What is a F-Shaped Pattern

The F-shape pattern is the model in the field of eye-tracking. It shows how users perceive a website, where they are looking, and where the attention is most significant.

Users read a web page in a specific way; they can get a first impression by browsing the website from left to right. If certain information is attractive to the user, they take a closer look. Heatmaps help to analyze this pattern of scanning the website.

The eye movements are followed and recorded. The recording provides data about how a user reads a website, where their eyes stop wandering, and how long their eyes stay on different parts of the screen.

The studies suggest that most users look along one vertical and two horizontal lines. This all takes place within seconds; users scan the content. 

In practice

The eye movement studies give us an idea and best practices for choosing the optimal design for the websites for emails or other essential documents. We should place the most crucial info there where the user looks relatively closely. The right design can activate specific triggers for users.

At the so-called fixation points of the users' eyes' gaze should be the content that influences click behavior. The F-shape pattern is currently the standard for questions about the Usability of the website.

SEO

Eye-tracking is important for SEO, as well. If the user gets the most critical information asap, it will lead to better user experience. Eye-tracking studies can help UX studies and discoveries. 

At the same time, specific keywords (free, or cheap) or images can make the web document more conversion-oriented.