{"id":281,"date":"2020-01-17T07:53:05","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T07:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beingdigitalz.com\/blog\/?p=281"},"modified":"2024-02-01T17:23:14","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T11:53:14","slug":"how-micro-moments-are-changing-the-rules-for-seo-by-switching-from-company-to-consumer-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beingdigitalz.com\/blog\/how-micro-moments-are-changing-the-rules-for-seo-by-switching-from-company-to-consumer-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"How Micro-moments Are Changing The Rules for SEO by Switching from Company To Consumer Mindset?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The SEO industry is evolving at a rapid pace. It\u2019s an evolution driven by the emergence of new technologies and increasing consumer demand for hyper-relevant and customised experiences. It\u2019s been the case for a while that search marketing is no longer a standalone discipline \u2013 the true power of SEO comes when it\u2019s combined as part of an integrated digital strategy.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the customer journey is far from linear. It\u2019s a smattering of interactions, emotions and experiences across a range of multi-channel touchpoints. Your audience\u2019s interactions with your brand now take place in multiple locations, on numerous devices, whenever and wherever it suits them.<\/p>\n

To unlock the secret to success in search, you must switch your mindset from company to consumer, and start with understanding user intent. One of the best ways to do that, and an approach we take here at Being Digitalz, is with the concept of micro-moments.<\/p>\n

What are Micro-moments?<\/h2>\n

Whether we know it or not, as consumers, our daily lives are shaped by micro-moments. A micro-moment is a moment of reflex. It occurs when a person instinctively turns to a device to act on a need \u2013 to learn something, do something, to watch or to buy. It\u2019s a moment of need that drives online behavior and creates the opportunity for interaction with a brand. That moment you pick up your phone to find a route to your destination, to search for that product, or an answer to a burning question (what was that actor\u2019s name?!)<\/p>\n

In a 2015 article on the Think With Google blog<\/a>, Sridhar Ramaswamy defined them as \u2018intent-driven moments of decision-making and preference-shaping that occur throughout the entire consumer journey\u2019.<\/p>\n

Micro-moments Can Be Categorized into Four Groups<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \u2018I want to know\u2019<\/em> moments trigger searches for facts and information<\/li>\n
  2. \u2018I want to do\u2019<\/em> moments signal a need for help or guidance with a task<\/li>\n
  3. \u2018I want to go\u2019<\/em> moments typically lead to searches about places and events<\/li>\n
  4. \u2018I want to buy\u2019<\/em> moments occur when people are interested in buying a product or service<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    All these moments have an underlying need and something that triggered awareness of that need. A trigger (\u2018I\u2019m thirsty\u2019) leads someone to seek a solution (\u2018where\u2019s my nearest coffee shop\u2019). Of course, many of these triggers are external influences, such as a conversation with a friend on social media or an advert on TV.<\/p>\n

    Identifying and understanding relevant needs through research helps to shape a sound SEO strategy. Adopting a user-centric approach to research provides much greater insight than the style of keyword research that has long been a cornerstone of SEO.<\/p>\n

    We have created a FREE guide<\/a> that follows a typical customer journey and unpicks the breadth of content, formats, and choices they make along the way by following the micro-moments approach and the principles of Customer Experience Design.<\/p>\n

    How to approach research \u2013 traditional keyword research vs intent\/customer journey mapping.<\/p>\n

    Understanding what people search for is of course essential. But for too long the SEO industry has placed excessive emphasis on the volume of searches, using this first and foremost to prioritize on-site optimization and content marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n

    Keyword research still forms part of the process, but it shouldn\u2019t be considered the starting point. Instead, considering search as part of the broader customer experience (CX) provides a stronger context and a deeper understanding of where keywords fit into this bigger picture.<\/p>\n

    Informing Keyword Research Empathy Mapping<\/b><\/h3>\n

    One of the processes we use here at Being Digitalz is empathy mapping, which is designed to plot out the needs, influences and pain\/gain points for each target audience. These are collaborative workshops we hold with our clients to understand what they know about their customers. Working together, we visualize the customer (or user)\u2019s persona in four categories:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What they say and do<\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. How they think and feel<\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. What they hear<\/strong><\/li>\n
    4. What they see<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Through empathy mapping, we are able to inform the focus of the keyword research and reveal needs that otherwise might not have been considered. It also sets the context that can then be used to design better solutions once the research has been completed.<\/p>\n

      Hearing from The Horses\u2019 Mouth with Stakeholder & Customer Interviews<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      There\u2019s always another side to the story, so in addition to keyword research, our approach also includes stakeholder and customer interviews. This \u2018hearing from the horses\u2019 mouth\u2019 validates or challenges the hypotheses developed during the mapping stage and helps identify any gaps.<\/p>\n

      Aligning this with the CX user journey model then helps to understand how search behaviors evolve as people move from one phase to the next. This adds a layer of insight to data about the keywords people use when they search.<\/p>\n

      Taking this two-pronged approach allows us to get into the heads of not only the brand but the customers too \u2013 understanding exactly what it is they want, how they feel, see and interact with the brand at different points in their journey.<\/p>\n

      The Changing Face of Mobile & Its Importance for SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      The rapid evolution of mobile technology is also changing the way marketers need to think about SEO strategy.<\/p>\n

      Google\u2019s advances in natural language processing and determining the intent means its algorithms can now handle ambiguity much more effectively. For example, a search for \u2018hotel deals\u2019 doesn\u2019t provide any indication of where the person is looking to go. However, if their previous search was \u2018flights to Paris\u2019, Google can join the dots and filter the search results accordingly.<\/p>\n

      Voice search is now being heralded as the next big thing, and Google\u2019s announcement at its recent I\/O conference demonstrated the ability of its assistant to automate phone calls with incredibly realistic voices and speech patterns.<\/p>\n

      While the commercial application of voice search from an SEO perspective is still to be fully understood, there\u2019s no doubt that marketing strategies can\u2019t be allowed to stagnate if brands are to keep up.<\/p>\n

      Micro-moments \u2013 The Context King<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      In a game of top trumps against traditional keyword research, another winning card that micro-moment research plays is context. It uncovers the context behind people\u2019s search habits within the overall context of their user journey. An individual keyword tells us something about what a person needs but it\u2019s easy to forget that it often forms only a small part of their search.<\/p>\n

      In short – looking at the micro-moment shows us the user intent.<\/em><\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s Look at an Example<\/h2>\n

      For example, a sports retailer would no doubt agree that the keyword \u2018running shoes\u2019 has commercial value to them. The user is looking to make a purchase (\u2018I want to buy\u2019) and wants to actively consider their options. But what led that person to that point? For those new to the sport, there are several informational needs (\u2018I want to know\u2019) prior to the consideration and purchase phase of their journey.<\/p>\n

      From The User\u2019s Point of View<\/h2>\n

      Let\u2019s look at the following needs for someone who wants to lose weight:<\/p>\n