What is Share of Search? (And How to Use it)

I remember the first time I was introduced to the concept of Share of Search, it felt like I had discovered a hidden key to understanding brand interest.

There was something very convincing about using online searches as a direct pulse check on what consumers have in mind. From that point on, I have supported including Share of Search in any serious marketer’s toolkit.

But what exactly is Share of Search, and why are so many industry experts talking about it? Let’s take a closer look.

In This Post

• A Clear Definition of Share of Search
• Why It’s a (Surprisingly) Powerful Leading Indicator
• How to Measure and Track Share of Search
• Real-World Stories and Examples
• Potential Pitfalls and Limitations

Share of Search: The Basics

Share of Search (SoS) is a marketing metric that measures the proportion of organic search queries for a specific brand relative to the total searches for all brands within a given category.

To put it simply:

• Imagine you’re selling athletic shoes, and you want to see how often people type your brand name (say, “Brand X Shoes”) into a search engine compared to your competitors’ brand names.
• If “Brand X Shoes” gets 10,000 searches in a month and all competitor brands (Brand Y, Brand Z, etc.) get 90,000 searches, the total category searches are 100,000.
• Your brand’s Share of Search would be 10,000 / 100,000 = 10%.

This percentage shows your portion of branded searches. It indicates how many people specifically search for your brand compared to those looking up competitor brands in your category.

Why That Matters

Share of Search serves as a signal of your position in customers’ minds.

Nobody types a specific brand name unless they recognize it.

That contrast with a generic search like “best running shoes” shows that by typing your brand name, the searcher is expressing a stronger interest—perhaps influenced by an advertisement, a recommendation, or a review. So, SoS captures consumer interest and brand prominence in a very direct way.

Why Is Share of Search a Big Deal?

Many marketing teams focus on Share of Voice (measuring advertising presence) or Market Share (the portion of total category sales). Both are useful, but Share of Search is now seen as an early signal, hinting where your market share may be heading before the sales numbers come in.

Here are a few reasons SoS stands out:

1. Speed: Sales data can take a long time to compile. Share of Search can be gathered weekly or even daily to provide near-real-time information on your brand’s momentum.
2. Cost-Effectiveness: Expensive media monitoring or complex panels are not required. You can measure SoS using free tools like Google Trends.
3. Accessibility: Since anyone can access the data, there is no need to depend completely on third-party reports. You can also break it down by region, keyword, or other custom segments.

How to Measure Your Share of Search

It is simpler than you might think.

While there are advanced methods using data scraping tools, the basic process involves:

1. Identify Your Category and Competitors: Determine the key players in your space. Include lesser-known competitors if they share the same audience.
2. List Brand-Specific Keywords: Compile the brand names or brand-plus-product combinations that people use when searching for you and your competitors.
3. Collect Search Volume: Use tools like Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, or other SEO platforms (for example, SEMrush) to find the average monthly search volumes for each brand keyword.
4. Calculate Proportions: Sum up all the branded searches in your category. Divide your brand’s searches by that total and multiply by 100 to get a percentage. For example: (10,000 / 100,000) × 100 = 10%.
5. Monitor Over Time: Check the numbers monthly or quarterly. Look for trends, dips, or spikes and compare them with marketing campaigns, news, or market changes.

Example Table

Suppose you operate in electronics, comparing brand searches for “Brand A,” “Brand B,” and “Brand C” in one month:

This table shows how you can measure and then interpret your standing in a category.

Using Share of Search To Drive Marketing Strategy

Data is useful only when it leads to action.

Share of Search can inform strategic decisions from product development to advertising budgets.

1. Forecast Market Shifts

Many studies indicate a strong correlation—up to 83%—between Share of Search and actual market share.

For example, one international study found that when SoS rises steadily, market share often increases later.

If my brand’s SoS trends upward over several months, I might expect stronger sales. If it stagnates or falls, it signals a need to review messaging or consider whether a competitor campaign is overshadowing us.

2. Benchmark Against Competitors

Share of Search helps monitor competitive activity.

A sudden jump in a competitor’s SoS might result from:

• A new product launch
• An intensive advertising push
• A major PR event (or even a crisis)
• A viral social media moment

By checking SoS regularly, I can spot these changes early, investigate their causes, and decide if a response is needed.

3. Evaluate Campaign Impact

In past campaigns, our team tracked SoS closely following major advertising efforts. In one case, a TV campaign ran for three weeks and resulted in a 15–20% increase in our SoS.

Notably, the increased search interest continued even after the ads ended. That lasting boost in brand recognition validated the advertising investment.

How did we connect the results to the TV ads? We compared the ad dates with weekly SoS data.

The increase right after the ads started, combined with brand lift studies and social media activity, provided a clearer picture.

Real-World Stories

Stories make the data more approachable.

Here are two brief examples:

A Cosmetics Brand Goes Viral

A mid-sized cosmetics brand launched a new skincare line with only a modest advertising effort—just a few influencer partnerships and social media posts.

Within two weeks, the brand’s SoS grew by 8%. A well-known influencer had posted an enthusiastic review, prompting her followers to search for the brand.

Using that insight, the brand amplified the influencer’s post as a sponsored campaign that prolonged the surge for another month.

Sales in that segment increased significantly afterward, matching the SoS growth.

Negative Publicity Sparks a Spike

There was an occasion when a tech manufacturer experienced negative news due to a reported defect in one of its devices.

Shortly after the issue emerged, the brand’s SoS jumped. However, the increase came from negative mentions; many people searched for the brand along with words like “faulty,” “recall,” or “complaints.”

In this case, the marketing team learned to analyze the numbers along with overall sentiment. Although the raw search numbers rose, the sentiment was poor.

They then launched crisis communication measures to address the issues. Over the following six weeks, the SoS returned to its normal level as repairs and replacements progressed.

SoS vs. Other Key Metrics

The table below summarizes how SoS compares with other common metrics:

Each metric offers different insights.

Market Share provides concrete performance numbers but is slower to update, while Share of Voice shows advertising prominence. Share of Search provides timely information about organic consumer interest.

Caveats and Limitations

Every metric has its boundaries.

Consider the following:

1. Crisis-Driven SearchesA large SoS spike is not always positive. It can be triggered by negative publicity—a scandal, product fault, or other crisis. It is wise to pair SoS data with sentiment analysis through social listening or news reports.
2. Category DifferencesHigh-involvement sectors like tech, automotive, or finance usually show clearer links between SoS and market share. In lower-involvement categories, such as basic household goods, branded searches might not occur as often, leading to less clear SoS signals.
3. Variations in Brand KeywordsUsers might combine your brand name with generic terms (for example, “Brand A new phone”) or even misspell it. It is important to decide how these variations should be managed so that the data remains consistent.
4. Differences in Search BehaviorIn some areas, specific search engines dominate (for example, Baidu in China or Yandex in Russia).
   Relying solely on Google Trends might miss local nuances. Similarly, if your audience is older or less internet-savvy, they may not search online at all, meaning the results should be interpreted carefully.

Tactics to Improve Your Brand’s Share of Search

After measuring your SoS numbers, you might wonder how to improve them.

There is no one solution, but here are several ideas:

• SEO Focused on Your Brand:Make sure your brand name and key products are easy to find online. Optimize your website and develop content that supports branded queries.
• PR and Media Coverage:Positive mentions in reputable media outlets can boost branded searches. If you expect a major feature, prepare corresponding landing pages to capture the surge.
• Influencer Partnerships:As the cosmetics example shows, endorsements can prompt a boost in brand searches. Properly timing these collaborations with your marketing efforts can be beneficial.
• Consistent Messaging:Ensure your advertising, social media, and public relations efforts all reinforce your brand name. Inconsistent messaging can make it harder for potential customers to recall your brand when searching.
• Monitor Competitor Activity:Keep track of the total branded searches in your category. Observe how your share changes when competitors run major ad campaigns or launch new products, and be ready to respond if necessary.

My Personal Take on Tracking

I like to review Share of Search data along with my marketing calendar:

1. Before a Campaign:Record the initial SoS baseline.
2. During the Campaign:Track the data frequently—ideally weekly—to see if the campaign is moving the needle.
3. After the Campaign:Check the new baseline. Has the improvement lasted or reverted? Has a competitor’s share shifted as well?

Creating a simple line chart of the data over time provides a clear visual of how key events or campaigns affect consumer interest.

Share of Search as an Early Warning System

One effective use of SoS is spotting changes in brand momentum early.

If your brand’s SoS starts to drop while a competitor’s rises, it may indicate that your brand is losing attention.

This shift might occur weeks before sales figures show any change. With that early insight, you can adjust budgets, refine messaging, or launch a targeted promotion to re-engage your audience.

Similarly, if a competitor’s SoS increases due to a new product or viral moment, you can prepare for possible shifts in consumer preferences by increasing your own marketing efforts or focusing on your unique strengths.

Share of Search vs. Share of Voice

It is useful to understand the difference between Share of Search (SoS) and Share of Voice (SoV):

• Share of Voice measures how much exposure your advertising gets within the category. For example, if you spend $2 million on TV ads while the total ad spend is $10 million, your SoV is 20%.
• Share of Search measures how frequently people search for your brand relative to others, concentrating on organic interest rather than paid exposure.

Often there is a connection between the two.

Advertising can boost SoS if the message resonates, but SoS can also grow without a large advertising budget, depending on word-of-mouth, social media discussions, or media coverage.