How Long Should You Track the Increase in Branded Search Volume?
This article was automatically translated from the Japanese original. Read the original in Japanese
The increase in branded search volume should be tracked not only immediately after a post goes live, but also over the 2-4 weeks that follow. This is because searches can increase with a delay, as a lingering effect of the buzz created.
Why Looking Only Immediately After Publication Leads to Oversights
Not everyone who sees a post searches for it right away. There are other paths as well—someone might recall it later and search, or hear about it from someone else and then search. These patterns don't show up in the numbers immediately after publication. As touched on in What to Track Immediately After a Sponsored Collaboration Versus a Month Later, measuring effectiveness shouldn't be completed based on immediate numbers alone; you also need to look at the numbers after some time has passed. If you finalize your evaluation based only on what you see right after publication, you risk overlooking this delayed effect.
What Determines the 2-4 Week Timeframe
The 2-4 week timeframe serves as a rough guide for when the lingering effect of buzz naturally subsides. When a chain reaction occurs—someone who saw the post mentions it in conversation with friends or family, and the person who heard about it searches for it too—this kind of spread takes several weeks to play out. If the upward trend continues beyond 4 weeks, you should consider that factors other than the post itself may be influencing the numbers.
When Are Delayed Search Increases More Likely to Occur?
Delayed search increases are more likely when the content of the post includes elements that are easy for people to talk about. Conversely, for content that tends to generate only momentary interest, the numbers immediately after publication tend to closely match the final results. As touched on in How to Explain the Results of Influencer Initiatives Beyond Sales, branded search volume is one metric that demonstrates outcomes beyond sales, and setting an appropriate tracking period allows you to more accurately grasp the true value of this metric.
Scope of This Article
This article covers how to think about the timeframe over which branded search volume should be tracked. It does not cover the specific tools or settings needed to actually measure branded search volume.
Conclusion
Rather than judging the increase in branded search volume based solely on the numbers immediately after publication, tracking the trend over 2-4 weeks allows you to capture the actual effect, including the lingering impact of the buzz generated.