Forbes vs National Geographic:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, National Geographic had more branded searches than Forbes among magazines worldwide. National Geographic was estimated to have 550K branded searches compared to Forbes’ 22.2K, and held a 43.6% Share of Search versus Forbes’ 1.8%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Follow Forbes vs National Geographic and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Which is more popular in search, Forbes or National Geographic?
Compare the magazines brands and creators work with. 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 by month for National Geographic, Forbes. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | National Geographic | The Economist | Vogue | Time | Forbes | Wired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.2% | 19.6% | 8.8% | 16% | 1.4% | 0.96% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.6% | 24.6% | 11% | 7.4% | 1.5% | 0.99% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.6% | 24% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.7% | 25.1% | 7.5% | 9.2% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 59.1% | 21.7% | 8% | 8% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 58.6% | 21.6% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.9% | 22.8% | 10.2% | 12.4% | 2% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 53.2% | 23.8% | 13% | 7.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.5% | 31.1% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.3% | 40.3% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.6% | 35.6% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Forbes and National Geographic comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- National Geographic was ahead of Forbes in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Forbes’ estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide moved from 1.4% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, National Geographic’s estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide moved from 53.2% to 43.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 550K.
How did search popularity change for magazines worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, National Geographic gained estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide, from 40.3% to 43.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Forbes worldwide fell 18.1% over 11 measured months, from 27.1K to 22.2K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Forbes’ and National Geographic’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.
Forbes
1 branded search term
- forbes magazine
National Geographic
1 branded search term
- national geographic
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.