If you’re not thinking about micro-moments yet, your content strategy is already old news. Micro-moments are defined by Google as:
“…the I want-to-know moments, I want-to-go moments, I want-to-do moments, and I want-to-buy moments—that really matter. We call these ‘micro-moments,’ and they’re game changers for both consumers and brands.”
This up-and-coming trend is so important, Google has an entire page of research dedicated to micro-moments and what they mean for consumers and brands. Google has found that these micro-moments define how the needs and behaviors of consumers are changing with the use of technology in our everyday lives. According to Google’s research, these modern consumers are:
- Research-obsessed
- Demanding a personal experience
- Impatient and want answers now
- Productive on-the-go
How do you build micro-moments into your content strategy?
If you want to keep traffic on your page, build a lasting brand, and win over potential customers, your content strategy needs to reflect the needs of this changing consumer. There are a few ways to get your content strategy ready for these micro-moments, including:
- Update on-page SEO tactics
- Focus content strategy on brand awareness and value
- Build question-based queries into your content strategy
Update Your On-Page SEO Tactics
The structure of using an H1, vs. H2, etc. is an SEO tactic that’s been talked about time and time again. When we look at the use of header tags in terms of micro-moments, however, they take on a new value. Your headers allow Google find the micro-moments in your content. I.E. an H1 section about a specific and clear topic that could live on its own may help that page rank for a micro-moment search.
This means you not only need to use headers in your content, but you need to treat each section like its own piece of content. This requires you to use more descriptive header text and make use of H2 and H3 headers to break each section down even further, as necessary.
The proper use of headers also help your reader fulfill their micro-moment need right away. They can scan the page to find what they’re looking for.
You can also use internal linking to make sure your reader gets the most information possible during their micro-moment. Again, this tactic of creating a map of content is helpful to both Google and your reader. The key is getting it right—as SEM Rush just explained with some recent data, (check out Common Internal Link Building Mistakes), poor internal linking habits can drastically affect your ranking, and the experience of your reader.
Here are a few areas of focus when sprucing up your on-page linking strategy:
- Avoid linking to broken pages.
- Link only high-authority pages, both in brand and in quantitative metrics, like Domain Authority. You need to ensure your reader’s experience continues to be good when they follow the links you recommend.
- Direct the reader clearly to related content that will provide more insight on the topic. Do this by making the anchor text clear. Best practice is to use the title of the content or a short description.
Turn the Focus of Content Strategy to Brand Awareness
One of the stats Google references in their micro-moments blog post is that, of leisure travelers who use smartphone users, 69 percent search for travel ideas during spare moments, like when they’re standing in line or waiting for the subway. However, nearly half of those travelers go on to book their choices through an entirely separate channel.
If these visitors aren’t going to book or purchase with you, your strategy turns from lead-driving to brand-building. This is your chance to provide actual value, placing your focus at the very top of the funnel.
How do you write high-quality content for micro-moments?
High-quality content needs to be the cornerstone of your content strategy and built into your content calendar. This is as much about brand awareness, and leaving a lasting impression, as it is about fulfilling the micro-moment need and showing Google that you’re a knowledgeable source on the subject.
How do you develop this high-quality content? Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Create or uncover proprietary data.
- Be thorough. Ask why, how, and what as you edit the content, adding stats and expert insights as needed.
- Get good writers and editors; if you don’t have them, hire them.
- Use images that add value to the content, further explaining a topic, like a graph or data set. Don’t use them as space-fillers.
Build Question-Based Queries Into Your Content
There’s been a lot of talk about optimizing for question-based queries with discussion around voice search becoming more prominent. While there are many ways to optimize for voice search, like using structured data or taking the steps to get featured in Google’s featured snippet search box, there a simpler step you can take that’s valuable for voice search and micro-moments: answer questions your target audience is actually searching for.
This is where basic keyword research comes into play—something you should be doing already. (If you’re not, get my free keyword research guide asap!) You can also lean on Google for variations. Start typing the query into Google search and see what variations come up.
Once you have your question-based keywords, it’s time to build them into your content, using:
- Question-specific headers
- Question-based content titles
- Bullet point lists of answers. For example, bullet the answers to the keyword question, like at the beginning of this post
Content Strategy and Micro-Moments
Use these ideas and tips to get your content strategy ready for capturing consumers and visitors during these micro-moments. Build your brand around high-value content and keep a close eye on the analytics for increases in conversions, brand mentions, time on site, and overall traffic. If you see any of these metrics improve, you know you’re doing something right.
