Scroll Speed & SEO: How Many Seconds Until Readers Leave? (2026 Guide)
Scroll Speed & SEO: How Many Seconds Until Readers Leave? (2026 Guide) Last updated: 2026/02/09 In the mobile-first SEO era, one UX factor is gaining major importance: scroll speed. How fast users move through your page — or whether they scroll at all — directly affects engagement signals that influence SEO. Google does not officially list scroll speed as a ranking factor. However, it strongly impacts dwell time, bounce rate, and completion rate, making it an indirect but powerful SEO element. 1. How many seconds before users leave? New 2026 data Recent studies show that most mobile readers decide whether to stay or leave within 3–7 seconds. The reason is simple: readers judge the article based on the first screen — the “above the fold” area. Hard to read Unclear value Heavy layout or slow rendering Dense or intimidating text If the first impression fails, users will not scroll at all. In other words, the first few seconds of scrolling behavior predict SEO performance. 2. Scroll speed reflects “readability” of the article Smooth scrolling usually means the reader is following the content naturally. Stalled or choppy scrolling means the content is hard to digest. Common causes of scroll interruptions Paragraphs […]