In short
- What gets counted
- Recommendations, not mentions. Being named as the pricier alternative does not count as a choice.
- The denominator
- The questions you fixed beforehand. Change that list and the figure changes without anything happening in the market.
- Why it is sharper
- Because there is only one outcome per question. There is no second place to polish your figure with.
Where exactly does the difference between the two measures sit?
In four points, and the last one is where both measures fall silent: neither says why. For that you have to look at which sources the engine fetched when it made that choice.
| Share of Voice | Share of Choice | |
|---|---|---|
| What it counts | every mention | only the recommendation |
| Who chooses | the reader, from what they see | the engine, before the reader sees anything |
| What a negative mention does | it counts — awareness is awareness | it does not count, because nothing was chosen |
| What it does not say | whether anyone considered you | why you were chosen — for that you must look at the sources under the answer |
How do you calculate this without fooling yourself?
Fix the question list beforehand and do not change it afterwards. That sounds obvious and it is where most reporting loses its credibility: a list that grows each quarter with whatever went well turns every measurement into a new measurement.
And leave your own name out. A question with your brand in it almost always yields a recommendation and lifts the figure without saying anything about someone who does not know you yet.
What do you do with the figure when it is low?
First check whether you were mentioned at all. If not even that, it is too early for this measure and the work lies outside your site. Mentioned but not chosen means you lose on a property: price, reach, a certification, a guarantee someone else states and you do not.
Where does this measure stop saying anything?
On a question with only one reasonable answer, and in a category you deliberately stay out of. Whoever is not the cheapest should not steer on a question about the cheapest — keeping that figure low is not a fault but a position, and it belongs in the report with that reasoning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compare share of choice with a market share?
No. A market share is about units sold, this measure about answers to questions you selected. They can move in the same direction and that is pleasant, but it is not proof: the question list is yours, the market share is not.
Do you also measure whether the mention is positive?
Yes, per answer and not as one monthly average. We record per answer how you are named, with the caveat the engine itself adds and the sources underneath. One sentiment figure across thirty answers hides exactly the one answer where something went wrong.
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