Glossary
What is share of voice in AI search?
Share of voice compares how often AI answers name your business against the competitors you choose. It is a comparison, so it depends on who is in it.
Why the competitor set matters
Share of voice only covers the businesses you put in it. Leave out a strong competitor and your share looks larger than it would with them included. Add a new one and each share shifts.
Reading a change in share of voice
Answers vary between attempts and between assistants. Google's guidance for site owners says AI Overviews may use different models and techniques, so their responses will vary. Work out shares for each assistant first.
A change in share does not show its cause. Competitors change their websites, assistants change how they work and answers vary on their own. A before and after sequence alone cannot separate these.
In practice
- Choose the businesses List the competitors to compare, by the names a customer and an answer would use. Count any you add later only from the date you add them.
- Fix the prompts and assistants Use the same prompts, assistants and period for every business in the set.
- Show the set with the share Report each business's count, the total and the dates beside every share.
Common questions
Is share of voice the same as mention rate?
No. Mention rate looks at how often answers named one business. Share of voice compares several businesses over the same answers. You can have a steady mention rate and a falling share if competitors gain mentions.
Which competitors should I include?
Include the businesses a customer would weigh up against you, and those that answers already name beside you. Keep the list stable between periods. Change it only for a reason, and note the date.
Does a higher share mean I am winning more customers?
Not on its own. Share of voice counts mentions in answers you collected. Customers, visits and sales are separate measures that need their own evidence. Read the answers themselves to see how each business was described.
Is share of voice the same as mention rate?
No. Mention rate looks at how often answers named one business. Share of voice compares several businesses over the same answers. You can have a steady mention rate and a falling share if competitors gain mentions.
Which competitors should I include?
Include the businesses a customer would weigh up against you, and those that answers already name beside you. Keep the list stable between periods. Change it only for a reason, and note the date.
Does a higher share mean I am winning more customers?
Not on its own. Share of voice counts mentions in answers you collected. Customers, visits and sales are separate measures that need their own evidence. Read the answers themselves to see how each business was described.
Sources
- Google Ads Help, About impression share Link checked 29 October 2026
- Google Search Central, AI features and your website Link checked 29 October 2026