How To Measure Share Of Voice (SOV)

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In the ever-growing world of digital marketing, making your brand stand out is more critical than ever. But how do you know if your efforts are actually working? One of the most powerful ways to gauge your success is through a metric called Share Of Voice (SOV). If you’ve never heard of it or don’t fully understand how it works, don’t worry. I’m here to break it down into plain language and help you measure it with confidence.

Imagine you’re at a crowded party. Everyone’s talking, but you want to be the one who’s heard the most. In marketing, that’s what Share of Voice is all about. It’s a way to measure how much of the conversation your brand owns compared to your competitors.

In this article, we’ll explore how to measure Share of Voice (SOV) step by step. By the end, you’ll not only know how to calculate it but also how to use it to outshine your competitors and grow your brand.

What Is Share of Voice (SOV)?

Let’s start with the basics: Share of Voice is a metric that measures how much of the market your brand controls compared to others in your industry. Essentially, it tells you how much visibility and attention your brand is getting in a particular space, whether that’s in social media, paid search, or organic search. The higher your SOV, the more dominant your brand is in the conversation.

Historically, Share of Voice was used to measure ad space in traditional media like TV or radio. But in today’s digital world, it’s much more comprehensive. You can now track SOV across multiple platforms, including social media, Google Ads, and SEO.

Why Share of Voice (SOV) Matters for Your Brand

So why should you care about Share of Voice? Think of it as a way to keep score in your marketing game. If you want to know if your efforts are paying off, SOV gives you direct insights into how well you’re doing compared to your competitors. It helps you:

Evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns: SOV tells you whether your campaigns are grabbing attention and generating brand awareness.
Understand your audience: By measuring mentions and clicks, you can gauge what’s resonating with your target audience.
Stay ahead of the competition: Tracking SOV helps you see who the top players are and where your brand stands, allowing you to adjust your strategies to outperform them.

If your goal is to dominate the market, keeping an eye on your Share of Voice is crucial.

How To Measure Share of Voice (SOV): Step-by-Step Guide

Now, let’s get into the practical side of things. Measuring Share of Voice isn’t rocket science, but it does require some calculations and tools. Below, we’ll cover the key areas to focus on and how to measure your SOV.

1. Measure Social Media Share of Voice

The first and easiest place to start is social media. In today’s digital age, conversations about brands happen every second on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Your Social Media Share of Voice is the percentage of social media mentions your brand gets compared to your competitors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Measure Social Media SOV:

Use a social media monitoring tool: Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Awario can track all brand mentions on social platforms.
Track brand mentions: Identify how often your brand is mentioned compared to your competitors. These tools will gather data for you, so you don’t have to manually count mentions.
Calculate your Social Media SOV: Use this simple formula:

SOV = (Your brand mentions / Total brand mentions in your industry) × 100

For example, if your brand was mentioned 500 times and all brands in your industry were mentioned 5,000 times, your Social Media SOV is 10%.

2. Measure Paid Search Share of Voice

If you’re running PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns, you’ll want to know how visible your ads are compared to your competitors. This is where Paid Search Share of Voice comes into play. It’s all about measuring the percentage of times your ads appear in search engine results.

Step-by-Step Guide to Measure Paid Search SOV:

Use Google Ads: Google provides a built-in feature called Impression Share. This shows how many times your ad was shown versus how many times it could have been shown.
Access your metrics: In your Google Ads dashboard, navigate to the Search Campaigns tab and locate your Impression Share data.
Calculate Paid Search SOV: Divide the impressions your ad received by the total available impressions for your keywords, and then multiply by 100.

For example, if your ad got 800 impressions out of 10,000 available impressions, your Paid Search SOV would be 8%.

3. Measure Organic Search Share of Voice

When people search for keywords related to your industry, does your brand show up? That’s what Organic Search Share of Voice measures. This is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) becomes important, as it reflects how well your site is ranking for relevant keywords.

Step-by-Step Guide to Measure Organic Search SOV:

Identify your target keywords: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to discover keywords your competitors are ranking for.
Track organic traffic: Measure the amount of traffic your site receives for these keywords using tools like Google Analytics or Ahrefs
Calculate Organic Search SOV: Use the following formula:

SOV = (Your total organic traffic / Total search volume for your target keywords) × 100

For example, if you receive 1,000 clicks from organic searches and the total search volume for your target keywords is 20,000, your Organic Search SOV would be 5%.

How To Boost Your Share of Voice (SOV)

Once you’ve measured your SOV, it’s time to figure out how to improve it. Here are some tried-and-true strategies to give your Share of Voice a boost.

1. Strengthen Your Content Marketing

Content is king in the digital world. To boost your SOV, you need to produce high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with your audience. Here’s how:

Create valuable content: Blog posts, videos, and infographics that solve real problems for your audience will help keep you top of mind.
Target the right keywords: Conduct keyword research to find topics your audience is interested in and create content around those terms.

An anecdote here: I once worked with a small eCommerce brand that struggled to get noticed. After investing in blog content that answered their audience’s most pressing questions, they saw a significant increase in SEO SOV within just six months. Content, when done right, can work wonders.

2. Engage with Your Audience on Social Media

The more you interact with your audience, the more Social Media Share of Voice you’ll capture. Here are some tips:

Respond to comments and mentions: Show your audience you care by responding quickly to their messages and mentions.
Run social media campaigns: Create engaging campaigns that encourage users to talk about your brand.

3. Optimize Your Paid Advertising

If you’re running PPC ads, make sure your ads are optimized to capture more attention. Here’s how:

Test different ad formats: Experiment with different ad types, like Google’s Gallery Ads, which are more interactive and likely to engage users.
Increase your ad spends strategically: Sometimes, a small increase in budget can lead to a significant increase in Paid Search SOV.

Using Share of Voice to Make Smarter Marketing Decisions

Measuring and boosting your Share of Voice isn’t just about beating your competitors. It’s also about making more informed decisions for your brand’s future. By regularly tracking SOV, you can:

Spot opportunities for growth: See which areas of your marketing are underperforming and improve them.
Understand your audience better: Gain insights into what content resonates most with your customers.
Fine-tune your strategy: Adjust your marketing efforts based on the data you gather to get better results.

Conclusion: Take Control of Your Share of Voice Today

In today’s competitive digital landscape, knowing how to measure Share of Voice (SOV) can give your brand the edge it needs. By measuring your SOV across social media, paid search, and organic search, you can assess how much of the market you own and where you need to improve.

But don’t stop there. Take the next step by implementing strategies to boost your SOV. From content marketing to PPC campaigns, the more visible your brand is, the more likely you are to win your audience’s attention — and ultimately, their loyalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SOV in media?

SOV (Share of Voice) in media refers to the percentage of the total audience attention or exposure your brand receives compared to competitors across different media platforms. This can include TV, radio, social media, and digital ads. It measures how prominent your brand is in the market and helps track your visibility.

What is the SOV rate?

The SOV rate is the proportion of advertising space or mentions your brand holds compared to the total available in your industry. For example, if your ads are shown 30% of the time in a certain space or context, your SOV rate is 30%. It’s a vital metric for gauging how much of the market attention your brand captures.

What is SOM and SOV?

SOM (Share of Market) is the percentage of total sales or revenue your brand controls in a particular market, while SOV (Share of Voice) measures how much visibility or exposure your brand gets compared to competitors. SOM relates to your sales success, while SOV reflects your brand’s presence or dominance in advertising and media.

How can I calculate share?

To calculate Share of Voice (SOV), you use the formula:
SOV = (Your Brand Metrics / Total Market Metrics) × 100
For example, if your brand was mentioned 500 times and the total industry mentions were 5,000, your SOV would be 10%. The same approach applies across different platforms like social media, search ads, or even PR mentions.

What is the Share of Voice rule?

The Share of Voice rule suggests that to grow your brand, your SOV should be greater than your SOM (Share of Market). This means you need to outspend or outperform in visibility compared to your market share to gain more of the market. Brands with SOV exceeding SOM are more likely to increase their market share.

How can I improve my SOV?

To improve your SOV, focus on these strategies:
Boost content marketing: Publish high-quality, relevant content frequently.
Increase paid ad spend: Invest more in PPC campaigns to dominate paid search.
Engage on social media: Create interactive campaigns and respond to mentions.
Improve SEO: Optimize for keywords to rank higher in organic search results.
Use PR efforts: Get more media coverage and press mentions for your brand.

How to increase Share of Voice?

You can increase Share of Voice by:
Expanding your marketing reach: Invest more in advertising on different channels.
Improving your SEO performance: Optimize your website for better rankings.
Launching strategic social media campaigns: Engage with users and increase brand mentions.
Outspending competitors on PPC: Increase your ad budget to get more exposure in paid searches.
Targeting new markets: Reach out to underserved market segments.

What is effective Share of Voice?

Effective Share of Voice refers to SOV that is actively translating into growth or conversions. It’s not just about visibility but also about how well that visibility drives results. For example, a high SOV might mean nothing if it’s not leading to increased SOM (Share of Market) or customer engagement.

How do you measure Share of Voice?

You measure SOV by dividing your brand’s metrics (mentions, impressions, clicks, etc.) by the total industry or competitor metrics and multiplying by 100. It can be calculated for different marketing channels like:
Social media mentions
Paid search impressions
Organic search traffic
PR mentions

What does 100% Share of Voice mean?

A 100% Share of Voice means your brand is receiving all the attention or exposure in a particular market, leaving no room for competitors. For example, if you own all the ad impressions or mentions in your category, you’d have 100% SOV, though this is very rare.

How to calculate Share of Voice in PR?

To calculate PR Share of Voice, track the number of times your brand is mentioned in media outlets, blogs, and news sites compared to competitors. Use this formula:
SOV = (Your PR mentions / Total industry PR mentions) × 100
For instance, if your brand had 50 mentions and the total for your industry was 500, your PR SOV would be 10%.

What is Share of Voice in SEO?

SEO Share of Voice measures how much organic traffic your website gets from search engine results compared to your competitors. You can calculate it by dividing your site’s total organic clicks for a set of keywords by the total clicks for all sites ranking for those keywords.
Formula: SOV = (Your organic traffic / Total search volume) × 100

What is a PPC Share of Voice?

PPC Share of Voice is the percentage of ad impressions your paid search ads receive compared to the total possible impressions in your industry. It’s calculated using Impression Share metrics available in Google Ads, showing how often your ads are visible in search results.

What is the Share of Voice in B2B?

In B2B marketing, Share of Voice refers to how much visibility or attention your brand commands in your industry compared to competitors. It can be measured across different channels like LinkedIn, trade publications, and paid search ads, helping B2B brands understand their market presence.

What is an example of Share of Voice?

An example of Share of Voice might be in a PPC campaign. Suppose you and your competitors are running ads for a particular keyword. If your ad is shown 30 times out of 100 total ad impressions, you have a 30% SOV for that keyword. The same principle applies to social media mentions and SEO rankings.

What is Netflix’s Share of Voice?

Netflix’s Share of Voice refers to the percentage of total conversations or media coverage that it captures compared to other streaming services. Given its global dominance, Netflix often has a high SOV in the streaming industry across social media, press mentions, and paid advertising.

What tools can I use to track SOV?

There are several tools to track SOV:
Hootsuite: Tracks social media mentions.
Google Ads: Provides data on Impression Share for PPC.
Ahrefs: Useful for tracking SEO Share of Voice.
Talkwalker: Tracks SOV across social, blogs, and media.
Sprout Social: Monitors social media SOV.

How do I calculate my Social Media SOV?

To calculate Social Media SOV, track the number of brand mentions you receive on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram compared to your competitors.
Formula: SOV = (Your brand mentions / Total mentions in your industry) × 100

How to calculate Share of Voice vs. a competitor?

To calculate SOV against a competitor, compare your brand’s total mentions, clicks, or impressions with those of your competitors using this formula:
SOV = (Your brand’s data / (Your brand’s data + Competitor’s data)) × 100
For example, if your brand has 1,000 mentions and your competitor has 4,000, your SOV would be 20%.

What is the difference between Share of Voice and Share of Shelf?

Share of Voice refers to your brand’s visibility in advertising and digital media, while Share of Shelf refers to the amount of shelf space your product occupies in physical or online stores compared to competitors. While SOV measures media exposure, Share of Shelf measures physical retail presence.

Here are some more SEO-related articles if you want to go deeper.

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Jennifer Thompson

Jennifer Lynn Thompson, Business Manager (USA & Canada) and our esteemed content writing author at Beyond SEO. With over nine years of experience in crafting compelling and SEO-friendly content writing skills and in-depth knowledge of digital marketing allow her to create engaging and SEO-optimized content that resonates with audiences and drives results.