Brandwave

How popular isDirect Line?

In September 2026, people searched for Direct Line by name about 150,000 times in the United Kingdom, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 19.3% of all United Kingdom van insurance provider searches, placing Direct Line second out of ten providers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van insurance providers, Direct Line appeared in one of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the ten.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Direct Line is the second most searched of 10 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AdmiralShare of searches 35.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. Direct LineShare of searches 19.3%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. AvivaShare of searches 12.9%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. Tradex InsuranceShare of searches 10.2%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. Hastings DirectShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

+5 more

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Top van insurance providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Direct Line was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Direct Line is the fifth most recommended of the ten.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. The Van Insurer1st
  2. Aviva2nd
  3. AXA2nd
  4. RAC4th
  5. Direct Line5th
  6. Admiral–
  7. Tradex Insurance–
  8. Hastings Direct–
  9. Ageas–
  10. 1st Central–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • The Van Insurer3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • RAC2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Direct Line1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Aviva1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • AXA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Admiral0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Tradex Insurance0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hastings Direct0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Ageas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • 1st Central0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about van insurance providers

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Who has the best van insurance in the UK?”

    1. 1AXA
    2. 2The Van Insurer
    3. 3RAC
    4. 4Direct Line

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which company should I insure my van with?”

    1. 1Aviva
    2. 2The Van Insurer
    3. 3RAC

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the cheapest van insurance for a tradesperson in the UK?”

    1. 1The Van Insurer

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “van insurance”

    1. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “van insurance quote”

      Not named in any answer:

      Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.

      Which van insurance providers compete with Direct Line?

      Direct Line against van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, by month

      Share of searches by month for Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Tradex Insurance, Hastings Direct, AXA, RAC, Ageas. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthAdmiralDirect LineAvivaTradex InsuranceHastings DirectAXARACAgeasThe Van Insurer1st Central
      Oct 202534%22.7%9.8%12.4%8.2%4.5%2.5%3.7%1.3%0.88%
      Nov 202537.7%20.6%10.9%10.9%7.4%4.1%2.7%3.4%1.5%0.8%
      Dec 202535.7%23.8%10.6%10.6%6.6%4.8%2.6%3.2%1.4%0.73%
      Jan 202633.1%22.1%12%9.5%8%5%3.6%3.6%2%1.1%
      Feb 202633.3%22.2%12.1%9.6%8.1%4.4%3.6%3.6%2%1.1%
      Mar 202636.2%19.7%10.7%10.7%8.5%4.5%3.2%3.9%1.7%0.76%
      Apr 202633.8%22.5%12.3%9.7%8.2%4.5%3%3.7%1.6%0.72%
      May 202636.9%20.1%10.6%8.9%8.9%5.6%2.7%3.3%2.2%0.78%
      Jun 202635.4%19.3%12.9%10.2%8.6%4.7%3.2%3.2%1.7%0.75%
      Jul 202635.6%19.4%12.9%10.2%8.6%4.7%3.2%3.2%1.4%0.75%
      Aug 202636.4%19.8%13.2%8.8%8.8%4.8%3.3%2.6%1.4%0.77%
      Sep 202635.4%19.3%12.9%10.2%8.6%5.4%3.2%2.6%1.7%0.75%

      1. 1.Admiral

        35.4%

        Held 1st. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

      2. 2.Direct Line

        19.3%

        Held 2nd. 3.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

      3. 3.Aviva

        12.9%

        Held 3rd. 2.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

      4. 4.Tradex Insurance

        10.2%

        Moved from 5th to 4th. 1.9K estimated branded searches, +18.8% vs prior month. Share +1.4 points.

      5. 5.Hastings Direct

        8.6%

        Moved from 4th to 5th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

      6. 6.AXA

        5.4%

        Held 6th. 1K estimated branded searches, +13.6% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

      7. 7.RAC

        3.2%

        Held 7th. 590 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

      8. 8.Ageas

        2.6%

        Held 8th. 480 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

      9. 9.The Van Insurer

        1.7%

        Held 9th. 320 estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

      10. 10.1st Central

        0.75%

        Held 10th. 140 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

      Direct Line and Aviva sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “direct line van insurance”.

      Compare popularity between Direct Line and its closest rivals

      Every comparison with Direct Line

      22 comparisons

      How has branded search demand for Direct Line changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

      3 findings
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Direct Line in the United Kingdom held steady, from 152K to 150K.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Direct Line’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom decreased from 22.7% to 19.3%.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Direct Line’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom peaked at 23.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 19.3% in September 2026.

      How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van insurance providers in September 2026?

      6 changes

      1. In September 2026, Tradex Insurance overtook Hastings Direct to rank 4th among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, with 10.2% of the searches.

      2. In September 2026, AXA gained share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, from 4.8% to 5.4%.

      3. In September 2026, Admiral lost share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, from 36.4% to 35.4%.

      4. In September 2026, Direct Line lost share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, from 19.8% to 19.3%.

      5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Aviva in the United Kingdom rose 26.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 2.4K in September 2026.

      6. Estimated monthly branded searches for The Van Insurer in the United Kingdom rose 23.1% over 12 measured months, from 260 to 320 in September 2026.

      How are Direct Line’s branded searches counted?

      6 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Direct Line’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

      • direct line
      • direct line home insurance
      • direct line insurance
      • direct line landlord insurance
      • direct line pet insurance
      • direct line van insurance

      Do you work for Direct Line? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Where does Direct Line compete?

      Direct Line is ranked in five competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
      Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
      Car insurance brands3rd of 511.8%Show ranking
      Home insurance brands5th of 89.8%Show ranking
      Pet insurance providers5th of 53.1%Show ranking
      Van insurance providers2nd of 1019.3%Shown above
      Landlord insurance providers2nd of 729.2%Show ranking
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