Measuring Micro-Moments With Google Analytics

By Dean Levitt
Teacup Analytics
Measuring Micro-Moments
With Google Analytics

Who am I?
A curriculum vitae of sorts
• Born and raised on a farm in South Africa, near Johannesburg
• Built Mad Mimi, acq. by GoDaddy in 2014 and was on the team that built GoDaddy
Email Marketing
• Previously Chief of Culture for Mad Mimi & Director of Online Support for GoDaddy
• Founder of Teacup Analytics
• I currently live in Tel Aviv, Israel
• I run, surf and travel

What is Teacup Analytics?
Teacup Analytics Simplifies Google Analytics for Small Businesses
• Launched in March 2016
• Teacup Analytics makes Google Analytics data simple
• Library of over 30 analyst-crafted reports
• Innovative grading system that qualitatively analyzes web traffic
• Monitors the impact that actions have on performance

What are micro-moments?
Mobile has changed our online expectations
• We turn to our phones over 100 times per day1
1 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, 2013 Internet Trends Report.

• We turn to our phones over 100 times per day
• We act on impulse, and take immediate action to find answers when we want to learn
something

something
• Our actions, preferences and purchasing decisions are shaped by these moments

something
• Our actions, preferences and purchasing decisions are shaped by these moments
• These are the moments in which consumers don’t mind businesses influencing them,
as long as value is provided.

1/3 of online consumers ages 18-34 say information discovered through search caused them to
buy a more expensive product in a store if that product is more effective.
Google Consumer Survey

• Actions are taken in the moment:

• We’re faced with a question

• We turn to our phone

• We turn to our phone
• And we ask: which peanut butter is healthier?

Some example micro-moments
How we rely on our phones to help us make decisions

Micro-moment opportunities
The intersection of intent and immediacy
• Customers award their loyalty to the businesses that provides value right now

• You need to meet them at the intersection of intent and immediacy

• Intent is what motivates your site’s visitors

• i.e. Why did they visit your website?

• Immediacy is their need right now

• i.e. How can you add value this instant, and not later

• Your goal is to be there when the customer needs you

Being there for your visitors
Step 1: Uncovering & mapping out your moments
• What are the moments you want to be there for. i.e. What moments do you need to
win?

Step 1: Uncovering & mapping out your moments
• What are the moments you want to be there for. i.e. What moments do you need to
win?
• When can you inspire?
• When can you add value?
• When can you answer a question?
• How can you help?

Step 2: Action and Optimization
• What is the customer experience in this moment?

• How can I make this easier? Can I…
• Make the information easier to find?
• Help the customer make a decision?
• Facilitate a purchase?
• Build a relationship?

• How can I make this easier?
• Consider:
• Site design
• Content
• Video
• Calls-to-action
• 3rd party sites and reviews

Step 3: Measure the moments that matter
• Meet the micro-moments head on and set goals to measure success
• Use Google Analytics to measure your success at meeting intent
• Use Google Analytics to uncover moments

The four types of micro-moments

The 4 types of micro-moments
The four moments that decisions are shaped
• I-want-to-know
• 91% of smartphone users turn to their phone for ideas while doing a given task1
1 Consumers in the Micro-Moment, Google/Ipsos, U.S., March 2015

• I-want-to-know
• I-want-to-go
• 82% of smartphone users use a search engine when looking for a local business2
2 The Consumer Barometer Survey 2014/2015, U.S

• I-want-to-know
• I-want-to-go
• I-want-to-do
• Searches related to "how to" on YouTube are growing 70% year over year3
3 Google Data, Q1 2014–Q1 2015, U.S

• I-want-to-know
• I-want-to-go
• I-want-to-do
• I-want-to-buy
• 82% of smartphone users consult their phones while in a store deciding what to
buy4
4 Consumers in the Micro-Moment, Google/Ipsos, U.S., March 2015

I-want-to-know micro-moments
The “be the expert” micro-moment
69% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from a company who helps them find answers
easily
Google/Ipsos Consumers In The Micro-Moment Wave 3

I-want-to-know micro-moments
• The I-want-to-know moment sets you up as an expert
• This is an opportunity to create a positive perception of your brand by providing
valuable information
• An opportunity to build long term relationships
• Examples:
• The best flat screen TV 2016
• Is poinsettia poisonous to cats?
• What is a good mortgage rate?

Uncovering I-want-to-know
• In Google Analytics, click on Acquisition > Search Console > Queries

• Next, set the number of rows to 100 or more

• The lower down you explore, the more specific the queries become
• Look for patterns in the queries that imply the topics that people are interested in

• The lower down you explore, the more specific the queries become
• Look for patterns in the queries that imply the topics that people are interested in
• These searchers are exploring the idea of travel to Africa
• They’re looking for information above all else

• Consider Referral traffic in the same way
• You’re looking to get a feel for your value to others
• We’re looking to Google Analytics here to simply provide inspiration through
implication

Acting on I-want-to-know
• Write down the I-want-to-know moments that your visitors are experiencing
• Then, review your site, especially your mobile experience
• The priority should be delivering valuable content, quickly and efficiently
• Any obstacles to accessing informative content ruins the micro-moment
• You can nurture an ongoing relationship by offering further information in exchange
for an email address

Measuring I-want-to-know
• Bounce rate is a fair metric (and sometimes exit rate)
• But beware of the bounce rate limitations

• However, it depends on the page and your business goals:
• Do you want to capture an email address?
• Increase site exploration?
• Drive phone consultations?

• Create goals in Google Analytics to monitor whether you’re achieving your goals as
well as reaching searchers

• Create goals in Google Analytics to monitor whether you’re achieving your goals as
well as reaching searchers
• Overall, look at metrics that indicate engagement:
• Bounce rate
• Conversion rate
• Pageviews per session

I-want-to-go micro-moments
The ”looking for things near me” micro-moment
79% of people use their phone in their I-want-to-go moments.
Google/Purchased Digital Diary “How Consumers Solve Their Needs In The Moment

I-want-to-go micro-moments
• In I-want-to-go moments, people are seeking out a store nearby or details about a
retail location
• This is the brick & mortar micro-moment
• It’s also important for businesses with products in retail stores
• Examples:
• What time does my local children’s clothing store open?
• Where can I buy a Gibson Les Paul guitar in Charlotte, NC?
• How do I get to there, from here?

Uncovering I-want-to-go
• First, think of local traffic (especially if you have a retail location)
• Download my Google Analytics Local SEO report here
• You’re going to want to see your traffic coming from your local area:

• Some caveats about this report:
• This report can drill down to the city level
• But starting at the metro area smooths out inaccuracies in IP locations
• I did not segment this report to mobile traffic only
• If your traffic is not local, then explore why

• Drill down past the city level to see which landing pages your local traffic arrives at
• Landing pages offer clues to what potential customers are searching for
• Referral traffic can highlight intent, too
• Websites like Yelp or TripAdvisor are often used when customers are trying to
figure out where to go right now
• If local press sites are referring your website, read those articles that link to your
business to learn about your visitor expectations

Acting on I-want-to-go
• Start with making sure Google has your business details
• Registering your business with Google My Business is absolutely vital

• This gives Google information about your retail locations and online presence
• You’ll stand out in searches, especially in mobile, I-want-to-go searches

• Schema’s LocalBusiness vocabularies helps search engines understand your website

• Register your site on directories and review sites. I recommend Locu.

• Be mobile-first!
• Have a clickable phone number
• Super clear navigation
• Fast loading pages

• Be mobile-first!
• Consider other languages
• In towns that have a lot of foreign tourism, many locations include versions of their
site in the more common traveler languages

• This is also an AdWords opportunity
• Advertising on mobile and local metro areas allows you to run highly targeted,
cheap and profitable ad campaigns
• You can offer special “today only” deal or “book now” options
• By focusing on the I-want-to-go search terms, you can run a cheap, effective ad
campaign

Measuring I-want-to-go
• I use Teacup’s mobile traffic report or my Google Analytics mobile verion
• This report shows your mobile search traffic quality and engagement
• The report also includes the keywords searched, user type and landing pages

• I use Teacup’s mobile traffic report or my Google Analytics mobile report
• Here, we’re looking to see engagement so bounce rate matters again
• And as before, aim to measure conversions
• Coupons
• Bookings
• Call tracking

• I use Teacup’s mobile traffic report or my Google Analytics mobile report
• Here, we’re looking to see engagement so bounce rate matters again
• And as before, aim to measure conversions
• If you go the AdWords route, make sure you can measure offline conversions
• Teacup has a mobile AdWords report here.

I-want-to-do micro-moments
The ”how to” micro-moment
More than 100M hours of how-to content have been watched in North America in 2015
Google Data, 2015, North America

I-want-to-do micro-moments
• For big projects and small fixes, people look for how-to videos on YouTube,
increasingly on mobile
• Nearly one third of millennials have purchased a product as a result of watching a
how-to video1
• These are practical tasks to creative tasks like cooking, painting, beauty tips and DIY
• Examples:
• How to apply sunset eye shadow
• How to hang a painting
1 Google Consumer Survey, April 2015

Uncovering I-want-to-do
• This micro-moment is an easier one to explore in Google Analytics
• YouTube videos, recipes, and step by step instructions meet I-want-to-do moments
• The type of content that meets consumer intent at this moment must be direct, clear
and actually tell the visitor how to accomplish their task in simple steps
• A page on your site either has an instructional video, or it does not

• In Google Analytics, the Content Drilldown report is fantastic
• provided you’ve organized your site by different folders, for example
mysite.com/woodwork/…
• This report then shows you the engagement stats related to each topic.
• Avinash Kaushik has a custom report that he recommends.
• You’re looking to see which how-to topics are getting traffic, engagement and even
conversions
• In Google Analytics, click on Behavior > Site Content > Content Drilldown

• In Google Analytics, click on Behavior > Site Content > Content Drilldown

• You can keep an eye on your pages individually, too
• I like the Teacup Analytics report called What Is My Most Viewed Content because it
includes relevant data side by side.
• Here I see traffic sources by channel for each page,
• Also segmentation by device type so I can track mobile traffic as well.

• If you have video, don’t forget to look at YouTube’s analytics.
• You’ll find a wealth of information in the Creator Studio under Analytics but my
favorite is drilling down on Traffic sources
• Go to Analytics > Traffic sources > YouTube Search
• This is extremely informative in understanding what people are searching for in this I-
want-to-do micro-moment

• Go to Analytics > Traffic sources > YouTube Search

Acting on I-want-to-do
• Your website can be the helping hand

• Tasks need tools. Chances are, you’re a tool seller, in a manner of speaking
• If your website sells bowties, you’ll be poised to sell them a range of ties
• Sell makeup? Tutorials on getting smokey eyes encourages sales of eye shadow

• You can help that customer improve their lives with new value and new products

• There’s the rapport that you build with the customer leading to long term
relationships

• There’s the rapport that you build with the customer leading to long term
relationships
• Have an explicit call to action on every page that maps to the I-want-to-do micro-
moment

Measuring I-want-to-do
• Consider a simple survey on the how-to pages
• Ask visitors if they found this article helpful
• If a majority of people find your tips useful, then you know there is value in your
content!
• The stark choice between just yes and no keeps the feedback brutally clear. The less
gray area, the better!

• The primary data are the basic engagement metrics as discussed earlier
• If your content is intended to help drive sales, conversion rates are the main key
performance indicator
• Segment your traffic sources by device and channel
• YouTube’s analytics can help you learn if people are paying attention
• In the Creator Studio click on Analytics > Audience retention.
• Here you’ll see your average view duration overall and for each video.

• Average view duration indicates how sticky your video is.
• This also lets you know how quickly you need to get to the point in your videos.
• You might be wasting too much time on introductions and fluff which is driving people
away to other videos that get to the point.
• If people are jumping ship before you get to the crux of your video, then you know
you’re losing people before they get any value.

I-want-to-buy micro-moments
The ”shopping assistant” micro-moment
93% of people who use a mobile device for research go on to make a purchase
Google/Nielsen, "Mobile Path to Purchase" study

Uncovering I-want-to-buy
• This micro-moment isn’t quite what you think
• This is NOT a moment that a visitor is ready to purchase something on your
ecommerce site
• This is not about getting customers to your checkout cart
• The I-want-to-buy micro-moment is about assisting a purchase decision
• Let’s look at an example: buying a surfboard

• I chose the Boss because
• the moves suit my style of surfing better
• catching small waves is easy
• it’s suitable for the slightly larger winter waves too
• Without this information, I’d have delayed my purchase decision
• Sunova was there to meet my intent beautifully

• Finding the information about I-want-to-buy micro-moments in Google Analytics is
trickier than uncovering data about other moments
• Step outside of the web analytics box and turn to your customers
• Ask them, in person, what helped drive their purchase decisions
• Ultimately, it’s about being prepared to aid the buying process if you sell both offline
and online

Acting on I-want-to-buy
• Provide with the relevant information to help purchase decisions
• What are the questions they’d ask if you were standing next to them?
• Why is this product more expensive than that one, is it better quality?
• Why is this product cheaper, is it just as good as the more expensive competitors?
• Crafting content to answer these questions and providing access to answers will
smooth the purchase process
• A key element in meeting customer intent in this micro-moment is customer reviews
• Make it easy to take the plunge and make that purchase.

Acting on I-want-to-buy
• Wherever the I-want-to-buy micro-moment occurs, you should be there
• This means display advertising, remarketing, showing nearby retail locations and
inventory, online checkout and phone support
• Whatever fits your business model and product range, if there’s a touchpoint, there
should be an opportunity to help move the customer toward the purchase itself

Measuring I-want-to-buy
• There is no one place you can turn to measure the I-want-to-buy micro-moment
• Surveys, online and in-store, can be the closest thing to measurement techniques
• By asking what customers looked at before their purchase, what they felt was missing,
what sealed the deal etc., you’ll learn where to invest more time and effort
• The bottom-line metric, when it comes to I-want-to-buy moments is, simply, sales

Being there when it counts
Micro-moments matter
90% of smartphone users are not certain of the brand they want to buy from when they begin
looking for information online
Consumers in the Micro-Moment, Wave 3, Google/Ipsos, U.S., August 2015

Being there when it counts
Micro-moments matter
• When it comes to all micro-moments, being there at the moment is critical to
improving the experience for your customers
• Provide relevant information in the moment or your customers will move on quickly
• Ask yourself what action a site visitor should take to get the most value out of this
micro-moment
• By anticipating the visitor needs and making it up-front and clear, you’ll remove a ton
of friction
• Be there for your customers in the moment

By Dean Levitt
Teacup Analytics
dean@teacupanalytics.com
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Measuring Micro-Moments With Google Analytics

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