Why Brands Should Be Using Share Of Search

In the fast-paced world of marketing, new metrics pop up like the latest diet fads—some are good for you, and some… well, let’s just say they fizzle out. But every now and then, one deserves to have your attention. Enter Share of Search. Unlike that juice cleanse you abandoned after two days, this metric is here to stay—and for good reason.

Let’s dive into why Share of Search should be your new marketing secret weapon, how it can predict market share, shape your digital strategy, and offer clues to your Share of Voice. Oh, and spoiler alert: Les Binet (yes, that Les Binet) thinks it’s a big deal too!

At its core, Share of Search refers to the proportion of searches for your brand compared to others in the same category.

It’s a measure of how often consumers are seeking out information about you relative to your competitors. If Share of Voice tells you how much noise your brand is making, Share of Search tells you how well it’s being heard by consumers. In some instances it can even be used for looking at products in that consideration phase... think Apple Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner vs Whoop vs Oura ring. 

• A Strong Predictor of Market Share
  

  Les Binet’s research shows that Share of Search is more than just an indicator of brand visibility—it often correlates with market share. In fact, brands that see their Share of Search increase can often expect their market share to follow suit in the coming months.

  Think of it as a leading indicator: if more people are searching for your brand, it’s usually a sign that your products or services are on the rise. It gives you a heads-up before the actual sales data kicks in, helping you stay ahead of the competition.

• Enhancing Your Digital Strategy
  
  Share of Search is not just a tool for tracking brand health—it’s  valuable for shaping your entire digital strategy. Whether you’re focused on SEO, brand advertising, or content creation, Share of Search helps you see where your brand stands in the minds of consumers.
  
  
• • SEO: Tracking your Share of Search can reveal how well your brand is performing in organic search. If you’re lagging behind competitors, it’s a sign that you need to optimize your content and keywords to improve your visibility.
    
    
  • Brand Advertising: After launching a brand campaign, Share of Search can help measure whether consumers are taking notice. If your ads are making an impact, you should see a corresponding uptick in searches for your brand. If not, it might be time to tweak the approach. 
    
    
• A Correlation To Share of Voice
  

  While Share of Voice measures the amount of media exposure a brand gets, Share of Search offers a more direct insight into consumer behavior. It shows how often people are actively searching for your brand versus your competitors—essentially giving you a real-time understanding of consumer interest.

  Les Binet’s research highlights that increases in Share of Search are often followed by increases in Share of Voice, as growing consumer interest naturally drives more media coverage and conversation. In this sense, Share of Search offers early signs of success before it becomes visible through traditional metrics.

The great news is that tracking Share of Search doesn’t require a complex data setup. Here are two simple tools that can help:

• Google Trends: A free tool that lets you compare the search interest in your brand versus competitors over time. This is useful for spotting trends and understanding how your brand’s visibility changes across different periods.
  
  
• Google Ads Keyword Planner: For more specific insights, Google Ads’ Keyword Planner helps track search volumes for particular branded keywords. This allows you to dig deeper into how consumer demand shifts over time and can provide useful input for your advertising strategies.

Interpreting a Share of Search graph is simple, but the insights it provides can be profound. A typical Share of Search graph will plot the percentage of total searches for each brand over a given period. Here’s how you can break it down:

• Brand Visibility Over Time: The X-axis usually represents time (typically years), while the Y-axis shows the percentage of total searches. This allows you to track your brand’s performance relative to competitors over time. A rising line for your brand means more consumers are searching for you, which could indicate increased brand awareness or effective marketing.
  
  
• Comparative Performance: By plotting your competitors alongside your brand, you can directly compare who’s being searched for more. If your competitors are consistently outperforming you in search volume, it may signal that they’re commanding more attention in the market, or have launched a successful campaign.
  
  
• Seasonality and Campaign Impact: Share of Search graphs are also great for identifying seasonal trends or campaign spikes. For example, if you see a peak in search interest around the time you launched a new product or marketing campaign, it suggests your efforts are generating some level of hype. On the flip side, a dip could indicate waning interest or increased competition.
  
  
• Correlating Share of Search with Market Share: As mentioned earlier, Les Binet’s research suggests a strong link between Share of Search and future Market Share. If you notice a sustained upward trend in your Share of Search, it’s a promising sign that your Market Share might soon follow suit. Consistent growth over several months is often a predictor of better performance in sales or revenue.