What Is SEO Share of Voice? How to Measure and Maximize Your Online Visibility
Introduction
In today’s fiercely competitive digital landscape, simply ranking on search engines is no longer enough. Brands need to understand how they compare to competitors in terms of visibility. That’s where SEO Share of Voice (SoV) comes in. This powerful metric tells you how much of the organic search “market” your brand owns for a selected set of keywords compared to your competitors.
Think of it as a way to gauge your SEO dominance. If you’re seeing steady growth in your share of voice, it means your content is consistently outranking competitors and capturing user attention.
Understanding and tracking your SEO Share of Voice gives you valuable strategic insights—whether you’re launching a new SEO campaign, analyzing the performance of existing content, or identifying gaps in your keyword strategy.
One of the most effective ways to measure this metric is with Semrush, a leading SEO tool. Semrush offers various methods to track SoV, from Position Tracking for global campaigns to Map Rank Tracker for local SEO. In this blog, we’ll break down how SoV works, why it matters, and how you can use Semrush to monitor and improve your SEO impact.
Understanding SEO Share of Voice
SEO Share of Voice (SoV) is a metric that measures how much organic visibility your website has in search engine results compared to your competitors for a set of tracked keywords. In simple terms, it shows what percentage of the search market you “own.” The higher your share of voice, the more often your pages appear in front of searchers—and ideally, above your competition.
The term “Share of Voice” originally comes from traditional marketing, where it refers to how much of the advertising space or media exposure a brand captures compared to others in the same industry. In SEO, the concept is applied to search engine visibility, specifically for organic search results.
Unlike simple keyword rankings, SoV takes into account several key factors such as search volume, click-through potential, and ranking positions. This means a keyword ranked #1 with high search volume contributes more to your SoV than a keyword ranked #10 with low volume.
Ultimately, SEO Share of Voice reflects your brand’s dominance in organic search. It’s an insightful, data-driven way to evaluate how visible your brand is across your niche—and whether you’re outperforming or falling behind competitors.
Why SEO Share of Voice Matters
SEO Share of Voice (SoV) is more than just a visibility metric—it’s a direct measure of your brand authority in search results. A higher SoV means your website frequently ranks at the top for key search terms, positioning your brand as a reliable and influential presence in your industry.
It’s also a valuable benchmark for competitive performance. Comparing your SoV to that of your top rivals helps you understand who’s winning in search visibility—and why. This comparison can highlight gaps in your SEO strategy or reveal new opportunities to capture untapped traffic.
Most importantly, SoV is closely tied to your SEO return on investment (ROI). The more search visibility you earn, the greater your chances of attracting clicks, conversions, and long-term customers. By tracking SoV regularly, you ensure your digital presence is expanding in the right direction and that your SEO efforts are delivering tangible business results.
How Share of Voice Is Calculated in SEO
In SEO, Share of Voice (SoV) is typically calculated using the following formula:
SoV = (Estimated Organic Traffic / Total Search Volume of Tracked Keywords) × 100
This formula gives you a percentage that reflects how much of the potential search market you’re capturing. The higher the percentage, the greater your visibility and influence within your niche.
Several factors influence your SEO SoV:
- Keyword Rankings: The higher your ranking for a keyword, especially on the first page, the more likely you are to attract clicks and traffic.
- Search Volume: Keywords with higher search volume carry more weight in the SoV calculation.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Even with top rankings, if your meta titles and descriptions aren’t compelling, lower CTR can reduce your effective share of voice.
It’s also important to distinguish SoV from visibility % and traffic %. While visibility % measures how often your keywords appear in search results, and traffic % shows actual user visits, SoV combines both presence and potential traffic into a single competitive metric. It reflects not just visibility, but dominance and traffic share across valuable keywords.
Tools to Measure SEO Share of Voice
Several SEO tools can help you measure Share of Voice effectively. Leading platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console offer different ways to track keyword performance and visibility. However, not all tools provide a direct SoV metric.
For the most detailed and accurate tracking, Semrush stands out with its dedicated Position Tracking and Map Rank Tracker tools. These features allow users to monitor keyword-level performance, track local and national visibility, and compare against competitors. This article focuses primarily on using Semrush, as it provides one of the most comprehensive solutions for understanding and optimizing your SEO Share of Voice.
1. Setting Up Position Tracking in Semrush (Approx. 150 words)
To measure your SEO Share of Voice in Semrush, start by setting up a Position Tracking campaign. This tool allows you to monitor how your website performs for a custom set of keywords in a specific location and on a chosen device.
Begin by creating a new project in Semrush. Click on “+ Create Project”, enter your domain (or subdomain, folder, or specific URL), and proceed to define your tracking settings.
Next, select your target location—this could be a country, city, or even ZIP code—along with the device type (desktop or mobile) and your preferred search engine (e.g., Google).
Once the basic setup is complete, add your target keywords. You can do this manually, by uploading a file, importing from Google Analytics or Google Search Console, or by using Semrush’s keyword suggestions. Once your keyword list is ready, click “Start Tracking” to begin collecting valuable SoV data.
Analyzing SoV in the Position Tracking Overview Tab
Once your Position Tracking campaign is active in Semrush, head to the “Overview” tab to monitor your Share of Voice. You’ll find the SoV metric displayed above the main chart area.
This feature shows the percentage of total possible traffic your site earns from the tracked keywords, helping you visualize your visibility in the market. You can track changes in your SoV over time, observe trends, and evaluate how updates or SEO efforts impact your organic performance.
It’s also helpful for spotting sudden drops or gains, indicating issues or opportunities in your SEO strategy that may need attention.
Adding Competitors for Comparison
Benchmarking your SEO Share of Voice against competitors is essential for understanding your position in the market. Semrush’s Position Tracking tool lets you add competitors easily by entering their domains in the “Overview” tab.
Once added, you can visualize your SoV alongside theirs in clear, comparative charts. This side-by-side view highlights who dominates the search landscape and reveals areas where your competitors may be outperforming you. Regularly reviewing competitor SoV helps identify gaps, uncover new keyword opportunities, and refine your SEO strategy to capture more organic market share.
Exporting SoV Data for Deeper Analy
Semrush allows you to export your Share of Voice data from Position Tracking in multiple formats including CSV, XLSX, and Google Sheets. Simply click the “Export” button on the overview or keyword report pages to download your data.
These exports enable more detailed analysis beyond the Semrush interface. You can use them to create customized charts, track trends over time, and perform competitor comparisons in tools like Excel or Google Sheets.
Exported SoV reports are also valuable for client presentations or internal reviews, providing transparent, data-backed insights that support SEO strategy decisions and demonstrate progress clearly.
Using Map Rank Tracker for Local SEO SoV
For businesses targeting local markets, Semrush’s Map Rank Tracker is a powerful tool to measure Share of Voice in Google Maps results. This tool focuses specifically on your visibility in local search listings, which is crucial for attracting nearby customers.
With Map Rank Tracker, you can compare your local SoV against nearby competitors, helping you understand who dominates the local search landscape in your area. The tool provides keyword-by-keyword insights, showing which specific search terms contribute most to your local visibility and where competitors may have the edge.
By regularly monitoring this data, local businesses can optimize their presence in Google Maps, adjust local SEO strategies, and improve rankings for key geographic terms. Export options allow you to share these insights with your team or clients, making Map Rank Tracker an essential component for any localized SEO campaign focused on increasing market share
Viewing SoV on the “Competitors” and “Keywords” Tabs
In Semrush’s Map Rank Tracker, the “Competitors” tab provides a clear view of your local Share of Voice compared directly with nearby businesses. This helps you understand your relative market position on a competitor-by-competitor basis.
The “Keywords” tab aggregates SoV data across all tracked keywords, offering a big-picture overview of your local SEO performance. Here, you can identify which keywords drive the most visibility and spot trends or weaknesses in your local search strategy. Together, these tabs give detailed, actionable insights to help you refine and improve your local SEO efforts.
Exporting Local SoV Reports (PDF/CSV)
Semrush allows you to easily export local Share of Voice reports from Map Rank Tracker as PDF or CSV files. These exports are perfect for sharing with clients or internal teams, helping communicate local SEO performance clearly and supporting data-driven decision-making.
Use Keyword Tags in Position Tracking
Keyword tags in Semrush’s Position Tracking tool help you organize keywords by content themes or campaign goals. For example, grouping keywords by product categories, topics, or target audiences enables clearer insights into which areas are performing well and which need improvement.
Using tags allows you to identify strengths and gaps in your SEO efforts more efficiently. If one tag shows a strong Share of Voice while another lags, you can prioritize content updates, new page creation, or optimization efforts accordingly. This targeted approach helps maximize your SEO impact and focus resources where they matter most.
Use Multi-Targeting for Regional Campaigns
For businesses operating across multiple regions, Semrush’s multi-targeting feature in Position Tracking is invaluable. It allows you to add several geographic locations within a single campaign, tracking Share of Voice separately for each area.
This approach helps you spot regional weak spots that may be hidden if you only look at aggregated, overall visibility data. For instance, your brand might have a high overall SoV but could be underperforming in key cities or states.
By analyzing SoV regionally, you can tailor your SEO strategies to address specific local markets, create location-specific content, or adjust your keyword focus. Multi-targeting ensures your SEO efforts deliver consistent results across all targeted areas
Keep Keywords Updated to Match Campaign Focus
Regularly revisiting and updating your keyword sets is crucial for maintaining an accurate Share of Voice measurement. Aim to review your tracked keywords at least quarterly to ensure they align with your evolving business goals and SEO campaigns.
Add new keywords that reflect product launches, seasonal trends, or new target audiences, and remove those that are no longer relevant. Keeping your keyword list fresh helps maintain meaningful SoV data, ensuring you track the most impactful search terms and avoid wasting resources on outdated or irrelevant keywords.
Automate Reporting with Semrush PDF and My Reports
Semrush’s reporting tools simplify sharing Share of Voice insights by allowing you to schedule automated PDF reports for clients or internal teams. Within Position Tracking, you can generate reports featuring SoV trends and other key metrics, setting the frequency to daily, weekly, or monthly depending on your needs.
The My Reports feature lets you build customized dashboards using drag-and-drop widgets. To include Share of Voice data, simply add the Position Tracking “Trend” widget and switch the chart type to SoV. Automated reporting saves time and ensures stakeholders stay informed with up-to-date, visually clear performance updates.
How to Improve Your SEO Share of Voice
Improving your SEO Share of Voice requires a multi-faceted approach. Start by enhancing content relevance and keyword targeting, ensuring your pages answer user intent and cover topics comprehensively. Use keyword research to identify valuable terms and optimize existing content accordingly.
Next, strengthen your link-building efforts to boost domain authority and increase rankings. High-quality backlinks help search engines recognize your site as trustworthy and authoritative.
Additionally, focus on on-page SEO, such as optimizing meta tags, improving site speed, and ensuring mobile-friendliness to enhance user experience and rankings.
Finally, analyze competitor SoV to target their weak spots. Identify keywords where they rank well but you don’t, and develop targeted strategies to capture those opportunities. Consistent monitoring and adapting your SEO tactics will help you grow your share and dominate your niche.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Tracking SoV
Avoid tracking too few or irrelevant keywords, as this can give a misleading picture of your true Share of Voice. Ensure your keyword set is comprehensive and aligned with your business goals.
Don’t ignore local or regional visibility gaps—especially if you operate in multiple markets—since SoV can vary significantly by location.
Also, be careful not to confuse visibility percentage with actual SoV; while related, they measure different aspects of search presence. Misinterpreting these metrics can lead to ineffective strategies. Regularly reviewing and refining your tracking approach will help maintain accurate and actionable SoV data.
When to Use SEO Share of Voice in Campaign Planning
SEO Share of Voice is an essential metric to incorporate during key campaign phases. Use it when launching new SEO campaigns to benchmark your starting position and set measurable goals. It also helps in monitoring seasonal performance, revealing how your visibility fluctuates during peak or slow periods. Additionally, SoV can identify market saturation, showing when your niche is crowded or if there’s room to expand. Integrating SoV into campaign planning ensures you make data-driven decisions that maximize your organic reach and competitive advantage.
SEO Share of Voice vs. Traditional Metrics
While metrics like CTR, impressions, and visibility score provide valuable insights, SEO Share of Voice offers a broader strategic perspective. CTR and impressions measure user engagement and exposure for specific queries, whereas visibility scores indicate how often your site appears in search results. However, SoV aggregates these elements to show your overall market presence compared to competitors. This makes it uniquely useful for understanding your competitive positioning and share of the organic search landscape, helping prioritize SEO efforts that drive real market impact rather than just isolated wins.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
- What is a good SEO Share of Voice percentage?
There’s no universal “good” percentage; it depends on your industry and competition. Aim to steadily increase your SoV over time. - How often should I check my SEO SoV?
Monthly reviews are ideal to track trends without overreacting to daily fluctuations. - Can I track SoV for multiple locations?
Yes, Semrush’s multi-targeting allows tracking SoV across different geographic areas. - How is Share of Voice different from keyword ranking?
Keyword ranking tracks position for individual terms, while SoV aggregates your visibility across all tracked keywords. - Do paid ads affect SEO Share of Voice?
No, SEO SoV measures organic search visibility only, excluding paid ads. - Can I track Share of Voice without Semrush?
Other tools like Ahrefs or Google Search Console provide partial data, but Semrush offers specialized SoV tracking features. - Is SoV useful for small businesses?
Absolutely, it helps small businesses understand their search presence and compete effectively. - How do I increase my Share of Voice quickly?
Focus on optimizing high-volume keywords, creating quality content, and building authoritative backlinks.
Conclusion
SEO Share of Voice is a powerful metric that reveals how much of the organic search market your brand commands compared to competitors. By tracking SoV, you gain valuable insights into your competitive standing, identify growth opportunities, and measure the impact of your SEO efforts over time. Regularly monitoring and optimizing your Share of Voice ensures you stay ahead in a crowded digital landscape.
Using tools like Semrush’s Position Tracking and Map Rank Tracker simplifies this process, providing detailed data and actionable reports. Whether you’re running a local campaign or a global SEO strategy, understanding and improving your Share of Voice is key to long-term success. Start leveraging SoV today to boost your online visibility and dominate your niche.