It is pretty safe to admit that your brand lives in a search engine. Our world has become so digitalized, that millions of people turn to them daily for information. Even if someone hears about your brand by word-of-mouth, they will most likely search your brand too before making a decision to buy your product or services, etc. That’s why understanding and calculating the share of search is so important. Share of search is a metric that measures the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase is searched for compared to all other searches in a given period. It helps businesses understand how their brand is being perceived and how they compare to their competitors. Share of search can be calculated using various methods, including Google Trends, which we will discuss in the article.
What is Share of Search?
Share of search is a marketing metric that measures the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase related to a brand is searched for compared to all other searches for that keyword or phrase. It is a valuable metric for businesses because it can help them:
- Track their online visibility and brand awareness.
- Identify opportunities to improve their search engine rankings and get more organic traffic to their websites.
- Compare their performance to their competitors.
- Identify trends and consumer behavior.
- Share of search can be calculated using various methods, including Google Trends.
Share of search is not the same as share of market. Market share is a measure of a company’s share of the total sales or revenue in a particular market. Share of search, on the other hand, is a measure of a company’s share of the attention that people are paying to a particular keyword or phrase.
Here are some examples of how share of search can be used:
- A company that sells running shoes might use share of search to track how many people are searching for keywords related to running shoes, such as “running shoes” or “best running shoes.”
- A restaurant might use share of search to track how many people are searching for keywords related to its cuisine, such as “Italian food” or “Thai food.”
- A hotel might use share of search to track how many people are searching for keywords related to its location, such as “hotels in New York City” or “hotels in Paris”.
- Share of search is a valuable metric for any business that wants to understand how its brand is being perceived and how it is performing in the online world.
How to Calculate Share of Search?
Measuring share of search involves determining the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase related to your brand is searched for compared to the overall search volume for that keyword or phrase. This metric provides valuable insights into your brand’s online visibility and its position relative to competitors. Here are the two ways on how to calculate share of search:
Manual Calculation
1. Gather Search Data: Utilize Google Trends to track the search volume for your chosen keyword or phrase over a specified period, such as monthly or annually.
2. Calculate Total Search Volume: Compile the total search volume for all relevant keywords or phrases, including your branded term.
3. Calculate Share of Search: Divide your brand’s search volume by the total search volume for all relevant keywords or phrases. Express the result as a percentage.
Using Online Tools
1. Leverage Online Tools: Use Semrush or Repsense, which provide automated share of search analysis.
2. Enter Keyword or Phrase: Input your desired keyword or phrase into the tool.
3. Select Timeframe: Choose the desired timeframe for analysis, typically monthly or annually.
4. Retrieve Share of Search: The tool will automatically calculate and display your brand’s share of search for the specified keyword or phrase.
Measure With Google Trends
Calculating the share of search with Google Trends is a straightforward process that involves tracking the relative popularity of your brand’s keyword or phrase compared to other relevant terms over a specified period. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to calculate share of search using Google Trends:
1. Choose Your Keywords or Phrases: Identify the keywords or phrases that are most relevant to your brand or industry. These terms should reflect the search terms that potential customers are likely to use when seeking information about your products, services, or industry.
2. Access Google Trends: Visit the Google Trends website and type your chosen keyword or phrase into the search bar. You can also search for related terms to expand your analysis.
3. Select the Date Range: Determine the desired timeframe for your analysis. This could be a specific period, such as the past month or year, or a broader range to gain a long-term perspective of search trends.
4. View Search Interest Metrics: Google Trends displays search interest metrics, represented by colored lines, indicating the relative popularity of each term over time. The higher the metric, the greater the search volume for that term.
5. Calculate Share of Search: To calculate share of search, divide your brand name, keyword, or phrase’s search interest metric by the sum of all search interest metrics for the relevant terms. Express the result as a percentage. This will give you a representation of your brand’s relative share of search.
6. Compare to Competitors: Analyze the share of search for your competitors to benchmark your brand’s performance against industry leaders and identify areas for improvement.
7. Track Trends and Seasonal Variations: Google Trends data provides insights into seasonal variations and emerging trends in search patterns. This can help you tailor your content marketing campaigns to align with peak search periods and capitalize on evolving consumer interests.
8. Identify Opportunities and Challenges: Share of search analysis can reveal opportunities to increase your brand’s visibility and address challenges that may be hindering your online presence.
9. Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitor share of search data to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and adapt your strategies as search trends evolve.
10. Embrace Data-Driven Marketing: Incorporate share of search data into your marketing decisions to make informed choices that optimize your brand’s visibility and drive business growth.
Example:
A company that sells running shoes might use data from Google Trends to track the search volume for keywords related to running shoes, such as “running shoes,” “best running shoes,” or “running shoe reviews.” By analyzing search queries, the company can identify popular search terms, understand the relative popularity of different types of running shoes, and track seasonal trends in people search behavior.
Share of Search vs Share of Voice
Share of search and share of voice are often used interchangeably. However, these two metrics serve distinct purposes. Share of search measures the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase related to your brand is searched for compared to all other searches for that keyword or phrase. It quantifies your brand’s online visibility in organic search results. Share of voice, on the other hand, encompasses your brand’s total mentions across all channels, including social media, online forums, and news articles. It provides a broader gauge of your brand’s overall awareness and reputation. While share of search focuses on search engines, share of voice encompasses a wider range of online media. Both metrics are valuable in assessing your brand’s online presence, but they serve distinct purposes and provide complementary insights.
Unlocking Market Insights through Share of Search
By harnessing the insights provided by share of search metric, you’ll unlock strategies to elevate your online reputation, captivate new customers, and conquer your marketing objectives. Google Trends, a free and accessible tool, empowers you to track search interest over time for specific keywords or phrases. With regular monitoring, you’ll gain invaluable insights into how your brand resonates and how you stack up against the competition.
