What is pogo sticking?
Pogo sticking is an expression for clicking on a search result and then returning to the search results and clicking on a new search result. In other words, it is a behaviour where users leave your website (probably relatively quickly and probably after seeing only one page on the website) in favour of another website in the search results.
Pogo sticking is predominantly a negative signal; if users leave your website in favour of another website, it must be assumed that your website is not the most relevant for users on the given search. However, pogo sticking can also be a more neutral user behaviour, for example on commercial searches where users compare prices before buying.
Unlike other types of user behaviour, you don't have the opportunity to collect data about pogo sticking on your website, as only Google knows what users do after they click back to search results. However, a high bounce rate and low time spent on your website can often be a good indication of this particular type of behaviour.
Read more about optimising user signals.
