Hill's vs Optimum:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Optimum had more branded searches than Hill's among cat food brands in Australia. Optimum had about 1,900 branded searches, while Hill's had 1,300. Optimum made up 3.3% of all cat food brand searches we track, and Hill's accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cat food brands, Hill's appeared in four of the five answers and Optimum in none.
Who do people search for more?
Optimum, about 46% more searches than Hill's
Who does AI mention more?
Hill's, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Optimum in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Hill's, the only one of the two named
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Top cat food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hill's was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Optimum did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Royal Canin1st- Hill's2nd
Fancy Feast3rd- Feline Natural4th
Black Hawk5th
Whiskas6th
Advance7th
ZIWI Peak8th
Felix9th- +2 more
- Optimum–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Royal Canin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Hill's4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Fancy Feast3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Feline Natural3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- ZIWI Peak2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Black Hawk2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Advance2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Felix1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Whiskas1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Optimum0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cat food brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cat food in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cat food is best for an indoor cat?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's a good wet food for a fussy cat?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cat food”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cat food”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 27, 2026.
Is Hill's or Optimum more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hill's and Optimum by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 cat food brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Optimum, Hill's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Felix | Whiskas | Royal Canin | Dine | Applaws | Fancy Feast | ZIWI Peak | Optimum | Hill's | Black Hawk | Advance | Feline Natural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 17.9% | 12.6% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 13.9% | 8% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 21.4% | 12.3% | 14.3% | 14.3% | 11.3% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 21.9% | 14.8% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 10.9% | 8% | 4.2% | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 18.9% | 12.8% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 9.9% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.7% | 12.5% | 17.7% | 11.8% | 9.2% | 7.9% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 22.4% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 3% | 3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 19.7% | 16.3% | 16.1% | 13.1% | 10.3% | 7.2% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 2% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 19% | 15.7% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 10% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.8% | 14.1% | 13.9% | 20.8% | 8.9% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.5% | 14.7% | 15% | 15% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 22.8% | 15.5% | 15.3% | 12.5% | 9.8% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 25.8% | 14.3% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 10.4% | 9.4% | 4.2% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
How has the Hill's and Optimum comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Optimum was ahead of Hill's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among cat food brands in Australia moved from 3.5% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Optimum’s share of searches among cat food brands in Australia moved from 4.2% to 3.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for Australia cat food brands in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Hill's in Australia fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hill's’ and Optimum’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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