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Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS. here ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS. Among the many traces which man has left of his existence in long past ages on the face of the earth, says a correspondent of the , none are more interesting and instructive than the lake dwellings of Switzerland and other countries, which have been discovered within the last fifty years or so. Although these relics of the past are far more modern than those which we referred to in a late article on "Primeval Man," and are probably included within the range of Egyptian and other chronologies, yet they stretch far beyond the historic period, so far as Europe is concerned, and throw a flood of light on the habits of our ancestors, or at any rate predecessors, in these regions. We are tolerably well acquainted with the history of the Jews when David worked his way up from the shepherd's staff to the royal scepter, or when Joshua drove out the Canaanites and took possession of their land, but of what was going on in Europe in these times we have hitherto had no knowledge whatever. These lake dwellings, however, were in all probability inhabited by human beings somewhere about the time when the events we have referred to took place, and may have been inhabited before the earlier of them. Scotsman The first hint we had of the existence of these remarkable dwellings was obtained in 1829, when an excavation was being made on the shore of a Swiss lake. Some wooden piles, apparently very old, and other antiquities were found by the workmen. Not much attention, however, was paid to this discovery till 1854, when a Mr. Aeppli drew attention to some remains of human handiwork found near his house, in part of the bed of a lake which had been left dry during a season of great drought. The workmen employed in recovering some land from the lake found the heads of a great many wooden piles protruding through the mud, and also a number of stags' horns, and implements of various descriptions. Stimulated by this discovery, search was made in various lakes, and the result was truly astonishing. In every direction remains of the habitations of prehistoric man were discovered, and relics were found in such abundance that the history of this unknown past could be traced through long ages, and the habits of the people ascertained with a very considerable amount of probability. The details are so numerous that it would be impossible in the space at our disposal to go into them all. Of course, during the long time that has elapsed since these structures were erected, their remains have been reduced to mere ruins, and it is only by comparing one with another that we are able to picture to ourselves what they were originally like and what sort of life was led by the men who inhabited them. The oldest of these dwellings belong to the stone age, when man had not acquired any knowledge of the use of metal; when all his instruments were merely sharpened stones, fixed in wooden handles, or pieces of bone, horn, or other natural material. They are therefore somewhat roughly finished, but at the same time exhibit considerable ingenuity and skill. The method of construction seems to have been somewhat as follows: A suitable situation, not far from the shore, where the water was not very deep, having been fixed upon, these prehistoric builders drove into the muddy bottom of the lake a number of piles or long stakes, arranged generally pretty close together, and in some sort of regular order. These piles were formed generally from stems of trees, with the bark on, but occasionally from split wood. The ends were sharpened to a point by the aid of fire or by cutting with stone axes. On a sufficient number being driven in, and their upper ends brought to a level above the surface of the water, platform beams were laid across, fastened by wooden pegs, or in some cases fixed into notches cut in the heads of the vertical piles. The platform was generally very roughly made, just a series of unbarked stems placed side by side and covered with layers of earth or clay, with numerous openings through which refuse of all kinds fell into the water beneath. In many cases connection with the shore was made by means of a narrow bridge or gangway, constructed in the same manner. On this rude platform huts were erected by driving small piles or stakes which projected above the floor, and to these were fastened boards standing edgeways like the skirting of our ordinary rooms, and marking out the size of each building. The walls of the huts were formed of small branches of twigs interwoven and plastered over with clay. The roof was made of straw or reeds like a thatched cottage. In size these huts were probably eighteen to twenty feet long, eight or ten feet broad, and about six feet high. They may have been divided into rooms, but there is no evidence of this. Each was provided with a hearth formed of three or four slabs of stone. The number of huts in each settlement must have been considerable, in fact, they must have formed villages of no mean extent, for as many as forty, fifty, or even a hundred thousand piles have been found spread over a large extent of ground, forming the foundation of one such settlement. It is probable, however, that these were not so numerous when first erected, but were gradually added to as the population increased. This fact, along with many others, shows that these dwellings were inhabited for long periods of time, during which the population pursued their ordinary life in comparative peace and quietness in their island homes. Such is, in brief, a general account of these remarkable structures. Of course there were several variations in the methods of fixing these piles, one of which may be mentioned as showing the ingenuity of the builders. Where the piles did not get a firm hold of the lake bottom, they carried out in boats or rafts loads of stones, which they threw down between the piles, thus firmly fixing them, just as modern engineers sometimes do for a similar purpose. As to the habits of the people who dwelt in these lake dwellings, we get a considerable amount of information from the various implements, refuse, etc., which fell through the imperfectly closed platforms into the lake, and which have been preserved in the mud at the bottom. They were fishers, hunters, shepherds, and agriculturists. Skeletons of fish are found in large abundance, and in some settlements even the fishing nets, and hooks made of boar's tusks, have been discovered. Then again there is an abundance of remains of the hunter's feast; bones of the stag, wild boar, bear, wolf, otter, squirrel, and many other wild animals are found in rich profusion, and often these are split and the marrow extracted. These ancient men, however, did not entirely rely on such precarious provision for their wants, but were so far advanced in civilization that they kept cattle and domestic animals of various kinds. They possessed dogs in great numbers, as well as cows, sheep, goats, and pigs, and in winter time had these housed on their settlements, as among the remains found are litters of straw, etc., which had evidently served as bedding for these animals. This, of course, necessitated the gathering of grass or other material for their food. They also cultivated wheat, barley, flax, and a number of other vegetable products. Their methods of cultivation were no doubt very rude, consisting of a mere scratching of the ground with crooked branches of trees or with simple instruments made of stags' horn; but, nevertheless, they succeeded in getting very good results. Among the relics which they have left are found stones for crushing corn, the grain which they used, and even the very cakes or bread which they made. There are also fruits, such as the apple, pear, nut, etc.; so that the bill of fare of prehistoric man was by no means contemptible. He had fish, game, beef, mutton, pork, bread, and fruit, besides a plentiful supply of water from the lake at his door. He was acquainted with the potter's art, and manufactured earthen vessels of various kinds. He seems to have produced two kinds—a coarser and a finer; the former made from clay mixed with a quantity of grains of stone, and the latter of washed loam. These he ornamented in an elementary fashion with certain lines and marks. Some of the vessels he used have been found with a burnt crust of the porridge which he had been making adhering. As to his clothes, these were probably formed in great part from the skins of wild or domestic animals, but he also used fabrics made from flax, which he had learned to weave, as remains of cloth, twine, rope, etc., are not infrequently found in his dwellings. One prominent feature in the history of these lake dwellers is their gradual advance in the arts of civilization. While the main features of their settlements remain very much the same during the whole period of their residence, there is a gradual improvement in the details; the settlements become larger, and the implements, etc., better finished. And this is especially observable in the change of material which the dweller uses. In the earlier stages of his existence stone is the predominant feature, all his knives, saws, chisels, axes, etc., are made from this substance; but as time rolls on, one or two implements are found made of bronze, which is a mixture of tin and copper, and requires for its production a certain amount of knowledge and mechanical skill. Gradually the number of bronze implements increases until eventually stone is superseded altogether, and improved forms of weapons of war make their appearance, and his work has a more finished look, arising from his improved implements. Whether the manufacture of bronze was an original discovery of his own, or whether it was an importation from some more advanced race, is not certainly known; but as he undoubtedly had intercourse with the East, it is probable that the first bronze was imported, and that afterward he discovered the way to manufacture it himself. However this may be, it seems evident that the introduction of this material greatly aided his development. As stone gave place to bronze, so in the course of time this latter gave place to iron, probably introduced in the same manner some considerable time before the dawn of history; and this metal held its place until these habitations were finally abandoned. With regard to the religion of these lake dwellers, if they had any, nothing is known. From some curious objects formed somewhat like the crescent of the moon, which are found in considerable numbers, it has been supposed that they worshiped that body; but there seems to be really no evidence for this supposition, and these objects may only have been ornaments, or perhaps charms, fixed above the doors of their huts something after the manner of the horse shoe nailed over the door in modern times to keep away evil spirits. So far as can be inferred from the remains that have been examined, the same race seems to have inhabited these dwellings from their commencement to their end. There is no appearance of invasion from without; all seems continuous. Probably his race came in early time from the East, and were a pastoral people, with flocks, herds, and domestic animals, and built their peculiar habitations to protect themselves from human enemies. Certainly the arrangements were well fitted for the purpose in those days, when the club and the spear were almost the only weapons of offense. Dr. Keller, who has investigated this subject with great care, is of the opinion that these lake dwellers were a branch of the great Celtic race. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2004). Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16972/pg16972-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS

Abandoned by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CHAPTER VII here CHAPTER VII Plans—A Bridge over the Mercy—Mode adopted for making an Island of Prospect Heights—The Drawbridge—Harvest—The Stream—The Poultry Yard—A Pigeon-house—The two Onagas—The Cart—Excursion to Port Balloon The settlers in Lincoln Island had now regained their dwelling, without having been obliged to reach it by the old opening, and were therefore spared the trouble of mason's work. It was certainly lucky, that at the moment they were about to set out to do so, the apes had been seized with that terror, no less sudden than inexplicable, which had driven them out of Granite House. Had the animals discovered that they were about to be attacked from another direction? This was the only explanation of their sudden retreat. During the day the bodies of the apes were carried into the wood, where they were buried; then the settlers busied themselves in repairing the disorder caused by the intruders, disorder but not damage, for although they had turned everything in the rooms topsy-turvy, yet they had broken nothing. Neb relighted his stove, and the stores in the larder furnished a substantial repast, to which all did ample justice. Jup was not forgotten, and he ate with relish some stone-pine almonds and rhizome roots, with which he was abundantly supplied. Pencroft had unfastened his arms, but judged it best to have his legs tied until they were more sure of his submission. Then, before retiring to rest, Harding and his companions seated round their table, discussed those plans, the execution of which was most pressing. The most important and most urgent was the establishment of a bridge over the Mercy, so as to form a communication with the southern part of the island and Granite House; then the making of an enclosure for the musmons or other woolly animals which they wished to capture. These two projects would help to solve the difficulty as to their clothing, which was now serious. The bridge would render easy the transport of the balloon case, which would furnish them with linen, and the inhabitants of the enclosure would yield wool which would supply them with winter clothes. As to the enclosure, it was Cyrus Harding's intention to establish it at the sources of the Red Creek, where the ruminants would find fresh and abundant pasture. The road between Prospect Heights and the sources of the stream was already partly beaten, and with a better cart than the first, the material could be easily conveyed to the spot, especially if they could manage to capture some animals to draw it. But though there might be no inconvenience in the enclosure being so far from Granite House, it would not be the same with the poultry-yard, to which Neb called the attention of the colonists. It was indeed necessary that the birds should be close within reach of the cook, and no place appeared more favourable for the establishment of the said poultry-yard than that portion of the banks of the lake which was close to the old opening. Water-birds would prosper there as well as others, and the couple of tinamous taken in their last excursion would be the first to be domesticated. The next day, the 3rd of November, the new works were begun by the construction of the bridge, and all hands were required for this important task. Saws, hatchets, and hammers were shouldered by the settlers, who, now transformed into carpenters, descended to the shore. There Pencroft observed,— "Suppose, that during our absence, Master Jup takes it into his head to draw up the ladder which he so politely returned to us yesterday?" "Let us tie its lower end down firmly," replied Cyrus Harding. This was done by means of two stakes securely fixed in the sand. Then the settlers, ascending the left bank of the Mercy, soon arrived at the angle formed by the river. There they halted, in order to ascertain if the bridge could be thrown across. The place appeared suitable. In fact, from this spot, to Port Balloon, discovered the day before on the southern coast, there was only a distance of three miles and a half, and from the bridge to the Port, it would be easy to make a good cart-road which would render the communication between Granite House and the south of the island extremely easy. Cyrus Harding now imparted to his companions a scheme for completely isolating Prospect Heights so as to shelter it from the attacks both of quadrupeds and quadrumana. In this way, Granite House, the Chimneys, the poultry-yard, and all the upper part of the plateau which was to be used for cultivation, would be protected against the depredations of animals. Nothing could be easier than to execute this project, and this is how the engineer intended to set to work. The plateau was already defended on three sides by watercourses, either artificial or natural. On the north-west, by the shores of Lake Grant, from the entrance of the passage to the breach made in the banks of the lake for the escape of the water. On the north, from this breach to the sea, by the new watercourse which had hollowed out a bed for itself across the plateau and shore, above and below the fall, and it would be enough to dig the bed of this creek a little deeper to make it impracticable for animals, on all the eastern border by the sea itself, from the mouth of the aforesaid creek to the mouth of the Mercy. Lastly on the south, from the mouth to the turn of the Mercy where the bridge was to be established. The western border of the plateau now remained between the turn of the river and the southern angle of the lake, a distance of about a mile, which was open to all comers. But nothing could be easier than to dig a broad deep ditch, which could be filled from the lake, and the overflow of which would throw itself by a rapid fall into the bed of the Mercy. The level of the lake would, no doubt, be somewhat lowered by this fresh discharge of its waters, but Cyrus Harding had ascertained that the volume of water in the Red Creek was considerable enough to allow of the execution of this project. "So then," added the engineer, "Prospect Heights will become a regular island, being surrounded with water on all sides, and only communicating with the rest of our domain by the bridge which we are about to throw across the Mercy, the two little bridges already established above and below the fall; and, lastly, two other little bridges which must be constructed, one over the canal which I propose to dig, the other across to the left bank of the Mercy. Now, if these bridges can be raised at will, Prospect Heights will be guarded from any surprise." The bridge was the most urgent work. Trees were selected, cut down, stripped of their branches, and cut into beams, joists, and planks. The end of the bridge which rested on the right bank of the Mercy was to be firm, but the other end on the left bank was to be movable, so that it might be raised by means of a counterpoise, as some canal bridges are managed. This was certainly a considerable work, and though it was skilfully conducted, it took some time, for the Mercy at this place was eighty feet wide. It was therefore necessary to fix piles in the bed of the river so as to sustain the floor of the bridge and establish a pile-driver to act on the tops of these piles, which would thus form two arches and allow the bridge to support heavy loads. Happily there was no want of tools with which to shape the wood, nor of iron-work to make it firm, nor of the ingenuity of a man who had a marvellous knowledge of the work, nor lastly, the zeal of his companions, who in seven months had necessarily acquired great skill in the use of their tools; and it must be said that not the least skillful was Gideon Spilett, who in dexterity almost equalled the sailor himself. "Who would ever have expected so much from a newspaper man!" thought Pencroft. The construction of the Mercy bridge lasted three weeks of regular hard work. They even breakfasted on the scene of their labours, and the weather being magnificent, they only returned to Granite House to sleep. During this period it may be stated that Master Jup grew more accustomed to his new masters, whose movements he always watched with very inquisitive eyes. However, as a precautionary measure, Pencroft did not as yet allow him complete liberty, rightly wishing to wait until the limits of the plateau should be settled by the projected works. Top and Jup were good friends and played willingly together, but Jup did everything solemnly. On the 20th of November the bridge was finished. The movable part, balanced by the counterpoise, swung easily, and only a slight effort was needed to raise it; between its hinge and the last cross-bar on which it rested when closed, there existed a space of twenty feet, which was sufficiently wide to prevent any animals from crossing. The settlers now began to talk of fetching the balloon-case, which they were anxious to place in perfect security; but to bring it, it would be necessary to take a cart to Port Balloon, and consequently, necessary to beat a road through the dense forests of the Far West. This would take some time. Also, Neb and Pencroft having gone to examine into the state of things at Port Balloon, and reported that the stock of cloth would suffer no damage in the grotto where it was stored, it was decided that the work at Prospect Heights should not be discontinued. "That," observed Pencroft, "will enable us to establish our poultry-yard under better conditions, since we need have no fear of visits from foxes nor the attacks of other beasts." "Then," added Neb, "we can clear the plateau, and transplant wild plants to it." "And prepare our second cornfield!" cried the sailor with a triumphant air. In fact, the first cornfield sown with a single grain had prospered admirably, thanks to Pencroft's care. It had produced the ten ears foretold by the engineer, and each ear containing eighty grains, the colony found itself in possession of eight hundred grains, in six months, which promised a double harvest each year. These eight hundred grains, except fifty, which were prudently reserved, were to be sown in a new field, but with no less care than was bestowed on the single grain. The field was prepared, then surrounded with a strong palisade, high and pointed, which quadrupeds would have found difficulty in leaping. As to birds, some scarecrows, due to Pencroft's ingenious brain, were enough to frighten them. The seven hundred and fifty grains, deposited in very regular furrows, were then left for nature to do the rest. On the 21st of November, Cyrus Harding began to plan the canal which was to close the plateau on the west, from the south angle of Lake Grant to the angle of the Mercy. There was there two or three feet of vegetable earth, and below that granite. It was therefore necessary to manufacture some more nitro glycerine, and the nitro glycerine did its accustomed work. In less than a fortnight a ditch twelve feet wide and six deep, was dug out in the hard ground of the plateau. A new trench was made by the same means in the rocky border of the lake forming a small stream, to which they gave the name of Creek Glycerine, and which was thus an affluent of the Mercy. As the engineer had predicted, the level of the lake was lowered, though very slightly. To complete the enclosure the bed of the stream on the beach was considerably enlarged, and the sand supported by means of stakes. By the end of the first fortnight of December these works were finished, and Prospect Heights—that is to say, a sort of irregular pentagon having a perimeter of nearly four miles, surrounded by a liquid belt—was completely protected from depredators of every description. During the month of December, the heat was very great. In spite of it however, the settlers continued their work, and as they were anxious to possess a poultry-yard they forthwith commenced it. It is useless to say that since the enclosing of the plateau had been completed, Master Jup had been set at liberty. He did not leave his masters, and evinced no wish to escape. He was a gentle animal, though very powerful and wonderfully active. He was already taught to make himself useful by drawing loads of wood and carting away the stones which were extracted from the bed of Creek Glycerine. The poultry yard occupied an area of two hundred square yards on the south eastern bank of the lake. It was surrounded by a palisade, and in it were constructed various shelters for the birds which were to populate it. These were simply built of branches and divided into compartments made ready for the expected guests. The first were the two tinamous, which were not long in having a number of young ones; they had for companions half a dozen ducks, accustomed to the borders of the lake. Some belonged to the Chinese species, of which the wings open like a fan, and which by the brilliancy of their plumage rival the golden pheasants. A few days afterwards, Herbert snared a couple of gallinaceæ, with spreading tails composed of long feathers, magnificent alectors, which soon became tame. As to pelicans, kingfishers, water-hens, they came of themselves to the shores of the poultry-yard, and this little community, after some disputes, cooing, screaming, clucking, ended by settling down peacefully, and increased in encouraging proportion for the future use of the colony. Cyrus Harding, wishing to complete his performance, established a pigeon-house in a corner of the poultry-yard. There he lodged a dozen of those pigeons which frequented the rocks of the plateau. These birds soon became accustomed to returning every evening to their new dwelling, and showed more disposition to domesticate themselves than their congeners, the wood-pigeons. Lastly, the time had come for turning the balloon-case to use, by cutting it up to make shirts and other articles; for as to keeping it in its present form, and risking themselves in a balloon filled with gas, above a sea of the limits of which they had no idea, it was not to be thought of. It was necessary to bring the case to Granite House, and the colonists employed themselves in rendering their heavy cart lighter and more manageable. But though they had a vehicle, the moving power was yet to be found. But did there not exist in the island some animal which might supply the place of the horse, ass, or ox? That was the question. "Certainly," said Pencroft, "a beast of burden would be very useful to us until the captain has made a steam cart, or even an engine, for some day we shall have a railroad from Granite House to Port Balloon, with a branch line to Mount Franklin!" One day, the 23rd of December, Neb and Top were heard shouting and barking, each apparently trying who could make the most noise. The settlers, who were busy at the Chimneys, ran, fearing some vexatious incident. What did they see? Two fine animals of a large size, who had imprudently ventured on the plateau, when the bridges were open. One would have said they were horses, or at least donkeys, male and female, of a fine shape, dove-coloured, the legs and tail white, striped with black on the head and neck. They advanced quietly without showing any uneasiness, and gazed at the men, in whom they could not as yet recognise their future masters. "These are onagas!" cried Herbert, "animals something between the zebra and the conaga!" "Why not donkeys?" asked Neb. "Because they have not long ears, and their shape is more graceful!" "Donkeys or horses," interrupted Pencroft, "they are 'moving powers,' as the captain would say, and as such must be captured!" The sailor, without frightening the animals, crept through the grass to the bridge over Creek Glycerine, lowered it, and the onagas were prisoners. Now, should they seize them with violence and master them by force? No. It was decided that for a few days they should be allowed to roam freely about the plateau, where there was an abundance of grass, and the engineer immediately began to prepare a stable near the poultry-yard, in which the onagas might find food, with a good litter, and shelter during the night. This done, the movements of the two magnificent creatures were left entirely free, and the settlers avoided even approaching them so as to terrify them. Several times, however, the onagas appeared to wish to leave the plateau, too confined for animals accustomed to the plains and forests. They were then seen following the water-barrier which everywhere presented itself before them, uttering short neighs, then galloping through the grass, and becoming calmer, they would remain entire hours gazing at the woods, from which they were cut off for ever! In the meantime harness of vegetable fibre had been manufactured, and some days after the capture of the onagas, not only the cart was ready, but a straight road, or rather a cutting, had been made through the forests of the Far West, from the angle of the Mercy to Port Balloon. The cart might then be driven there, and towards the end of December they tried the onagas for the first time. Pencroft had already coaxed the animals to come and eat out of his hand, and they allowed him to approach without making any difficulty, but once harnessed they reared and could with difficulty be held in. However it was not long before they submitted to this new service, for the onaga, being less refractory than the zebra, is frequently put in harness in the mountainous regions of Southern Africa, and it has even been acclimatised in Europe, under zones of a relative coolness. On this day all the colony, except Pencroft who walked at the animals' heads, mounted the cart, and set out on the road to Port Balloon. Of course they were jolted over the somewhat rough road, but the vehicle arrived without any accident, and was soon loaded with the case and rigging of the balloon. At eight o'clock that evening the cart, after passing over the Mercy bridge, descended the left bank of the river, and stopped on the beach. The onagas being unharnessed, were thence led to their stable, and Pencroft before going to sleep gave vent to his feelings in a deep sigh of satisfaction that awoke all the echoes of Granite House. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2010). Abandoned. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33516/pg33516-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The settlers in Lincoln Island had now regained their dwelling

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Chapter XIX here Chapter XIX The next day, the 22nd of May, the arrangement of their new dwelling was commenced. In fact, the settlers longed to exchange the insufficient shelter of the Chimneys for this large and healthy retreat, in the midst of solid rock, and sheltered from the water both of the sea and sky. Their former dwelling was not, however, to be entirely abandoned, for the engineer intended to make a manufactory of it for important works. Cyrus Harding’s first care was to find out the position of the front of Granite House from the outside. He went to the beach, and as the pickaxe when it escaped from the hands of the reporter must have fallen perpendicularly to the foot of the cliff, the finding it would be sufficient to show the place where the hole had been pierced in the granite. The pickaxe was easily found, and the hole could be seen in a perpendicular line above the spot where it was stuck in the sand. Some rock pigeons were already flying in and out of the narrow opening; they evidently thought that Granite House had been discovered on purpose for them. It was the engineer’s intention to divide the right portion of the cavern into several rooms, preceded by an entrance passage, and to light it by means of five windows and a door, pierced in the front. Pencroft was much pleased with the five windows, but he could not understand the use of the door, since the passage offered a natural staircase, through which it would always be easy to enter Granite House. “My friend,” replied Harding, “if it is easy for us to reach our dwelling by this passage, it will be equally easy for others besides us. I mean, on the contrary, to block up that opening, to seal it hermetically, and, if it is necessary, to completely hide the entrance by making a dam, and thus causing the water of the lake to rise.” “And how shall we get in?” asked the sailor. “By an outside ladder,” replied Cyrus Harding, “a rope ladder, which, once drawn up, will render access to our dwelling impossible.” “But why so many precautions?” asked Pencroft. “As yet we have seen no dangerous animals. As to our island being inhabited by natives, I don’t believe it!” “Are you quite sure of that, Pencroft?” asked the engineer, looking at the sailor. “Of course we shall not be quite sure, till we have explored it in every direction,” replied Pencroft. “Yes,” said Harding, “for we know only a small portion of it as yet. But at any rate, if we have no enemies in the interior, they may come from the exterior, for parts of the Pacific are very dangerous. We must be provided against every contingency.” Cyrus Harding spoke wisely; and without making any further objection, Pencroft prepared to execute his orders. The front of Granite House was then to be lighted by five windows and a door, besides a large bay window and some smaller oval ones, which would admit plenty of light to enter into the marvelous nave which was to be their chief room. This facade, situated at a height of eighty feet above the ground, was exposed to the east, and the rising sun saluted it with its first rays. It was found to be just at that part of the cliff which was between the projection at the mouth of the Mercy and a perpendicular line traced above the heap of rocks which formed the Chimneys. Thus the winds from the northeast would only strike it obliquely, for it was protected by the projection. Besides, until the window-frames were made, the engineer meant to close the openings with thick shutters, which would prevent either wind or rain from entering, and which could be concealed in need. The first work was to make the openings. This would have taken too long with the pickaxe alone, and it is known that Harding was an ingenious man. He had still a quantity of nitro-glycerine at his disposal, and he employed it usefully. By means of this explosive substance the rock was broken open at the very places chosen by the engineer. Then, with the pickaxe and spade, the windows and doors were properly shaped, the jagged edges were smoothed off, and a few days after the beginning of the work, Granite House was abundantly lighted by the rising sun, whose rays penetrated into its most secret recesses. Following the plan proposed by Cyrus Harding, the space was to be divided into five compartments looking out on the sea; to the right, an entry with a door, which would meet the ladder; then a kitchen, thirty feet long; a dining-room, measuring forty feet; a sleeping-room, of equal size; and lastly, a “Visitor’s room,” petitioned for by Pencroft, and which was next to the great hall. These rooms, or rather this suite of rooms, would not occupy all the depth of the cave. There would be also a corridor and a storehouse, in which their tools, provisions, and stores would be kept. All the productions of the island, the flora as well as the fauna, were to be there in the best possible state of preservation, and completely sheltered from the damp. There was no want of space, so that each object could be methodically arranged. Besides, the colonists had still at their disposal the little grotto above the great cavern, which was like the garret of the new dwelling. This plan settled, it had only to be put into execution. The miners became brickmakers again, then the bricks were brought to the foot of Granite House. Till then, Harding and his companions had only entered the cavern by the long passage. This mode of communication obliged them first to climb Prospect Heights, making a detour by the river’s bank, and then to descend two hundred feet through the passage, having to climb as far when they wished to return to the plateau. This was a great loss of time, and was also very fatiguing. Cyrus Harding, therefore, resolved to proceed without any further delay to the fabrication of a strong rope ladder, which, once raised, would render Granite House completely inaccessible. This ladder was manufactured with extreme care, and its uprights, formed of the twisted fibers of a species of cane, had the strength of a thick cable. As to the rounds, they were made of a sort of red cedar, with light, strong branches; and this apparatus was wrought by the masterly hand of Pencroft. Other ropes were made with vegetable fibers, and a sort of crane with a tackle was fixed at the door. In this way bricks could easily be raised into Granite House. The transport of the materials being thus simplified, the arrangement of the interior could begin immediately. There was no want of lime, and some thousands of bricks were there ready to be used. The framework of the partitions was soon raised, very roughly at first, and in a short time, the cave was divided into rooms and storehouses, according to the plan agreed upon. These different works progressed rapidly under the direction of the engineer, who himself handled the hammer and the trowel. No labor came amiss to Cyrus Harding, who thus set an example to his intelligent and zealous companions. They worked with confidence, even gaily, Pencroft always having some joke to crack, sometimes carpenter, sometimes rope-maker, sometimes mason, while he communicated his good humor to all the members of their little world. His faith in the engineer was complete; nothing could disturb it. He believed him capable of undertaking anything and succeeding in everything. The question of boots and clothes—assuredly a serious question,—that of light during the winter months, utilizing the fertile parts of the island, transforming the wild flora into cultivated flora, it all appeared easy to him; Cyrus Harding helping, everything would be done in time. He dreamed of canals facilitating the transport of the riches of the ground; workings of quarries and mines; machines for every industrial manufacture; railroads; yes, railroads! of which a network would certainly one day cover Lincoln Island. The engineer let Pencroft talk. He did not put down the aspirations of this brave heart. He knew how communicable confidence is; he even smiled to hear him speak, and said nothing of the uneasiness for the future which he felt. In fact, in that part of the Pacific, out of the course of vessels, it was to be feared that no help would ever come to them. It was on themselves, on themselves alone, that the settlers must depend, for the distance of Lincoln Island from all other land was such, that to hazard themselves in a boat, of a necessarily inferior construction, would be a serious and perilous thing. “But,” as the sailor said, “they quite took the wind out of the sails of the Robinsons, for whom everything was done by a miracle.” In fact, they were energetic; an energetic man will succeed where an indolent one would vegetate and inevitably perish. Herbert distinguished himself in these works. He was intelligent and active; understanding quickly, he performed well; and Cyrus Harding became more and more attached to the boy. Herbert had a lively and reverent love for the engineer. Pencroft saw the close sympathy which existed between the two, but he was not in the least jealous. Neb was Neb: he was what he would be always, courage, zeal, devotion, self-denial personified. He had the same faith in his master that Pencroft had, but he showed it less vehemently. When the sailor was enthusiastic, Neb always looked as if he would say, “Nothing could be more natural.” Pencroft and he were great friends. As to Gideon Spilett, he took part in the common work, and was not less skilful in it than his companions, which always rather astonished the sailor. A “journalist,” clever, not only in understanding, but in performing everything. The ladder was finally fixed on the 28th of May. There were not less than a hundred rounds in this perpendicular height of eighty feet. Harding had been able, fortunately, to divide it in two parts, profiting by an overhanging of the cliff which made a projection forty feet above the ground. This projection, carefully leveled by the pickaxe, made a sort of platform, to which they fixed the first ladder, of which the oscillation was thus diminished one-half, and a rope permitted it to be raised to the level of Granite House. As to the second ladder, it was secured both at its lower part, which rested on the projection, and at its upper end, which was fastened to the door. In short the ascent had been made much easier. Besides, Cyrus Harding hoped later to establish an hydraulic apparatus, which would avoid all fatigue and loss of time, for the inhabitants of Granite House. The settlers soon became habituated to the use of this ladder. They were light and active, and Pencroft, as a sailor, accustomed to run up the masts and shrouds, was able to give them lessons. But it was also necessary to give them to Top. The poor dog, with his four paws, was not formed for this sort of exercise. But Pencroft was such a zealous master, that Top ended by properly performing his ascents, and soon mounted the ladder as readily as his brethren in the circus. It need not be said that the sailor was proud of his pupil. However, more than once Pencroft hoisted him on his back, which Top never complained of. It must be mentioned here, that during these works, which were actively conducted, for the bad season was approaching, the alimentary question was not neglected. Every day, the reporter and Herbert, who had been voted purveyors to the colony, devoted some hours to the chase. As yet, they only hunted in Jacamar Wood, on the left of the river, because, for want of a bridge or boat, the Mercy had not yet been crossed. All the immense woods, to which the name of the Forests of the Far West had been given, were not explored. They reserved this important excursion for the first fine days of the next spring. But Jacamar Wood was full of game; kangaroos and boars abounded, and the hunters’ iron-tipped spears and bows and arrows did wonders. Besides, Herbert discovered towards the southwest point of the lagoon a natural warren, a slightly damp meadow, covered with willows and aromatic herbs which scented the air, such as thyme, basil, savory, all the sweet-scented species of the labiated plants, which the rabbits appeared to be particularly fond of. On the reporter observing that since the table was spread for the rabbits, it was strange that the rabbits themselves should be wanting, the two sportsmen carefully explored the warren. At any rate, it produced an abundance of useful plants, and a naturalist would have had a good opportunity of studying many specimens of the vegetable kingdom. Herbert gathered several shoots of the basil, rosemary, balm, betony, etc., which possess different medicinal properties, some pectoral, astringent, febrifuge, others anti-spasmodic, or anti-rheumatic. When, afterwards, Pencroft asked the use of this collection of herbs,— “For medicine,” replied the lad, “to treat us when we are ill.” “Why should we be ill, since there are no doctors in the island?” asked Pencroft quite seriously. There was no reply to be made to that, but the lad went on with his collection all the same, and it was well received at Granite House. Besides these medicinal herbs, he added a plant known in North America as “Oswego tea,” which made an excellent beverage. At last, by searching thoroughly, the hunters arrived at the real site of the warren. There the ground was perforated like a sieve. “Here are the burrows!” cried Herbert. “Yes,” replied the reporter, “so I see.” “But are they inhabited?” “That is the question.” This was soon answered. Almost immediately, hundreds of little animals, similar to rabbits, fled in every direction, with such rapidity that even Top could not overtake them. Hunters and dog ran in vain; these rodents escaped them easily. But the reporter resolved not to leave the place, until he had captured at least half-a-dozen of the quadrupeds. He wished to stock their larder first, and domesticate those which they might take later. It would not have been difficult to do this, with a few snares stretched at the openings of the burrows. But at this moment they had neither snares, nor anything to make them of. They must, therefore, be satisfied with visiting each hole, and rummaging in it with a stick, hoping by dint of patience to do what could not be done in any other way. At last, after half an hour, four rodents were taken in their holes. They were similar to their European brethren, and are commonly known by the name of American rabbits. This produce of the chase was brought back to Granite House, and figured at the evening repast. The tenants of the warren were not at all to be despised, for they were delicious. It was a valuable resource of the colony, and it appeared to be inexhaustible. On the 31st of May the partitions were finished. The rooms had now only to be furnished, and this would be work for the long winter days. A chimney was established in the first room, which served as a kitchen. The pipe destined to conduct the smoke outside gave some trouble to these amateur bricklayers. It appeared simplest to Harding to make it of brick clay; as creating an outlet for it to the upper plateau was not to be thought of, a hole was pierced in the granite above the window of the kitchen, and the pipe met it like that of an iron stove. Perhaps the winds which blew directly against the facade would make the chimney smoke, but these winds were rare, and besides, Master Neb, the cook, was not so very particular about that. When these interior arrangements were finished, the engineer occupied himself in blocking up the outlet by the lake, so as to prevent any access by that way. Masses of rock were rolled to the entrance and strongly cemented together. Cyrus Harding did not yet realize his plan of drowning this opening under the waters of the lake, by restoring them to their former level by means of a dam. He contented himself with hiding the obstruction with grass and shrubs, which were planted in the interstices of the rocks, and which next spring would sprout thickly. However, he used the waterfall so as to lead a small stream of fresh water to the new dwelling. A little trench, made below their level, produced this result; and this derivation from a pure and inexhaustible source yielded twenty-five or thirty gallons a day. There would never be any want of water at Granite House. At last all was finished, and it was time, for the bad season was near. Thick shutters closed the windows of the facade, until the engineer had time to make glass. Gideon Spilett had very artistically arranged on the rocky projections around the windows plants of different kinds, as well as long streaming grass, so that the openings were picturesquely framed in green, which had a pleasing effect. The inhabitants of this solid, healthy, and secure dwelling, could not but be charmed with their work. The view from the windows extended over a boundless horizon, which was closed by the two Mandible Capes on the north, and Claw Cape on the south. All Union Bay was spread before them. Yes, our brave settlers had reason to be satisfied, and Pencroft was lavish in his praise of what he humorously called, “his apartments on the fifth floor above the ground!” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). The Mysterious Island. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1268/1268-h/1268-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The next day, the 22nd of May, the arrangement of their new dwelling was commenced

THE LANGUEDOCIAN SCORPION: THE DWELLING

BRAMBLE-DWELLERS

is constantly changing and evolving. SEO As search engines get smarter, they can weed out low-quality websites and give better rankings to those that provide a great user experience. One of the factors that SEOs are now taking into account is dwell time. If you can keep your visitors engaged and interested, you can be rewarded with better rankings! Do you want to know how? Let's get started. Content: What Is Dwell Time? Why Is Dwell Time Important for SEO? Dwell Time VS Bounce Rate How to Measure Dwell Time? What’s a Good Dwell Time? Improving Dwell Time: SEO Strategies What Is Dwell Time? __ __is the amount of time a visitor spends on your website, after clicking through your SERP link, before returning to the search result page. Dwell time The goal is to keep your dwell time as high as possible! A high dwell time indicates to search engines that your website is providing valuable and interesting content, which will help to improve your SEO ranking. Source Why Is Dwell Time Important for SEO? Search engines want to provide their users with the best possible experience. If searchers click on a result and then quickly return to the SERP, it indicates that they didn't find what they were looking for. This tells search engines that perhaps your website isn't as relevant or useful as the other results on the page, and your SEO ranking will suffer as a result. On the other hand, if searchers click on your result and spend a significant amount of time on your website before returning to the SERP, it tells search engines that they found your site helpful and informative. The longer users stay on your site, the better! Source So, what is the official position of major search engines about dwell time? in an , saying that "it's a signal we're paying attention to". They also claimed that its search engine is “mostly ahead” of the competition. Because Bing offered similar features for years without implementing them in 2010. I believe this implies that they were unwilling or unable to integrate them as well into their own platform. This means consumers are left with no viable alternative if significant changes are implemented in Bing's privacy policy. Bing made an official statement April 2012 blog entry , however, . __ __that dwell time is one of the user interaction ranking factors that Google takes into account. Google has been more tight-lipped about the matter Experts say User signals are generated every time a searcher interacts with your website. This includes everything from dwell time and click-through rate to pogo-sticking and pages per session. Google looks at all of these signals to try and determine how useful and relevant your website is for the searcher's query. The more user signals you can generate, the better! To make a point, we can't say for sure if dwell time is a ranking factor, but it's definitely something to keep in mind as you work on improving your website! Think about that for a minute. If users stay on your websites, let's say, for a couple of minutes, it's a good sign that they find your content valuable. This is the kind of signal that Google and other search engines are looking for when they're trying to determine which websites should rank higher in the SERP. On the other hand, if a visitor lands on your website and then leaves after a few seconds, it's a clear sign that your website is not relevant or helpful to them. Dwell Time VS Bounce Rate It's important to note that dwell time and bounce rate are not the same thing! is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. Bounce rate While dwell time is the amount of time a visitor spends on your website after clicking through from the SERP. A high dwell time is a good thing, as it indicates that visitors are finding your website helpful and informative. A high bounce rate, on the other hand, is not necessarily a bad thing. It could simply mean that the visitor found exactly what they were looking for on your website and didn't need to view any other pages. Of course, a high bounce rate could also indicate that your website is not relevant or useful to visitors, but it's important to look at the context of the situation before drawing any conclusions. How to Measure Dwell Time? Unfortunately, there's no surefire way to measure dwell time. However, there are a few methods you can use to try and get an accurate picture, such as: Checking your Google Analytics data Using heat maps Conducting user testing Let's take a closer look at each of these methods. Checking your Google Analytics data One way to measure dwell time is to check your average session duration in the old version of Google Analytics. This metric will give you a good idea of how long visitors are spending on your website on average. In the new , the metric you want to look at is called "engagement". GA4 To find this metric, simply go to your GA dashboard and select "engagement" from the list of options. You can then see how long visitors are spending on your website on average, as well as the average session duration for each page on your website. This data can be extremely useful in helping you to understand which pages on your website are engaging visitors and which ones are causing them to leave. Using Heat Maps Another way to measure dwell time is to use a heat map tool. Heat maps are visual representations of where visitors are clicking on your website. They can help you understand which areas of your website are holding people's attention and which ones are causing them to leave. There are a number of different heat map tools available, such as Hotjar and Crazy Egg. Conducting User Testing User testing is another great way to measure dwell time. Basically, you ask a group of people to test out your website and give you feedback on their experience. As part of the user testing process, you can ask participants how long they spent on each page of your website and what they thought of the content. This feedback can be extremely valuable in helping you to understand which pages on your website are engaging and informative, and which ones are causing people to leave. What’s a Good Dwell Time? There is no magic number when it comes to dwell time. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should aim for a dwell time of more than two minutes, as : reported by SemRush Of course, this will vary depending on the type of website you have and the kind of content you offer. For example, if you have a page with only 600 words of content, it's unlikely that visitors will spend more than two minutes reading it. On the other hand, if you have a long-form article with 3000 words, it's more likely that people will spend a long time on the page. It's also worth noting that the average dwell time for websites in different industries will vary. For example, the average dwell time for news websites is much lower than the average dwell time for eCommerce websites. This is to be expected, as people tend to spend less time reading news articles than they do browsing products in an online store. The important thing is to make sure that your dwell time is in line with the average for your industry. If it's not, then you may need to take a closer look at your website and see what you can do to improve the dwell time. Improving Dwell Time: SEO Strategies There are a number of different SEO strategies you can use to improve the dwell time on your website. Some of the most effective ones include: Creating Long-form Content Improving The User Experience Making Your Content More Engaging Let's take a closer look at each of them. Creating Long-Form Content One of the best ways to improve dwell time is to create long-form content. As we mentioned before, people tend to spend more time on pages with a lot of content. So, if you want people to stick around on your website, you need to give them something to read. Ideally, you should aim for articles that are at least 2000 words long. Not only will this help to improve the dwell time on your website, but it will also help you to earn more backlinks and rank higher in the search engines. According to a , on average, long-form content receives 77.2% more links than shorter articles. study by Backlinko Improving The User Experience Another SEO strategy you can use to improve dwell time is to focus on improving the user experience. There are a number of different factors that contribute to the user experience, such as website speed, navigation, and design. If you want people to stick around your website, you need to make sure that it's easy for them to use. That means having a fast website that is easy to navigate and has a clean, user-friendly design. To speed up your pages, you can use a CDN, optimize your images, and minify your code. You can also improve your website's navigation by using clear and concise menus and internal linking. And finally, you can make sure your website has a good design by using a responsive theme and high-quality visuals. Making Your Content More Engaging Finally, you can also improve the dwell time on your website by making your content more engaging. Engaging content is the kind of content that people want to read. It's interesting, informative, and well-written. If you want people to stick around your website, you need to make sure that your content is engaging. One way to do this is to add images, videos, and infographics to your articles. Another way to make your content more engaging is to write in a conversational tone. This will make it more enjoyable for people to read and will encourage them to stick around your website for longer. Also, you can use __ __to improve the engagement of your content. Microinteractions are small, interactive elements that you can add to your articles to make them more engaging. micro-interactions For example, you could add a quiz or a poll to your article. This would give people something to do while they're reading and would encourage them to stick around for longer. Conclusion Understanding and improving dwell time is essential for your website's success. There are a number of different you can use, including creating long-form content, improving the user experience, and making your content more engaging. SEO strategies So, if you want to improve the dwell time on your website, start by implementing some of these SEO strategies today. How do you feel about your site's dwell time? Let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to share this post with your friends if you found it helpful! Thanks for reading!

How Does Dwell Time Affect SEO?

Take Your SEO Efforts to a New Level in 2022 In this post, we'll explore an often-overlooked SEO concept: Dwell time. Let’s start with the basics. What is Dwell Time in SEO? The easiest way to explain dwell time is through an example. Let’s say your website is already ranking highly on Google (congratulations!) and users have a tendency to click on it, giving you a good CTR. When they enter your site, they may find that it’s hard to navigate, or that the title tag is clickbait, so the on-page content is absolutely irrelevant to them. In that case, what is a user to do? Most commonly, they’ll just leave your site and return to the search result pages. "Dwell time" refers to just that: It’s the amount of time a user spends on your website, before going back to the SERPs, clicking an outbound link, or closing the tab. If your users spend just a couple of seconds on your site before leaving, they’re signaling to Google that your content isn’t as promising as it seems. So, sooner or later, low dwell time will impact your SERP positioning. Is Dwell Time the Same as Bounce Rate? If you’re working with an SEO team, or you’ve been studying SEO, you may have heard about bounce rates. After reading the definition of dwell time, you may be wondering whether these two concepts are the same. In short, no. There’s a slight but very important difference between and . Dwell Time Bounce Rate A is the percentage of users that leave your site after visiting a single URL. For example, let’s say a blog post on your site has 100 visits. bounce rate Out of these 100 visits, 30 users will click on one of your CTAs and continue navigating your site. The other 70 users will just leave after reading your blog post. In that case, your bounce rate would be 70%. Anything above 50% is considered a high bounce rate. A bounce rate of 50% or less is considered reasonable. And a bounce rate below 20% is probably a miscalculation. The greatest downside of having a high bounce rate is that you’re probably not getting users to where you want them to be. For instance, they visit your blog posts but don’t move to your transactional pages. How to Increase Dwell Time on Your Site Now that we’ve reviewed some key concepts, let’s dive into actionable tips. How can you prevent users from just leaving your site after a few disappointing seconds? Experts suggest: Improving your website’s design. Making your content more scannable. Offering value as soon as possible. Enriching your content with images & videos. Implement Meta Data Writing Best Practices Some users will leave because your meta title and the description promise something that your website doesn’t provide. For example, let’s say you run a SaaS company developing a project management solution. And let’s say you’ve created a landing page targeting the keyword ‘free project management tool’, even though you don’t provide a free plan. In that case, as soon as users access your site, they’ll find that you’re not offering what they’re looking for. Finding a way to stand out in the SERPs without overpromising is key. Apply title tag writing best practices, such as: Knowing your content’s competitive advantages & focusing on them. Make sure you’re formatting your title tags correctly with an SEO plugin or tool Writing with the users’ needs in mind. Saying no to keyword stuffing: Use your keywords strategically. Improve Your Design Never underestimate the value of a good first impression. In some instances, users will 'bounce' because they find your website hard or uncomfortable to navigate. This may especially be the case if the user is on mobile and your site is not responsive. Test your website’s usability, analyze your competitors’ websites, and take concrete measures to elevate your site to your industry’s standards. Make Your Content More Scannable In some cases, users will leave your website quickly because they can’t detect whether it has the answers they need, at first sight. Endless paragraphs with long sentences may seem overwhelming. Content writers and SEO experts often talk about making content “scannable”. Scannable content is content that’s structured in a way that makes it easy for users to understand what it’s about, even if they’re not reading it word-by-word. You can make your content more scannable by: Make your sentences shorter. Use subheadings (H2, H3s, and H4s) to fragment your content by sub-topic. Using a readability checker such as Hemingway. Turning long sentences into lists, whenever possible. Using images & audiovisual content. Give Value as Soon as Possible A great way to increase dwell time is by confirming to users that they made the right decision when they entered your site. How? By making your hero section/blog post introduction as engaging and valuable as possible. Along these lines, there’s a best practice referred to as “the PPT formula”. PPT stands for “Preview, Proof, Transition”. Basically, it suggests that the best way to hook users is by providing them with three key elements, above the fold (before they scroll down): A preview of your content. Proof that your content will do what it promises. A transition to the rest of the article. Additionally, to prevent users from leaving your website before they enjoy your content, don’t include outbound links above the fold. Add Audiovisual Content Video is universally viewed as the most engaging time of digital content. And, according to , users spend 2.6x more time on pages with video content, compared to pages without video content. research by Wistia Adding video content to your site can make your users stick around for longer. Additionally, this type of content could also impact your conversion rates. As a found: 2018 survey by Brightcove 76% of consumers report having purchased a product/service after viewing a video. 62% of Millennials find it important for companies to share product information through video content. Key Takeaways In this post, we took a look at dwell time. Improving your site’s dwell time can have positive consequences for both your SEO and your conversion rate. There isn’t an infallible formula for increasing your dwell time. But reviewing your site’s UX, analyzing your meta title & description from your user’s point of view, and optimizing your content can go a long way.

What is 'Dwell Time' and Why Does it Matter for an SEO Strategy?

There are and dwell time is one of those factors. Or is it not? many ranking factors Google uses It's very confusing for me until I haven't written here, but the chatters on social media platforms started prioritizing dwell time importance. In this post, I’ll be answering all of these questions like what is dwell time? How is dwell time measured? Is it REALLY a ranking factor? And if so, how can you optimize dwell time? What is Dwell Time? 3 years ago, at Bing wrote a blog post, It was in this blog post that the concept of dwell time was first introduced. Duane Forrester In simple words, Dwell time is the length of time a person spends looking at a webpage after they’ve clicked a link on a , but before clicking back to the search results. SERP page Image Source - Cognitiveseo.com Dwell time is often imprecise with session duration as well. Session duration defines the total amount of time spent on a website before the website visitor leaves the site. Dwell time tells a different tale as stated above. Also, keep in mind that Dwell time is not . Click through rate Let's Understand Dwell Time with Example For example, let’s say you search for “Pancakes” in Google. The first result looks like a good fit. So you click on a page. But when you land on the site, it looks displeasing and difficult to navigate. And the content isn’t helpful. So after 7 seconds of time on the page, you click back to the results. Your Dwell Time was 7 seconds. And that super brief visit tells Google search engine that you weren’t happy with that result. Average Dwell Time = All users total time spent before clicking Back to Result  /  Count of All Users who clicked Back to Result Can You Measure Dwell Time in Google Analytics? You will first have to measure dwell time if you are thinking of increasing it. Here is how you can do that: In Google Analytics, focus on the bounce rate & avg. time on website metrics. You will have to decrease the bounce rate and increase time on page. This indicates that your site’s visitors are spending more time on a page before bouncing-off from the site. That's how you can easily increase your dwell time. Does dwell time affect your rankings? On this question, every marketer has a different point of view, but of Google somehow considering dwell time sort of ranking signal. there are some proofs that do support the idea Steps to Increase Dwell Time Optimal use of Ads Google started to penalize mobile sites that contain intrusive pop-up and this in 2017. Let's embrace this fact that ads are sometimes annoying, which results in long dwell times on your website. If you remove ads, then certainly your dwell time will improve a lot. ads has been officially announced Right Keywords Targeting You must understand the fact that Driving relevant audiences play a vital role in increasing dwell time & this can be done only if you're targeting the right keywords. You can use tools like Keyword magic tool provided by SEMrush Image Source- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool Page Load Time Improvement Slow websites are boring & frustrating for any of us, especially if we are browsing on mobile. I would like to recommend some tools i.e Pingdom, GTMetrix & Google Page Speed Insights, to make sure that you have a really good speed. A Case study made by shows that every single second delay impacts bounce rate, conversion rate, cart size, and page views. It seems like a one-second delay can make a huge difference in user engagement on the website. Radware Image Source: www.radware.com Better Use of Internal Linking A good Internal linking strategy will help your SEO along with that it will help in creating a better user experience. Because it creates an easy to access structure and will guide website visitors through more website pages and eventually increase your page views as well. Simultaneously, this will increase the chances to add certain links to pages that people will further relate to. This one is my favorite strategy to increase dwell time. Attractive Design of Your Website You have to make sure that your website design should be flawless, easy to navigate, and simple layout. as well as intact your users to stay more on your site, which will improve your dwell time. Good web design helps you in SEO Final Conclusion -As Google keeps on focusing more on excellent user experience & making sure that, it shows the most effective results for every search. And as Neil Patel , dwell time is less of a science and more of an art. claims Originally published on ReadWrite.

DWELL

dwell.com

201-500 employees

Since 2000

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DWELL

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DWELL

dwell.com

201-500 employees

Since 2000

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DWELL

EVERGREEN INDEX #4187

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