What Is Share of Search? How to Calculate & Boost It in 2025
What Is Share of Search?
Share of search is the percentage of search queries for a brand out of the total searches for all brands in the same market or category.
It’s a powerful way to measure brand awareness, giving insight into how often people are specifically looking for your brand versus your competitors.
If your share of search is high, your brand awareness is likely high too.
And with awareness comes opportunity—like more customers.
Share of Search vs. Share of Voice vs. Share of Market
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Share of Search | The portion of branded search volume for your company out of all searches in your category. |
| Share of Voice | Your brand’s visibility vs. competitors on channels like SEO, PPC, or social media. |
| Share of Market | The percentage of total sales your brand owns within an industry or category. |
These metrics all relate to brand visibility but represent different stages of brand-customer interaction.
How to Calculate Share of Search
Use this simple formula:
Share of Search (%) =
(Searches for Your Brand ÷ Searches for All Brands in Category) × 100
Example:
- Brand A: 120,000
- Brand B: 90,000
- Brand C: 50,000
- Brand D: 75,000
Brand A’s share of search:(120,000 / (120,000 + 90,000 + 50,000 + 75,000)) × 100 ≈ 36%
Why Is Share of Search Important?
People won’t search—or buy—what they don’t know.
“Share of search is one of the most meaningful indicators of brand relevance and momentum,” says Rodrigo Cesar, CEO of SSinvent.
“That shift from generic to branded search shows a brand is breaking through the noise.”
When branded searches increase, it’s a sign of growing recognition, trust, and potential market leadership.
Tools to Measure Share of Search
1. Google Trends (Free)
- Compare search interest over time between your brand and competitors.
- Filter by location, date, and query type.
- Use the “+ Compare” feature to stack brands.
Note: Google Trends shows relative interest (0-100), not exact volumes.
2. Keyword Overview Tools (Like Semrush or Ahrefs)
- Enter branded keywords for all competitors.
- See exact monthly search volumes.
- Apply the share of search formula for precision.
Example:
If your brand has 110,000 monthly searches and total category searches are 559,900:(110,000 ÷ 559,900) × 100 ≈ 20%
4 Proven Ways to Increase Your Share of Search
1. Create Relevant SEO Content
Target high-intent, non-branded keywords relevant to your niche.
As users get familiar with your brand, they’re more likely to search you directly.
Case Study: SSinvent grew Kopelman Hair Restoration’s branded search volume by 2x in 10 months by targeting long-tail, specific queries like “african american hair transplant nyc.”
2. Leverage Surround Sound SEO
Ensure your brand appears in top-ranking third-party content like:
- “Best of” lists
- Industry roundups
- High-authority blog posts
Result: A UK-based sportswear brand grew its share of search from 18% to 32% in a year by appearing across high-authority listicles.
3. Boost Your Local SEO
- List your business on directories (e.g., Google, Avvo, FindLaw).
- Maintain consistent NAP data.
- Optimize your Google Business Profile.
Example: Comrade Digital helped Stracci Law Group rank in Google’s local pack and significantly grow branded search traffic.
4. Use Digital PR
Get your brand mentioned on trusted media platforms to increase recognition and backlinks.
Example: SSinvent secured mentions for Kopelman Hair Restoration in Shape and HuffPost, boosting branded visibility and authority.
Pro Tip: Track Your Visibility with Position Tracking
Use tools like Position Tracking to:
- Monitor keyword rankings
- Measure visibility score
- Identify opportunities to improve
A 100% visibility score means your site ranks #1 for all tracked keywords.
Final Thoughts
Tracking and improving your share of search is an underrated but powerful way to:
- Understand brand awareness
- Measure market momentum
- Gain a competitive edge
Set up your benchmarks now using free tools like Google Trends, or go deeper with Semrush or Ahrefs. Then, invest in SEO, PR, and content marketing to take your brand searches to the next level.
Ready to grow your brand visibility and dominate the search results?
Contact us at 360 Business & Marketing Solutions for an audit and strategy tailored to your brand.