Brandwave

How popular isRoyal London?

In September 2026, people searched for Royal London by name about 90,900 times in the United Kingdom, a 17.7% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 11% of all United Kingdom income protection provider searches, placing Royal London fifth out of six providers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about income protection providers, Royal London appeared in two of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Royal London is the fifth most searched of 6 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AvivaShare of searches 36.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. Legal & GeneralShare of searches 20.2%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. VitalityShare of searches 16.6%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. LV=Share of searches 11%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  5. Royal LondonShare of searches 11%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

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Top income protection providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Royal London was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Royal London is the second most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. LV=1st
  2. Royal London2nd
  3. Legal & General3rd
  4. Aviva4th
  5. Zurich5th
  6. Vitality–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Aviva3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Legal & General2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • LV=2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Royal London2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Zurich1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Vitality0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about income protection providers

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Who is the best income protection insurance provider in the UK?”

    1. 1Royal London
    2. 2LV=
    3. 3Aviva
    4. 4Legal & General

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which income protection policy should I get if I'm self-employed?”

    1. 1Aviva

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Is income protection worth it, and which company is best?”

    1. 1LV=
    2. 2Legal & General
    3. 3Royal London
    4. 4Zurich
    5. 5Aviva

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “income protection insurance”

    1. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “income protection”

      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 income protection providers compete with Royal London?

      Royal London against income protection providers in the United Kingdom, by month

      Share of searches by month for Aviva, Legal & General, Vitality, LV=, Royal London, Zurich. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthAvivaLegal & GeneralVitalityLV=Royal LondonZurich
      Oct 202540.3%14.9%14.9%14.9%9.8%5.3%
      Nov 202537.1%13.7%16.9%13.7%11.1%7.4%
      Dec 202534.6%15.4%15.4%15.4%12.6%6.7%
      Jan 202633.8%15.3%15.3%18.7%10.1%6.8%
      Feb 202634.9%15.9%15.9%15.9%10.5%7%
      Mar 202632.7%18.1%18.1%14.8%9.8%6.5%
      Apr 202635.1%13%15.9%15.9%13%7%
      May 202638.9%14.4%14.4%14.4%11.7%6.3%
      Jun 202631.7%15.2%15.2%18.7%12.4%6.7%
      Jul 202638.9%14.4%14.4%14.4%11.7%6.3%
      Aug 202632.5%19.2%15.6%15.6%10.4%6.8%
      Sep 202636.5%20.2%16.6%11%11%4.8%

      1. 1.Aviva

        36.5%

        Held 1st. 1.3K estimated branded searches, +30% vs prior month. Share +4 points.

      2. 2.Legal & General

        20.2%

        Held 2nd. 720 estimated branded searches, +22% vs prior month. Share +1.1 points.

      3. 3.Vitality

        16.6%

        Moved from 4th to 3rd. 590 estimated branded searches, +22.9% vs prior month. Share +1 points.

      4. 4.LV=

        11%

        Moved from 3rd to 4th. 390 estimated branded searches, -18.8% vs prior month. Share -4.6 points.

      5. 5.Royal London

        11%

        Held 5th. 390 estimated branded searches, +21.9% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

      6. 6.Zurich

        4.8%

        Held 6th. 170 estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share -2 points.

      Royal London, Aviva and Legal & General sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “royal london income protection”.

      Compare popularity between Royal London and its closest rivals

      Every comparison with Royal London

      7 comparisons

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

      3 findings
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Royal London in the United Kingdom fell from 110K to 90.9K.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal London’s share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom increased from 9.8% to 11%.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal London’s share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom peaked at 13% in April 2026 and was lowest at 9.8% in March 2026.

      How did search popularity change for United Kingdom income protection providers in September 2026?

      6 changes

      1. In September 2026, Vitality overtook LV= to rank 3rd among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, with 16.6% of the searches.

      2. In September 2026, Aviva gained share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, from 32.5% to 36.5%.

      3. In September 2026, Legal & General gained share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, from 19.2% to 20.2%.

      4. In September 2026, Royal London gained share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, from 10.4% to 11%.

      5. In September 2026, LV= lost share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, from 15.6% to 11%.

      6. In September 2026, Zurich lost share of searches among income protection providers in the United Kingdom, from 6.8% to 4.8%.

      How are Royal London’s branded searches counted?

      2 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Royal London’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.

      • royal london
      • royal london income protection

      Do you work for Royal London? 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 Royal London compete?

      Royal London is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
      Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
      Life insurance brands3rd of 815.1%Show ranking
      Income protection providers5th of 611%Shown above
      Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

      Is Royal London your brand?

      Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

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