Brandwave

Advertising platforms:Which are searched most?

In September 2026, Google Ads was the most searched among advertising platforms worldwide, with an estimated 5M branded searches and 80.3% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. Google Ads80.3%
  2. Meta Ads13.1%
  3. TikTok Ads4.8%
  4. Microsoft Advertising0.96%
  5. LinkedIn Ads0.79%

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the advertising platforms teams use. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthGoogle AdsMeta AdsTikTok AdsMicrosoft AdvertisingLinkedIn Ads
Oct 202579.8%10.7%7.1%1.2%1.2%
Nov 202582.7%9%6%1.2%0.99%
Dec 202583%9.1%6.1%1%0.82%
Jan 202681.1%10.8%5.9%1.2%0.97%
Feb 202681.1%10.8%5.9%1.2%0.97%
Mar 202678.8%12.9%5.8%1.4%1.2%
Apr 202679.2%12.9%5.8%1.2%0.95%
May 202679.2%12.9%5.8%1.2%0.95%
Jun 202679.2%12.9%5.8%1.2%0.95%
Jul 202679.2%12.9%5.8%1.2%0.95%
Aug 202677.1%15.4%5.6%1.1%0.76%
Sep 202680.3%13.1%4.8%0.96%0.79%

This month’s ranking, September 2026

  1. 1.Google Ads

    80.3%

    Held 1st. 5M estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +3.2 points.

  2. 2.Meta Ads

    13.1%

    Held 2nd. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.3 points.

  3. 3.TikTok Ads

    4.8%

    Held 3rd. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  4. 4.Microsoft Advertising

    0.96%

    Held 4th. 60.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  5. 5.LinkedIn Ads

    0.79%

    Held 5th. 49.5K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among advertising platforms worldwide?

In September 2026, Google Ads was the most searched among advertising platforms worldwide, with an estimated 5M branded searches and 80.3% estimated Share of Search within this set. Meta Ads is in 2nd place, 67.2 percentage points behind at 13.1% Share of Search.

Global advertising platforms, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
Google Ads79.8% → 80.3%83%Dec 202577.1%Aug 20261st
Meta Ads10.7% → 13.1%15.4%Aug 20269%Nov 20252nd
TikTok Ads7.1% → 4.8%7.1%Oct 20254.8%Sep 20263rd
Microsoft Advertising1.2% → 0.96%1.4%Mar 20260.96%Sep 20265th → 4th
LinkedIn Ads1.2% → 0.79%1.2%Oct 20250.76%Aug 20264th → 5th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meta Ads’ estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide increased from 10.7% to 13.1%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, TikTok Ads’ estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide decreased from 7.1% to 4.8%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Ads’ estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide peaked at 83% in December 2025 and was lowest at 77.1% in August 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meta Ads’ estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide peaked at 15.4% in August 2026 and was lowest at 9% in November 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Microsoft Advertising rose from 5th to 4th among advertising platforms worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LinkedIn Ads fell from 4th to 5th among advertising platforms worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Ads held steady: its estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for advertising platforms worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, Google Ads gained estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide, from 77.1% to 80.3%.

  2. In September 2026, Meta Ads lost estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide, from 15.4% to 13.1%.

  3. In September 2026, TikTok Ads lost estimated Share of Search among advertising platforms worldwide, from 5.6% to 4.8%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for LinkedIn Ads worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in September 2026.

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