A high bounce rate is a signal, not a verdict. You get a clear way to read the number in GA4, a rough sense of what is normal, and six common causes with fixes you can test one at a time.

Affiliate bloggers feel this more than most. Readers land from search with one question, see a page full of links, and leave the moment something feels off. A reader who leaves in three seconds never sees your comparison or your link.

How GA4 Counts A Bounce

Bounce rate in GA4 is the percentage of sessions that were not engaged. It is the inverse of engagement rate, so the two always add up to 100%.

A session counts as engaged when it lasts longer than 10 seconds, has a key event, or has 2 or more page views. A key event is an action you mark as important, such as a click on an affiliate link.

Look at landing pages, not the site average. Start with the five pages that have the most sessions and the highest bounce rate.…