Glossary · StrategyTOFU

Share of voice

The short answer

Share of voice (SOV) is your brand's portion of total visibility or conversation within a category — measured in ad impressions, search rankings, social mentions, or increasingly, citations in AI answers.

A long-observed pattern in marketing is that brands whose share of voice exceeds their share of market tend to grow, while those below it tend to shrink.

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By PMG Growth TeamUpdated How we fact-check

Ways to measure it

  • Paid SOV — your share of category ad impressions
  • Search SOV — your share of visibility for category keywords
  • Share of search — branded searches for you vs competitors
  • Social SOV — share of category mentions
  • AI SOV — how often you're cited versus competitors in AI answers

In practice

A quick way to track share of search: compare your brand's search trend with your top three competitors' in Google Trends each month. It's free, and a sustained rise relative to competitors is often a leading indicator of market share gains.

Ways to measure share of voice

TypeMeasure
Paid searchImpression share on category terms
Share of searchYour branded search volume ÷ total category branded searches
SocialYour mentions ÷ total category mentions
MediaYour ad spend or impressions vs competitors
AI answersShare of citations for category questions

Share of voice in practice

A brand's ads appear in 30% of impressions for its category keywords, while its main competitor gets 45% — a gap in visibility the brand can track over time.

Common mistakes

  • Comparing across different channels
  • Ignoring quality of visibility
  • Not linking share of voice to growth

Frequently asked questions

What's a good share of voice?

Ideally above your market share if you want to grow.

Is share of search a useful proxy?

Yes — branded search volume relative to competitors is easy to track and often tracks market share.

How do we calculate share of search?

Compare branded search volume for your brand and competitors over time using Google Trends or keyword tools.

Is share of voice relevant for small brands?

Yes, within your niche or region — it helps track whether awareness is growing.

How is share of voice measured?

Through impression share, social mentions or media monitoring, depending on the channel.

Why does share of voice matter?

Brands with higher share of voice than market share often grow over time.

Related terms

Full glossary
GlossaryBrand liftThe measurable increase in awareness or consideration caused by ads.Explore →GlossaryBranded searchSearches containing your brand name — a proxy for demand you've created.Explore →GlossaryReachThe number of unique people who saw your ad at least once.Explore →

Where this matters

ServiceMedia BuyingPlanning, negotiating and buying media across every channel — on outcome, not rate card.Explore →ServiceCompetitor AnalysisAd, search, positioning and pricing intelligence turned into specific moves.Explore →

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