Most businesses track website visits, rankings, and lead form submissions. But those metrics only show part of the picture. One powerful indicator often goes unnoticed: how often people are actually searching for your business name. That’s called share of search.
It tells you whether your brand is gaining real visibility and staying top of mind.
This post breaks it down in simple terms and shows you how to use it to guide smarter marketing decisions.
What Is Share of Search and How Is It Calculated?
Share of search (SoS) is the percentage of searches in your industry that include your brand name.
It helps you understand how much attention your business is getting compared to competitors.
You can calculate it like this:
Your brand’s monthly search volume ÷ total search volume for your brand + competitors = share of search
For example, if your company name is searched 1,000 times per month, and your top competitors get 2,000 searches combined, your share of search is 33%. That means one in three brand searches in your space is for you.
This metric is useful because it shows how well people remember your name. If more people are typing your business name into Google, it means they’ve heard of you and are already considering you.
Research shows a strong connection between share of search and actual market share over time. It’s a good way to measure brand growth without relying only on keyword rankings or impressions.
Why Share of Search Matters for Local Service Businesses
If your business offers a local service, your name matters more than you think.
Most homeowners don’t compare ten different service providers. They usually search for one or two by name, especially if they were referred by a friend or saw your logo somewhere recently.
That’s where the share of search becomes helpful.
It shows how often people are actively looking for you (not just a generic service like “pest control near me”). When people search by name, it means your brand is standing out.
Here’s why this matters:
- It reflects trust. Branded searches often come from referrals or repeat customers.
- It tracks real awareness. Rankings and traffic may fluctuate, but the share of search shows who people remember.
- It guides smarter marketing. A growing share usually means your social, email, or SEO strategies are working together.
This metric is especially useful for spotting trends, setting priorities, and focusing on what actually builds long-term recognition. But despite its value, only about 10% of businesses consistently track branded search volume. That’s a competitive edge for you.
How to Measure Your Current Share of Search
You don’t need to be a tech expert to check how often people are searching for your business name. A few tools make it simple to compare your branded search volume to others in your space.
Tools You Can Use
- Google Trends – See how interest in your brand name changes over time
- Semrush or Ahrefs – Estimate monthly branded search volume and compare with competitors
- Google Search Console – View which branded terms people use to find your site under the “Performance” tab
You may also see a related metric called share of voice in tools like Semrush. While the terms sound similar, they track different things:
- Share of search shows how often people are searching for your brand compared to others.
- Share of voice looks at how much of the overall visibility you have in a category, often across organic and paid search.
Both are helpful, but if you’re trying to measure brand awareness or loyalty, share of search gives you a more direct signal.
Checking Your Share of Search
- List your branded terms. Include your business name, common misspellings, and abbreviations.
- Pick 2–3 competitors. Look for companies in your area offering the same services.
- Look up branded search volume. Use one of the tools above to find monthly numbers for each brand.
- Do the math. Divide your brand’s search volume by the combined total of all brands you’re comparing.
- Track regularly. Re-check every few months to see if awareness is growing.
Keep in mind: these numbers are estimates! Don’t worry about being exact. The goal is to watch the trend and direction over time.
How to Build Share of Search Over Time
Your share of search grows when more people remember and seek out your business name. That kind of growth doesn’t happen overnight, but there are clear ways to encourage it.
Here’s what works best!
1. Use Your Brand Name in Content
Include your business name in blog posts, FAQs, service pages, videos, and emails. This helps Google recognize your brand and makes it easier for people to remember you.
2. Stay Active on Social Media
Post consistently using your brand voice and visuals. If your name keeps showing up in people’s feeds, they’re more likely to search for it later.
3. Encourage Branded Reviews
Ask happy customers to mention your business name in their Google reviews. These show up in search results and boost your credibility.
4. Run Email Campaigns
Well-branded emails keep your business name in front of potential and current customers. Even if they don’t click right away, they’ll remember your name later.
5. Strengthen Local Presence
Get listed in online directories, partner with local pros, or sponsor community events. The more places your name appears, the more likely it is to be searched.
6. Keep Improving Your SEO
When your site shows up in search results for unbranded terms like “best home inspector,” people are introduced to your brand. If they like what they see, they may search for you by name next time.
All of these efforts build awareness that leads to more direct brand searches, which increases your share of search.
What to Expect From a Stronger Share of Search
There’s no set timeline or perfect target number to aim for. Growth depends on your market, competition, and how consistently you show up across channels.
What you can expect over time:
- More direct traffic (people typing your URL into their browser)
- More branded searches are showing in Google Search Console
- Higher conversion rates (branded traffic often performs better)
Focus on progress, not perfection. Even small increases in branded search volume can signal that your marketing is working. In fact, branded keywords convert up to 3x better than non-branded ones in many industries, including local services.
Related Questions
What is Share of Voice?
Share of voice tracks how much exposure your brand gets across all marketing channels compared to competitors. Share of search is similar, but focused on search engines.
What Is an Authority Score?
It’s a score that estimates how trustworthy and credible your website is, based on SEO factors like backlinks and content quality. A higher score can help your rankings and visibility.
How Long Does It Take to See SEO Results?
Most websites start seeing improvements within a few months, but results vary based on competition, content, and site history. Share of search often grows alongside your SEO progress.
Wrapping Up
Traffic is great. Rankings are helpful. But when more people start searching for your name, that’s a true sign of brand strength.
Share of search gives you a clear view of how your visibility is growing and whether your marketing efforts are working together. It helps you move from short-term wins to long-term brand awareness.
We help home service pros grow their branded traffic, improve SEO, and get more consistent leads across platforms.
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