Hotjar
User BehaviorHeatmaps and session recordings for UX-driven SEO optimization
Overview
Hotjar turns abstract user experience into concrete visual data through heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys. Founded in Malta in 2014, the platform has become the go-to choice for understanding how real users interact with web pages—data that's increasingly critical for SEO success as search engines prioritize user experience signals.
While traditional analytics tell you what happened, Hotjar shows you how it happened. The platform captures mouse movements, clicks, scrolls, and form interactions to reveal friction points that hurt both conversions and search rankings. When users bounce quickly or struggle to find information, those negative signals get factored into search algorithm assessments of page quality.
The connection between user behavior and SEO performance has strengthened significantly since Google's Page Experience update. Sites that create frustrating user experiences see organic traffic decline, regardless of their technical optimization. Hotjar provides the behavior intelligence needed to identify and fix these UX-related SEO issues before they impact rankings.
Key features
Heatmaps
Visual representation of where users click, move, and scroll on pages. Essential for understanding engagement patterns that affect SEO metrics like time on page and bounce rate.
Session Recordings
Real user session playbacks showing how visitors navigate your site. Reveals UX friction points that could be hurting search rankings through poor user signals.
Conversion Funnels
Track user journeys through key conversion paths. Identifies where users drop off, helping optimize pages for better engagement metrics that search engines value.
Form Analytics
Shows which form fields cause abandonment and friction. Critical for optimizing lead generation pages that need to balance conversion with SEO performance.
Feedback Polls
On-page surveys to gather direct user insights about content relevance and page quality. Helps validate whether content meets search intent.
Trend Analysis
Long-term behavior pattern tracking across page updates. Useful for measuring how SEO changes affect user engagement over time.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | 35 sessions/day, 3 heatmaps, 3 recordings, unlimited surveys |
| Plus | $32/month | 100 sessions/day, 10 heatmaps, 10 recordings, funnels, forms analysis |
| Business | $80/month | 500 sessions/day, 20 heatmaps, 20 recordings, trends, user interviews |
| Scale | $171/month | Custom sessions, unlimited heatmaps, recordings, advanced integrations |
FAQ
How does Hotjar help with SEO optimization?
Hotjar reveals user behavior patterns that directly impact SEO ranking factors like dwell time, bounce rate, and page engagement. Poor user experience signals can hurt search rankings even with good technical SEO.
Can Hotjar track user behavior on all page types?
Yes, Hotjar works on any HTML page including product pages, blog posts, landing pages, and checkout flows. It's particularly valuable for optimizing high-traffic pages that drive organic search revenue.
Does Hotjar slow down page load times?
Hotjar adds minimal overhead with an asynchronous script that loads after page content. The tracking script is typically under 100KB and doesn't impact Core Web Vitals scores significantly.
How much data does the free plan provide for SEO analysis?
The free plan offers 35 daily sessions and 3 heatmaps, sufficient for analyzing smaller sites or specific page optimization projects. Larger sites need paid plans for meaningful SEO insights.
Can Hotjar integrate with Google Analytics for SEO reporting?
Yes, Hotjar integrates with Google Analytics 4 to combine behavior data with traffic analytics. This creates comprehensive reports showing how user experience affects organic search performance.
Review Sentiment
863 reviews across 2 sources
Bottom line
Hotjar costs nothing and does heatmaps and session recordings reveal why users well enough to earn a 4.5/5 from 863 users. Just know that pricing increased after Contentsquare acquisition with confusing tier structure.
People love
- +Heatmaps and session recordings reveal why users behave the way they do
- +Intuitive setup with minimal technical knowledge required to get started
- +Built-in feedback polls and surveys complement quantitative analytics data
Common complaints
- –Pricing increased after Contentsquare acquisition with confusing tier structure
- –Report accuracy suffers on pages with popups, modals, or dynamic overlays
- –Lacks advanced AI-driven insights and deeper analytics platform integrations
🟠Reddit sentiment
mixed10 threads in r/analytics, r/marketing, r/webdev
“Hotjar is great as well, excellent heat maps”
r/analytics· 52 pts
“The UX of its customer dashboard is god awful and a complete mess”
r/marketing· 38 pts
🔵𝕏 sentiment
mixed9 posts
“Hotjar went from a tool you could use affordably to penny-pinching every little feature”
@trustpilot_review· 89 likes
“Heatmap analysis is why 73% of reviewers use Hotjar -- it really is that good”
@uxdesigner· 45 likes
Last updated Feb 2026