Share of Search (SoS) is a metric that measures a brand's share of all search queries related to a specific product or service category. As consumers increasingly turn to the internet to research and make purchasing decisions, tracking and analyzing search data has become crucial for measuring a company's success. SoS has emerged as a leading indicator of a company's market share, and there are several reasons why the two metrics are closely connected.
But before we dive into the details of how Share of Search is connected to market share - if you haven't set up a report on what your brand's Share of Search is looking like, you should go ahead and do so!
Branquo.com has a super simple Share of Search tool that you can try out right here, for free!
Okay, back to the point!
First, SoS can serve as an indicator of overall demand for a product or service category. As consumers search for information and compare options, their search behavior can reflect their purchase intent. The more people search for a particular product or service, the higher the likelihood of converting those searches into actual purchases. Therefore, SoS can provide insight into market demand, which is a key driver of market share.
Second, SoS can provide insight into a brand's relative strength in the market. By comparing a brand's SoS with its competitors, marketers can assess how well their brand is performing. Brands with higher SoS are likely to have a larger market share, while those with lower SoS may be losing out to their competitors. SoS can serve as a useful benchmark for a brand's performance and competitiveness in the market.
Third, SoS can help identify opportunities for growth. By tracking changes in SoS over time, marketers can spot emerging trends and shifts in consumer behavior. They can also use SoS to identify new keywords or phrases that are becoming more popular among consumers, which can inform their content and SEO strategies. By leveraging SoS data, marketers can position their brand for growth.
Several studies have demonstrated the close relationship between SoS and market share. For example, a study by SEMrush, a leading digital marketing platform, found that there is a strong correlation between SoS and market share in most categories, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.76. The study analyzed over 50,000 keywords across various industries and found that SoS was a more accurate predictor of market share than other metrics such as website traffic or social media engagement.
In conclusion, Share of Search is a powerful metric that can provide valuable insights into a brand's performance, competitiveness, and growth potential. By tracking SoS over time and comparing it with competitors, marketers can gain a better understanding of market demand and identify opportunities for growth. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, SoS is likely to become an even more important metric for measuring a brand's success.