Share of Search: Understand the New Metric to Evaluate the Health of Your Brand

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Have you ever wondered how much your brand really occupies the minds — and searches — of your audience? After all, marketing is increasingly data-driven, so knowing whether your brand is being remembered at the right time, at the right moment, is essential. Besides, what's the point of investing in branding, content and media if, at the end of the day, no one searches for you on Google? That's where Share of Search comes in, a relatively new metric, but with enormous power: it shows you, in a simple and objective way, whether your brand is growing, stagnating or being swallowed up by competitors. Even better: it anticipates market trends and even changes in consumer behavior.

In this article, you will understand what Share of Search is, how to calculate it, why it is so important and how to apply it to your marketing strategy to make smarter decisions, based on what really matters: people's real interest in your brand.

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What is Share of Search?

Share of Search is the percentage of searches for your brand in relation to the total searches for your sector or direct competitors. In other words, it is an indicator of how much your brand occupies in the search interest of people within the market universe in which it operates.

“Share of Search is the share of searches for a brand compared to the total searches for all brands in the same sector.”

Imagine that you work in the CRM software and the total volume of searches for major brands is 100,000 per month. If your brand represents 25,000 of those searches, your Share of Search is 25%.

How the metric emerged and why it gained relevance

The concept was popularized by Les Binet, one of the biggest names in data-driven marketing. He realized that, in many markets, Share of Search predicts future market share, acting as a thermometer for brand health.

In the current scenario, where decisions need to be quick and based on reliable data, it has gained strength because it is:

• Simple to measure;
• Highly correlated with purchase intent;
• An early indication of market gain or loss.

And here's the question: how do you measure the real impact of your brand before the financial results appear?

The answer may lie in Share of Search.

Share of Voice vs Share of Search: what's the difference?

Share of Voice (SOV) is the percentage of your brand’s presence in the media — how much it “talks” compared to its competitors. Share of Search (SOS) measures how much people search for you.

While SOV is an exposure metric, SOS is a spontaneous interest metric. What’s more, studies show that SOS is a more reliable predictor of future performance than SOV.

Think of it this way: SOV is what you say. SOS is what the market responds to.

How to calculate the metric in practice

To calculate the metric, you need to:

1. Define your main competitors;
2. Add up the search volume for all brands in the sector;
3. Calculate the proportion of your brand in this total.

Formula:
Share of Search (%) = (Searches for your brand / Total searches for all brands) × 100

Tools like Google Trends, Semrush, Ahrefs and even Google Ads Keyword Planner help with this collection. But be careful: the data must be comparable (same period, same country, same spelling).

Why Share of Search Matters to Your Brand Health

Now comes the gold: Share of Search is highly correlated with future market share. In industries like technology, finance, and retail, an increase in SOS often precedes growth in sales.

Furthermore:

• Indicates real and current brand equity;
• Early warning of drop in relevance;
• Serves as a compass for media and branding investment decisions;
• It can be used as an argument in meetings with the board to justify funding.

Are you being remembered or forgotten? Share of Search answers.

What are the limitations and precautions in the analysis?

As powerful as this metric is, it has its limitations. After all, it doesn’t measure direct purchase intent, but rather interest. Furthermore, it can be influenced by external factors, such as scandals or negative news. Therefore, it works best in established categories and with medium to large brands.

Furthermore, it is essential to filter out irrelevant data (such as generic names or words with double meanings).

The tip is: use SOS as a compass, not as a compass and map at the same time.

How to use Share of Search in your marketing strategy

Share of Search can be a strategic pillar if applied well. Here's how:

• Track your historical trend and compare with competitors;
• Relate SOS to your branding and media actions;
• Use as a criterion to evaluate the impact of campaigns;
• Combine with funnel data such as leads, CAC (Cost of Acquisition) and LTV (Lifetime Value) for more complete insights.

At Vero Contents, we use search share percentage as an indicator of brand positioning efficiency in our organic and paid projects. It guides not only branding, but also demand generation.

Useful tools for monitoring

Here are some tools to get you started:

• Google Trends – free, ideal for comparisons;
• Semrush and Ahrefs – for more accurate volume data;
• Exploding Topics – to identify emerging trends;
• Keyword Planner – for volume analysis via Google Ads

Each has its strengths. The ideal is to combine 2 or 3 to obtain a more refined reading and validate insights.

Real cases: companies that benefited from the metric

Case 1 – HubSpot

After massive content campaigns, the brand's Share of Search HubSpot grew 22% in 6 months. The result? An increase of 18% in the generation of organic trials.

Case 2 – Nubank

When it launched its mass branding campaign on TV and digital, SOS jumped. Two quarters later, the company reported accelerated growth in its customer base.

Case 3 – Vero Contents

With just 3 months of active SEO, we were able to increase the client's Share of Search by 15%. Result? Less dependence on paid media and more qualified inbound leads.

Conclusion: Is Share of Search for you?

Yes, especially if you are looking for a reliable indicator to measure your brand's spontaneous attention. In this way, it does not replace other KPIs, but rather intelligently complements what metrics such as traffic and CAC do not account for.

If you lead marketing for a company and are always hearing:
“But how do we know our brand is growing?” the answer may lie in Share of Search.

Use this metric to inform decisions, validate campaigns, and build a brand that stays in the minds — and clicks — of your audience.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Share of Search

1. What is Share of Search?

Share of Search is the percentage of searches for your brand in relation to the total searches for brands in the same segment.

2. What is the difference between Share of Voice and Share of Search?

While Share of Voice measures media exposure, Share of Search measures spontaneous interest. The latter is more reliable for predicting future sales.

3. How to calculate Share of Search?

Divide the search volume for your brand by the total searches for your industry. Multiply the result by 100.

4. What tools can I use to measure?

Google Trends, Semrush, Ahrefs, Keyword Planner, and Exploding Topics are all great options.

5. Is Share of Search suitable for small businesses?

Yes, but it is more effective when there is sufficient search volume. For niches or new companies, combine it with awareness and brand lift analysis.

Image: Freepik