Case Study: Reduced Bounce Rate from 68% to 42% in 6 Months for a Hospital in Los Angeles
In 2025, a hospital in Los Angeles partnered with Goforaeo to reduce bounce rate and improve on site engagement from organic and local traffic. The hospital name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, speed reporting, and call tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: April 7, 2025 to October 7, 2025
Location: Los Angeles, California
Before vs after results:
- Bounce rate: 68% to 42% (GA4)
- Engaged sessions rate: 32% to 58%
- Average engagement time: 41s to 1m 46s
- Pages per session: 1.3 to 2.2
- Organic sessions: 18,900 to 22,600 per month
- Monthly inquiries (calls + forms): 410 to 690
Context and Starting Point
The hospital had strong brand trust, but many users were landing on service pages and leaving quickly. Search visibility existed, but engagement was weak, especially on mobile. Most exits were happening because pages loaded slowly, content didn’t confirm intent fast enough, and the next step wasn’t obvious.
We treated bounce rate as a patient experience issue, not just an analytics issue. The plan focused on speed, clarity, and routing so patients could find the right department and take action.
Measurement Setup
Bounce rate only matters if tracking is correct. We validated GA4 settings first and ensured engagement and conversion events were consistent across templates. We also grouped pages by service line to find which departments needed the most work.
What we standardized
- GA4 engagement setup and page group reporting
- Conversion events for call clicks, appointment clicks, and forms
- Scroll and click events on key templates
- Search Console query and landing page segmentation
- Weekly reporting with change notes
Diagnosis: Why Users Were Bouncing
We reviewed the highest traffic landing pages, then checked mobile experience and navigation flow. Most users were not “bad traffic” they were “lost traffic” and the site wasn’t guiding them well.
Main issues found
- Slow mobile load time on key templates
- Generic above the fold content that didn’t confirm intent quickly
- Too many navigation choices and weak routing to departments
- CTAs were buried or inconsistent across pages
- Dead ends from thin pages and weak internal linking
- Missing FAQs led users to return to Google
- Dense formatting made pages hard to scan on mobile
Strategy Overview
We reduced bounce by improving three areas together: speed, intent clarity, and navigation pathways. Changes were rolled out in waves, starting with the pages that had the highest traffic and highest bounce.
Workstreams
- Speed and Core Web Vitals improvements
- Landing page structure and content clarity upgrades
- Internal linking and department routing improvements
- CTA and conversion flow improvements
- Snippet and intent alignment to reduce mismatch clicks
Page Speed and Core Web Vitals Work
We fixed performance issues on the templates driving most organic sessions. Faster load time helped reduce early exits and improved engagement on mobile.
What we did
- Compressed and converted images to lighter formats
- Reduced unused scripts and heavy third party tags
- Improved caching and critical CSS delivery
- Stabilized layout shifts and improved LCP on hero sections
- Validated improvements with Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights
Landing Page Content Improvements
We restructured content to confirm intent quickly and make pages easier to scan. Hospital pages often fail because they speak to everyone at once, so we made each page behave like a decision page.
What changed on priority pages
- Clear service confirmation and location cues in the first screen
- “Common reasons patients visit” blocks to match real queries
- Scannable sections for symptoms, services offered, and what to expect
- FAQs built from Search Console queries to reduce pogo sticking
- Better formatting with shorter paragraphs and clearer headings
- More visible contact options and department information
Navigation and Internal Linking Improvements
Many bounces came from users not finding the right department fast. We improved pathways so users always had a clear next step and didn’t hit dead ends.
Linking and routing actions
- Added “related services” blocks across key templates
- Built department hub pages to guide users to sub services and doctors
- Strengthened internal links between condition pages and service pages
- Improved breadcrumbs and sidebar navigation where needed
- Added “find the right department” routing modules
- Fixed broken links and cleaned outdated navigation items
Conversion Improvements That Reduced Bounce
Clear next steps reduce bounce because users take action instead of leaving. We improved CTA placement and made conversion paths easier on mobile.
CRO changes
- Added sticky call button on mobile for high intent departments
- Unified CTA wording across templates
- Simplified forms and reduced fields where possible
- Added trust cues near CTAs such as credentials and accreditations
- Improved contact sections with clearer routing by service line
SEO Adjustments That Helped Engagement
High bounce was partly caused by mismatch between what users expected from Google and what the page delivered. We rewrote titles and meta descriptions to set clearer expectations, aligned pages to the right intent, and reduced overlap between similar pages so users landed on the best match.
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, call tracking, Looker Studio, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, Screaming Frog, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
April 7 to April 30, 2025
We audited top landing pages, validated tracking, and shipped quick speed fixes on the highest traffic templates. We also mapped the biggest exit pages so the first wave of changes hit the highest impact areas.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~68%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~32%
- Avg engagement time: ~41s
May 2025
We rewrote the first screen on the highest traffic service pages so visitors instantly knew they were in the right place. We also moved CTAs higher on mobile and repeated them after key sections so users didn’t have to hunt for booking or calling.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~61%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~39%
- Avg engagement time: ~55s
June 2025
We expanded internal linking and added related service pathways so users could move from symptoms to the correct department. FAQs were added using real Search Console questions, which reduced back to Google behavior.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~55%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~45%
- Avg engagement time: ~1m 10s
July 2025
We improved Core Web Vitals across templates and rolled the content structure updates to more service lines. Navigation and routing modules were refined so users had clear next steps from every high traffic page.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~49%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~51%
- Avg engagement time: ~1m 26s
August 2025
We tightened conversion flow on top pages and reduced friction in forms and call paths for mobile users. We also improved snippets to reduce mismatched clicks and continued cleaning internal pathways where exit rates were still high.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~45%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~55%
- Avg engagement time: ~1m 38s
September 1 to October 7, 2025
We focused on the highest exit pages, strengthened department routing, and kept performance stable while monitoring engagement weekly. This final phase was about protecting gains and reducing remaining friction on mobile.
Month end metrics:
- Bounce rate: ~42%
- Engaged sessions rate: ~58%
- Avg engagement time: ~1m 46s
Before and After Proof Summary
Bounce rate dropped because pages loaded faster, intent was confirmed quickly, and users had clearer pathways to the right department. FAQs reduced pogo sticking, and CTA improvements helped users take an action instead of leaving.
- Bounce rate: 68% to 42%
- Engaged sessions rate: 32% to 58%
- Average engagement time: 41s to 1m 46s
- Pages per session: 1.3 to 2.2
What Made It Work
The biggest impact came from removing friction. Patients didn’t stop needing care, they stopped getting lost. Once pages became faster, clearer, and easier to navigate, engagement improved month after month and bounce rate dropped steadily.
Disclaimer
The hospital identity and identifying details are anonymized due to NDA and healthcare privacy considerations. Metrics are accurate for the timeframe stated, but results vary based on traffic mix, seasonality, device mix, and ongoing site changes.