Why the Middle of the Audience Journey Deserves 6x  More of Your Attention

Marketers have traditionally focused on two points in the customer journey: the first touch, where someone engages with your brand, and the last touch, where they take an action to convert. However, recent Knotch data suggests that the most influential touchpoint actually lie in the middle of the journey.

Across thousands of pages analyzed, 86% had their highest number of conversions attributed to mid-touch visits—far more than first touch (13%) or last touch (just 1%).

While mid-touch pages may have more opportunities to appear in a journey, this trend suggests that repeated exposure to content in the middle of the journey plays a significant role in driving conversions.  In fact, 6x more.

Why Middle-Touch Content Converts Best

1. Middle-Touch Content is the Real Conversion Driver

It’s easy to assume that the pages getting the most attention are those bringing in first-time visitors or closing the deal at the last moment. But in reality, the highest-impact content sits in the middle of the buyer’s journey. These are the pages that nurture, educate, and build both trust and confidence—leading to conversions down the line.

If you’re only optimizing first-touch content for discovery and last-touch content for conversion, you’re missing the biggest opportunity in between.

2. Ignoring Middle-Touch Content Means Losing Customers

If mid-journey content is responsible for the majority of conversions, then a weak middle can break the entire funnel. If users don’t find what they need in these crucial moments, they may never make it to conversion.

3. The Right Content at the Right Time is What Moves Users to Convert

Middle-touch content isn’t just about keeping users engaged—it’s about guiding them toward the next step in their journey. 

Successful brands ensure their mid-touch pages align with what users need at that moment in their journey, whether that’s product information, case studies, or interactive tools that help them make decisions. 

Top-performing mid-journey content converts 3x better than the average. This reinforces that mid-journey content plays a major role in driving conversions. 

Every mid-touch page should be designed to move users forward in their journey—not leave them in a content loop with no clear next step.

How to Optimize for Middle-Touch Conversions

1. Identify Your High-Impact Middle-Touch Pages

Analyze page-level conversion data to see which pages audiences are engaging with throughout their conversion journey. Knotch tracks the audience journey over multiple sessions so you can confidently know what content is influencing conversions across first, middle, and last touch. 

2. Strengthen Internal Linking and Content Flow

Make it easy for users to navigate from mid-touch content to pages with high on-page conversions rates, using clear CTAs and in-content links.

3. A/B Test Your Middle-Touch Content Strategy

Experiment with different types of content (video vs. text, long-form vs. short-form) and CTA variations (copy, placement, volume) to see what drives the most engagement and conversions. Measure how adjustments to middle-touch content impact overall conversion rates.

The Bottom Line: Move Your Conversion Focus to the Middle 

Middle-touch content is the unsung hero of the conversion journey. Marketers who focus only on the beginning and end risk missing where the real impact happens. 

Instead of treating middle-touch pages as just another step, recognize their role in building trust and guiding users toward a decision. Optimizing these pages with intentional linking, clear pathways and relevant insights will create a more seamless experience and ultimately drive stronger conversion rates.

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Published March 7, 2025

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