="Bounce rate" href="/ai-search-glossary/bounce-rate">See also</Card>
  <Card title="Relevance signal" href="/ai-search-glossary/relevance-signal">See also</Card>
  <Card title="Search intent" href="/ai-search-glossary/search-intent">See also</Card>
</CardGroup>

## Relevant Plate Lunch Collective Services

[AI SEO](https://www.platelunchcollective.com/services/ai-seo)  [Social Search Optimization](https://www.platelunchcollective.com/services/social-search-optimization)