Share of Search: The Secret Weapon for Smarter Marketing
Introduction: Why Brand Visibility Matters in the Digital Age
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, brand visibility isn’t just a vanity metric—it’s a business necessity. Every day, consumers perform millions of searches on Google, looking for brands that align with their needs, values, and lifestyles. But how do you measure your brand’s presence in this ocean of online noise?
One underrated yet powerful metric is Share of Search. It tells you how often people search for your brand compared to your competitors—and it’s quickly becoming a key performance indicator for smarter marketing strategies.
In this blog, we’ll explore what Share of Search is, why it’s critical, how it compares to other visibility metrics, and how to increase it using effective keyword research and SEO strategies.
What Is Share of Search? A Simple Definition
Share of Search is the percentage of branded search queries your brand receives out of all searches for brands in your industry or category.
For example, if people are searching for “Nike” 120,000 times per month, and total branded searches in the athletic wear category are 400,000, Nike’s Share of Search is 30%.
It reflects how often your brand is top of mind when customers search for products or services online.
Why It Matters:
- A higher Share of Search typically correlates with higher brand awareness
- It’s a strong early indicator of future market share growth
- It helps marketers focus on targeting the right keywords to increase branded searches over time
Share of Search vs. Share of Voice vs. Share of Market
Although similar, these metrics measure different facets of your brand’s performance.
🔍 Share of Search
- Measures: % of branded searches your brand receives
- Tells you: How visible and memorable your brand is online
📣 Share of Voice
- Measures: % of your brand’s presence across marketing channels (like ads, social media, SEO)
- Tells you: How loud your brand is compared to competitors
💼 Share of Market
- Measures: % of total revenue or sales your brand earns in the industry
- Tells you: Your actual financial performance in the marketplace
While Share of Voice and Share of Market often lag behind, Share of Search can provide real-time insights, helping you optimize your campaigns faster and smarter.
How to Calculate Share of Search (With Example)
Calculating Share of Search is simple and relies on search volume data for your brand and your competitors within the same category.
The formula is:
Share of Search (%) =
(Search Volume for Your Brand ÷ Total Search Volume for All Brands in the Category) × 100
Example:
Let’s say you’re analyzing four skincare brands:
- Brand A: 120,000 searches
- Brand B: 90,000 searches
- Brand C: 50,000 searches
- Brand D: 75,000 searches
The total search volume is 335,000.
Brand A’s Share of Search = (120,000 ÷ 335,000) × 100 = 35.8%
This means that over one-third of people searching in this product category are specifically looking for Brand A—an indicator of strong brand interest.
To gather accurate search volume data, you can use tools like Google Trends (for relative comparisons) or Semrush’s Keyword Overview (for precise monthly search volumes). We’ll cover both tools in detail in the next section.
Why Share of Search Is Important for Smart Marketers
Share of Search helps you understand not just how well your marketing is working, but also how memorable your brand is to customers.
As Rodrigo Cesar, CEO of SSinvent, puts it:
“Share of search is one of the most meaningful indicators of brand relevance and momentum. It measures how many people are specifically searching for you—showing that your brand is breaking through the noise.”
When combined with keyword research, Share of Search can become the cornerstone of your content and branding strategy.
How to Measure Share of Search: Tools & Techniques
✅ 1. Google Trends
Google Trends lets you compare search interest over time for different brand names.
Steps:
- Visit Google Trends
- Enter your brand name
- Use the “+ Compare” feature to add competitors
- Filter by region, time range, and search type
Note: Google Trends doesn’t show absolute search volume but uses a 0-100 scale to compare interest over time.
✅ 2. Keyword Research Tools
You can also use keyword research tools that provide search volume data for branded terms.
Look up monthly search volumes for your brand and competitors, plug them into the Share of Search formula, and track changes over time.
These tools can also help you target the right keywords for future content, increasing the likelihood of more branded searches.
4 Proven SEO Strategies to Increase Share of Search
Improving your Share of Search starts with great content, strategic keyword targeting, and consistent brand presence. Let’s explore four effective methods:
1. Create Relevant, Optimized Content with Keyword Research
Content is still king—but targeting the right keywords makes all the difference.
Start by identifying non-branded, long-tail keywords related to your niche. Then create high-value blog posts, landing pages, and guides that inform and engage users. Over time, as people associate your brand with that topic, branded searches will increase.
📌 Real Example:
Kopelman Hair Restoration used long-tail content like “African American hair transplant NYC” to grow visibility. Within 10 months, branded searches nearly doubled, and their Share of Search rose significantly in New York and South Florida.
2. Leverage Surround Sound SEO
Surround Sound SEO is the practice of getting your brand mentioned across multiple top-ranking websites for the same keyword—so users see your name no matter which result they click.
This increases brand familiarity, which leads to more direct searches.
📌 Real Example:
A UK-based sportswear brand was mentioned in several “Best Running Shoes” and “Affordable Gym Wear” listicles. Their Share of Search jumped from 18% to 32% in just a year.
3. Improve Local SEO to Boost Regional Share of Search
If your business operates in specific locations, you can increase your regional Share of Search by optimizing for local keywords and business listings.
Steps to take:
- Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
- Ensure NAP (name, address, phone) consistency across directories
- Target keywords like “best [service] near me” and “[city] [service]”
📌 Real Example:
Stracci Law Group worked with Comrade Digital Marketing to improve local SEO. The firm rose into Google’s local pack and saw a sharp increase in branded searches and visibility.
4. Use Digital PR to Amplify Your Brand
Digital PR involves getting your brand featured on high-authority news sites, blogs, and industry publications.
These mentions:
- Drive referral traffic
- Boost SEO through backlinks
- Build brand authority and awareness—leading to higher Share of Search
📌 Real Example:
With SSinvent’s help, Kopelman Hair was featured in Shape and HuffPost. This exposure generated new search interest, inbound traffic, and long-term SEO gains.
Next Steps: Maximize Search Visibility Through Smart Strategy
Once you’ve started tracking and improving your Share of Search, here’s how to take things further:
🔍 Track Keyword Rankings Regularly
Use keyword tracking tools to monitor both branded and non-branded terms. This helps you identify:
- Opportunities to target the right keywords
- Gaps in your content strategy
- Shifts in customer behavior
🔧 Audit and Refine Your SEO Strategy
Perform regular content audits, update underperforming pages, and ensure all new content is optimized based on fresh keyword research.
📈 Align SEO With Brand Building
Remember: SEO isn’t just technical—it’s about being remembered. The more people recognize and trust your brand, the more they’ll search for it.
Conclusion: Use Share of Search as Your Competitive Edge
In today’s crowded market, Share of Search is one of the smartest, most accessible ways to measure and grow your brand’s digital presence. It gives you insight into how often people think of you—before they even land on your site.
By combining keyword research, strategic content creation, local SEO, and digital PR, you can significantly boost your Share of Search—and ultimately, your bottom line.
FAQs About Share of Search and Keyword Research
1. What is Share of Search in marketing?
Share of Search measures the percentage of branded search queries your brand receives compared to all searches for competing brands within your industry. It’s a key indicator of brand awareness and online visibility.
2. How does Share of Search differ from Share of Voice and Share of Market?
- Share of Search focuses on search queries for your brand versus competitors.
- Share of Voice tracks your visibility across marketing channels like ads and social media.
- Share of Market measures your actual sales percentage in the market.
3. Why is Share of Search important for digital marketing?
It provides real-time insights into how memorable and relevant your brand is to consumers. Increasing your Share of Search often correlates with higher future sales and brand loyalty.
4. How do you calculate Share of Search?
Share of Search = (Your Brand’s Search Volume ÷ Total Search Volume for All Brands in Your Category) × 100. Tools like Google Trends and keyword research platforms provide the search volume data needed.
5. What role does keyword research play in improving Share of Search?
Keyword research helps identify the specific search terms your audience uses. By targeting both branded and non-branded keywords, you increase your chances of appearing in relevant searches and growing your Share of Search.
6. What tools can I use for effective keyword research related to Share of Search?
Popular tools include Google Trends, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and Ubersuggest. These tools offer search volume, keyword difficulty, and competitive analysis data essential for targeting the right keywords.
7. Can Share of Search predict future market share?
Yes. Studies show a strong correlation between high Share of Search and increased market share over time, making it a valuable early indicator of brand growth.
8. How often should I measure my Share of Search?
It depends on your market dynamics, but monthly or quarterly tracking is recommended to catch trends, shifts in consumer behavior, and the impact of marketing campaigns.
9. Can small businesses benefit from tracking Share of Search?
Definitely. Even local businesses can use Share of Search to understand brand awareness compared to nearby competitors, especially by focusing on local SEO and targeted keyword research.
10. What strategies can help increase Share of Search effectively?
Key strategies include creating optimized content based on keyword research, leveraging surround sound SEO (brand mentions on multiple sites), improving local SEO, and executing digital PR campaigns to boost brand mentions and backlinks.