# How to Track Competitor Share of Voice Across Channels
In the competitive Australian landscape—from local Brisbane tradies to nationwide e-commerce stores—knowing where you stand against your rivals is the key to strategic growth. Share of Voice (SoV) is a metric that measures how much of the market conversation your brand owns compared to your competitors; it is your digital "market share."
Tracking SoV matters because it identifies where you are winning, where you are losing, and which channels offer the best return on investment for your marketing spend. If your competitors are shouting louder than you on Google or Instagram, this guide will show you exactly how to find out by how much.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure you have the following:- A list of your top 3–5 direct competitors.
- Access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4.
- A spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel) to record data.
- Access to a basic SEO tool (like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest) and a social listening tool (optional but helpful).
---
Step 1: Define Your Competitor Set
Start by listing your true competitors. Don't just list the biggest brands in Australia; list the ones who are actually competing for your specific customers in your service area. For a Brisbane business, this might be other local providers rather than national giants. What you should see: A simple spreadsheet with your brand in Row 1 and your competitors in the following rows.Step 2: Identify Your Core Keyword Themes
To measure Share of Voice in search, you need to know which "conversations" you want to own. Group your services into themes (e.g., "Plumbing Repairs Brisbane," "Hot Water System Installation"). Tip: Focus on high-intent keywords that lead to sales, not just high-volume vanity terms.Step 3: Calculate Search Engine Share of Voice (Organic)
Using an SEO tool like Semrush or Ahrefs, enter your keyword list and your competitors' URLs. Look for the "Visibility %" or "Share of Voice" metric. If you don't have a paid tool: Use the Google Search Results Page (SERP). Manually search for your top 10 keywords and note how many times your brand appears in the top 10 results versus your competitors. Formula: (Your Brand Mentions / Total Mentions for All Competitors) x 100.Step 4: Audit Google Ads Impression Share
If you are running PPC, log into Google Ads. Navigate to Campaigns > Auction Insights. Screenshot Description: You will see a table showing your "Impression Share" alongside the display names of other businesses bidding on the same keywords. This is the most accurate way to see who is outspending or out-optimising you in the paid space.Step 5: Measure Social Media Audience Share
Social SoV is measured by followers and engagement. Collate the total follower count for your brand and your competitors across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Calculation: (Your Followers / Total Followers of the Group) = Your Social Audience SoV. Note: While followers are a "vanity metric," they represent your potential reach in the Australian social landscape.Step 6: Analyse Social Mention Volume
Use a tool like Brand24 or even a manual search on platforms like TikTok and Instagram using your brand name as a hashtag. Compare the number of times people are talking about you versus your competitors over the last 30 days.Step 7: Evaluate Mentions in Local Media and Forums
For Australian businesses, local relevance is huge. Search for mentions on sites like Reddit (r/brisbane), Whirlpool, or local news sites. Pro Tip: Set up a Google Alert for your competitors' brand names. Every time they are mentioned in a news article or blog, you’ll get an email, allowing you to track their PR Share of Voice in real-time.Step 8: Calculate Your "Total Digital SoV"
Bring all your data into your spreadsheet. Assign a weighted score if one channel is more important to you (e.g., if 80% of your leads come from Google, give Search SoV more weight). What you should see: A pie chart showing the percentage of the "digital pie" each brand owns. If you own 20% and your main rival owns 50%, you know you have a visibility gap to close.Step 9: Identify the "Content Gap"
Look at the competitor with the highest SoV. What are they doing that you aren't? Are they blogging more? Do they have more Google Reviews? (In Australia, Google Business Profile strength heavily impacts local SoV).Step 10: Set a Baseline and Monthly Cadence
Share of Voice is not a one-time task. Record your percentages at the end of every month. This allows you to see if your marketing efforts are actually increasing your market presence or if you are just spinning your wheels.---
Pro Tips for Success
- Don't ignore the "Others": Sometimes a new competitor will enter the Brisbane market and steal 5% SoV quickly. Keep an eye on the "long tail" of smaller competitors.
- Use ABN Lookups: If you see a new competitor dominating ads, use the ABN Lookup tool to see if they are a subsidiary of a larger national company. This helps you understand their budget levels.
- Focus on Sentiment: Owning 50% of the conversation is bad if that conversation is all negative reviews. Pair SoV with sentiment analysis.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Tracking too many keywords: Stick to the 50-100 keywords that actually drive revenue. Tracking "fluff" terms will give you a false sense of security.
- Ignoring Mobile vs Desktop: In Australia, over 60% of searches are on mobile. Ensure your SoV tool is tracking mobile rankings specifically.
- Forgetting Local Maps: For local marketing, the "Map Pack" is the most important SoV. If you aren't in the top 3, your SoV is effectively zero for local intent.
Troubleshooting
- "My competitors don't show up in Auction Insights": This usually means you aren't bidding on the same keywords or your budget is too low to trigger a comparison. Try broadening your keyword match types.
- "The SEO tool shows 0% SoV for me": Ensure you have correctly entered your domain (check if you use www. or not). Also, check if your site is being indexed by searching
site:yourdomain.com.auin Google. - "Social data is hard to find": Many Australian businesses have private profiles or low activity. If data is scarce, focus your SoV tracking purely on Search and Google Reviews.
Next Steps
Now that you know your Share of Voice, it’s time to increase it.- Start by addressing the "Content Gap" identified in Step 9.
- Optimise your Google Business Profile to win more local SoV.
- If you're feeling overwhelmed by the data, the team at Local Marketing Group can run a professional Competitor Audit for you. Contact us here to get a clear picture of your market standing.