Share of Search.
Learn what Share of Search means in modern search and SEO.
A brand health metric measuring a brand's proportion of total organic search queries for its category, used as a leading indicator of market share.
Share of Search (SoS) is the proportion of total branded and category search queries attributable to a given brand, measured across Google Search (via tools like Google Trends or Search Console data). Popularised by marketing effectiveness researcher Les Binet, SoS is used as a leading indicator of market share: changes in search share have been shown to precede changes in revenue share by months.
Why Share of Search Predicts Market Share
Consumer intent precedes purchase. When a brand increases its share of searches in a category ('best SEO platform', '[brand name] reviews'), it indicates growing consideration among potential buyers. Market share data is often delayed by 6-12 months in reporting; SoS provides an earlier, more frequently available proxy.
Measuring Share of Search
Google Trends compares relative search volume between brands over time for a given keyword set. For more precise measurement, Search Console branded query data, SEMrush, or Similarweb can be combined to estimate absolute and relative branded search volume. Consistent methodology matters more than the specific tool.
Share of Search vs. Share of Voice
Share of voice (SoV) measures paid media presence (ad impressions) relative to competitors. Share of search measures organic search intent. Both are competitive awareness metrics, but SoS is considered more directionally reliable as a market share predictor because it captures genuine consumer intent rather than advertiser spending.
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