A macro-conversion is your main goal: a purchase, a signup, a demo booking. A micro-conversion is any smaller action that signals progress toward that goal. Watching a product video. Expanding a FAQ. Scrolling past the pricing section. Clicking a testimonial. Adding an item to cart.
Micro-conversions matter for two reasons. First, they help you understand the journey, not just the destination. If 40% of visitors watch your demo video but only 2% sign up, you know the video is engaging but something between the video and the signup form is breaking. Second, they give you optimization data even with low traffic — you might not have enough conversions to A/B test your main CTA, but you might have enough video plays to test different thumbnails.
Which micro-conversions actually predict macro-conversions
Not all engagement is equal. Scrolling to the bottom of a page is a weaker signal than clicking a pricing tab. Watching 10 seconds of a video is weaker than watching 60 seconds. The most predictive micro-conversions involve deliberate action rather than passive behavior: expanding a FAQ, clicking to see pricing, comparing plans, and starting (but not completing) a form.