--- title: "DFDS: search popularity in the United Kingdom" description: "DFDS is a ferry and freight shipping company with routes across northern Europe. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/brands/dfds" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # DFDS: search popularity in the United Kingdom DFDS is a ferry and freight shipping company with routes across northern Europe. 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. ## Key facts - **Brand**: DFDS - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among ferry companies**: 8.4% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ferry companies | 5 | 8.4% | 49.5K | - [Ferry companies in the UK](/demand/uk/categories/uk-ferry-companies) ## Top ferry companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, DFDS was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. DFDS is the most recommended of the nine. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | DFDS | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | P&O Ferries | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Brittany Ferries | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Stena Line | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Irish Ferries | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | CalMac | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Wightlink | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Red Funnel | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Condor Ferries | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about ferry companies - Asked ChatGPT "Which ferry company should I use to get to France from the UK?": 1. DFDS, 2. P&O Ferries, 3. Brittany Ferries, 4. Irish Ferries - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best ferry companies in the UK?": 1. Brittany Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Stena Line, 4. P&O Ferries, 5. CalMac, 6. Wightlink - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best ferry company for taking a car to Ireland from the UK?": 1. Stena Line, 2. Irish Ferries, 3. P&O Ferries - Searched Google, AI Overview "ferry to france": 1. P&O Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Irish Ferries, 4. Brittany Ferries Not named in any answer: Red Funnel and Condor Ferries. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for DFDS changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for DFDS in the United Kingdom fell from 60.5K to 49.5K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DFDS’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom decreased from 9.6% to 8.4%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DFDS’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 11.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 8.2% in June 2026. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom ferry companies in September 2026? - In September 2026, CalMac overtook P&O Ferries and Stena Line to rank 2nd among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, with 18.8% of the searches. - In September 2026, Irish Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 8.9% to 6.9%. - In September 2026, Brittany Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 19.7% to 18.8%. - In September 2026, P&O Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 16.2% to 15.4%. - In September 2026, Stena Line lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 16.2% to 15.4%. - In September 2026, Wightlink rose from 7th to 6th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 11.5% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 11% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 10.3% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | May 2026 | Ferry companies | 74K | 9.7% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | Ferry companies | 60.5K | 8.2% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | Ferry companies | 90.5K | 10.9% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | Ferry companies | 74K | 8.9% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | Ferry companies | 49.5K | 8.4% | 5 | ## How are DFDS’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DFDS’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading. - “dfds” ## Which ferry companies compete with DFDS? - [Brittany Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/brittany-ferries) - [CalMac](/demand/uk/brands/calmac): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-dfds - [P&O Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/p-and-o-ferries): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-p-and-o-ferries - [Stena Line](/demand/uk/brands/stena-line): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-stena-line - [Wightlink](/demand/uk/brands/wightlink): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-wightlink - [Irish Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/irish-ferries): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-irish-ferries - [Red Funnel](/demand/uk/brands/red-funnel) - [Condor Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/condor-ferries) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "DFDS: search popularity in the United Kingdom". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/brands/dfds This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/brands/dfds. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.