NielsenIQ vs YouGov:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, YouGov had more branded searches than NielsenIQ among market research companies worldwide. YouGov had about 246,000 branded searches, while NielsenIQ had 228,000. YouGov made up 24.1% of all market research company searches we track, and NielsenIQ accounted for 22.4%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is NielsenIQ or YouGov more popular in search?
Compare the market research companies people choose between. 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 searches by month for YouGov, NielsenIQ. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Ipsos | YouGov | NielsenIQ | GfK | Kantar | Circana | Euromonitor | Mintel | Verian | Nielsen | Forrester Research | B2B International | Touchstone Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.8% | 21.1% | 19.1% | 9.4% | 11.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.57% | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.7% | 24.1% | 22.3% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.43% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| Dec 2025 | 22.1% | 22.1% | 24.6% | 10% | 10% | 3% | 2.4% | 3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.48% | 0.08% | 0.02% |
| Jan 2026 | 19.8% | 24.2% | 26.4% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.43% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.5% | 21.5% | 24.4% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.58% | 0.09% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 22.8% | 22.8% | 21.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 0.92% | 0.5% | 0.08% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.4% | 22.4% | 20.8% | 8.2% | 10% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 24.2% | 24.2% | 22.5% | 7.3% | 10.8% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.35% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.4% | 20.3% | 23.1% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.36% | 0.07% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 21.8% | 26.7% | 24.7% | 6.6% | 9.8% | 2.9% | 2% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.39% | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Aug 2026 | 26% | 21.3% | 24.1% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 0.38% | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.1% | 24.1% | 22.4% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.35% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
How has the NielsenIQ and YouGov comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 6 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: NielsenIQ took it in December 2025, YouGov took it in March 2026, NielsenIQ took it in June 2026, YouGov took it in July 2026, NielsenIQ took it in August 2026, YouGov took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NielsenIQ’s share of searches among market research companies worldwide moved from 19.1% to 22.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 223K to 228K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouGov’s share of searches among market research companies worldwide moved from 21.1% to 24.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
How did search popularity change for market research companies worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, YouGov overtook NielsenIQ to rank 2nd among market research companies worldwide, with 24.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, NielsenIQ lost share of searches among market research companies worldwide, from 24.1% to 22.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using NielsenIQ’s and YouGov’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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