Share of voice is a measurement that represents how visible a brand is compared to competitors within a defined channel or topic. In search and digital marketing, it reflects the proportion of impressions, rankings, or exposure a brand receives relative to the total available market presence. A higher share of voice indicates stronger competitive visibility.
Share of voice can be applied across multiple channels including organic search, paid advertising, social media, and display. In SEO, it is commonly calculated using keyword rankings, impression share, and position weighting. This provides a broader view than single keyword performance.
Share of voice is a comparative indicator rather than an absolute metric. It shows competitive strength and momentum within a market. Tracking changes over time helps identify growth opportunities, competitive threats, and the impact of optimisation efforts.
Advanced
Share of voice calculations often weight rankings by estimated click potential rather than treating all positions equally. Higher rankings contribute more visibility value than lower placements. This creates a more realistic view of actual exposure.
Advanced analysis segments share of voice by topic, intent, or funnel stage. This reveals where a brand dominates visibility and where competitors outperform. Accurate measurement depends on consistent keyword sets, competitor definitions, and data sources.
Relevance
- Measures competitive visibility strength.
- Highlights market position changes.
- Supports strategic SEO and marketing planning.
- Reveals gaps against competitors.
- Tracks impact of optimisation over time.
Applications
- Competitive SEO analysis.
- Market visibility reporting.
- Campaign impact measurement.
- Topic and keyword prioritisation.
- Brand performance benchmarking.
Metrics
- Visibility percentage by keyword set.
- Impression share across topics.
- Ranking weighted exposure scores.
- Share change over time.
- Competitor visibility comparison.
Issues
- Poor keyword selection skews results.
- Incomplete competitor sets reduce accuracy.
- Over reliance hides conversion quality.
- Volatility affects short term readings.
- Inconsistent tracking limits insight.
Example
A SaaS company tracked share of voice across core feature keywords. After publishing supporting content and improving internal linking, its share of voice increased steadily while competitors declined, leading to sustained growth in organic leads.