Improve your surveys with Share of Search
The connection between Share of Search and market share is something which has been proven in various industries already. The marketing metric does have more possibilities though, like Alexander Vucic, brand consultant at Viva Media Group explains.
“Whenever we start working with a new client, we need to know the starting point, a so called ‘zero measurement’,” explains Alex, “what we’ve seen in multiple categories now, is that Share of Search provides us with the exact same high level data as expensive and time consuming surveys.”
The benefits of this are multiple
Continued tracking
Surveys are generally a snapshot of a particular moment and thus needs to be repeated at regular intervals. This requires quite some budget and often the reality has already changed by the time the results are available. Share of Search can help continue to track the high level data, which often set the kpi’s, on a continuous basis.Optimise consumer insight budgets:
By starting with Share of Search, often combined with sentiment analysis, one can already get a very good view on what the main topics are related to the brand. Since surveys often only have a limited number of questions that can be used, you can focus on more detailed questions to find out the reasons why, instead of the high level data showing the what.
“Don’t get me wrong, surveys definitely still serve a purpose,” Alex continues,”but we need to be smart about how to use resources. Share of Search is an inexpensive way to get a first overview and track over time. If we can do less surveys, but focusing more on deeper underlying topics based on what we see in the search results, we become immediately much more effective.”
Beyond the speed and flexibility of Share of Search, it also helps take out a level of bias from the surveys. The data shows the intent of the consumers based on their behaviour and not on what they say.
“Starting a survey from a blank canvas is always hard,”says Fred Pirenne, Chief Science Officer at MyTelescope,”inevitably you’ll start making questions based on your own assumptions and hypotheses, bringing in bias from the start. By having a starting ground from the data provided by Share of Search, you reduce that risk. Through MyTelescope you can even add that already with first sentiments and topic analysis, to make the questions even more precise.”