SOS! Tracking share of search – a smarter way to measure
By Ellie Jackson, Chief Client Strategy Officer
Why more businesses should track share of search
We all know that effective marketing should be doing (at least) two things: building a brand for the long term and generating sales in the short term. It’s a balance of two critical and complementary goals. And yet, so much of marketing measurement remains stuck in a short-term mindset: if you can’t measure the impact inside the quarter, it simply doesn’t count.
We’ve talked before about the dangers of using only immediate metrics like clicks and conversions to judge long-term brand-building efforts. It’s a short-sighted approach that can leave businesses over-prioritizing quick wins while failing to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth. That’s why it’s so surprising that more B2B businesses, particularly those with niche audiences, long sales cycles and buying committees, aren’t making use of Share of Search (SoS) as a core metric.
What is Share of Search, and why should you care?
For anyone unfamiliar, Share of Search (SoS) is a simple but powerful concept: it measures how often your brand is searched for online compared to your competitors. It’s essentially a proxy for brand interest and, as Les Binet’s research has demonstrated, it correlates strongly with market share over time. If your SoS is growing, it’s a strong indicator that your brand is gaining traction in the market. You can of course track branded search volume, but share of search gives you a fuller picture.
In many ways, SoS serves as a cost-effective alternative (or complement) to traditional brand awareness surveys. This is particularly relevant in B2B, where detailed market research can be expensive and – for many – just doesn’t make it to the top of the list over execution. Tracking SoS gives businesses a way to measure whether their combined marketing efforts are actually making a difference over the long term.
Why isn’t everyone using share of search?
I don’t have all the answers here, but I’ve speculated a little…
- It’s not a ‘traditional’ metric – Even though it’s hardly ‘new’, many marketing teams are still heavily focused on traditional performance metrics: lead generation, website traffic, engagement rates. While these metrics have their place, they don’t capture the long-term impact of brand-building activity.
- Misconceptions about digital relevance – Some argue that because B2B sales cycles are long and involve multiple decision-makers, search behavior isn’t always an accurate reflection of demand. For me, that’s missing the point a bit. SoS isn’t about tracking direct and immediate intent; it’s about measuring shifts in brand consideration over time.
- Lack of internal buy-in – Many B2B businesses are structured in ways that make brand-building measurement difficult. If leadership teams are more focused on quarterly sales targets, they may struggle to see the value in a metric that reflects long-term brand health.
Why you should still track share of search for your brand?
Of course, SoS isn’t perfect. It’s not a direct proxy for sales, and I’m not suggesting it should replace other marketing metrics. But here’s why it’s still an incredibly useful aspect to add into the mix:
- It’s a demonstration of intent – More so than simple brand awareness, searching for something shows a desire to find out more, possibly even with a view to buying.
- It’s a leading indicator – Because SoS has been shown to correlate with market share over time, businesses that track it can get ahead of competitors who only focus on lagging indicators like revenue.
- It captures the impact of brand-building – Even if your marketing isn’t search or digital-focused, shifts in SoS can reveal whether your overall strategy is increasing brand consideration.
If you’re not already tracking your share of search, now is the time to start. And if you’re not sure where to begin, our search experts can help you make sense of the data and put it to work for your business.
Marketing isn’t just about what happens this quarter – and if that’s all you’re tracking, you’re selling yourself short. It’s about where your brand will be in a year, two years, five years from now. That’s what company valuations are built on, after all. And if you’re not tracking SoS, you could be missing a crucial piece of that puzzle.
Key Takeaways:
Q: What is Share of Search (SoS)?
A: SoS measures how often a brand is searched for compared to competitors, making it a strong indicator of brand interest and market share growth.
Q: Why don’t more businesses track Share of Search?
A: Many focus on traditional metrics, misunderstand search behavior, or struggle with internal buy-in for long-term measurement.
Q: How does SoS benefit B2B marketing?
A: It signals brand traction, serves as a leading indicator of market share, and captures the effectiveness of brand-building efforts.
Relevant External Links:
- Les Binet’s Research on Share of Search
- How share of search and market share interact
- How to calculate share of search
