1st Central vs The Van Insurer:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, The Van Insurer had more branded searches than 1st Central among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom. The Van Insurer had about 320 branded searches, while 1st Central had 140. The Van Insurer made up 1.7% of all van insurance provider searches we track, and 1st Central accounted for 0.75%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van insurance providers, The Van Insurer appeared in three of the five answers and 1st Central in none.
Who do people search for more?
The Van Insurer, about 2 searches for every 1 for 1st Central
Who does AI mention more?
The Van Insurer, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, 1st Central in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
The Van Insurer, the only one of the two named
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Top van insurance providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Van Insurer was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. 1st Central did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
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?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which company should I insure my van with?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest van insurance for a tradesperson in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“van insurance”
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.
Is 1st Central or The Van Insurer more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for 1st Central and The Van Insurer by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten van insurance providers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for The Van Insurer, 1st Central. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Admiral | Direct Line | Aviva | Tradex Insurance | Hastings Direct | AXA | RAC | Ageas | The Van Insurer | 1st Central |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34% | 22.7% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 1.3% | 0.88% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.7% | 20.6% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.7% | 23.8% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 6.6% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.73% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.1% | 22.1% | 12% | 9.5% | 8% | 5% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.3% | 22.2% | 12.1% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.2% | 19.7% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 8.5% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.8% | 22.5% | 12.3% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 0.72% |
| May 2026 | 36.9% | 20.1% | 10.6% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.6% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.78% |
| Jun 2026 | 35.4% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.75% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.6% | 19.4% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Aug 2026 | 36.4% | 19.8% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.77% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.4% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.75% |
How has the 1st Central and The Van Insurer comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Van Insurer was ahead of 1st Central in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 1st Central’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom moved from 0.88% to 0.75%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 170 to 140.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Van Insurer’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom moved from 1.3% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 260 to 320.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van insurance providers in September 2026?
2 changes
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.
Estimated monthly branded searches for 1st Central in the United Kingdom fell 17.6% over 12 measured months, from 170 to 140 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using 1st Central’s and The Van Insurer’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.
1st Central
1 branded search term
- 1st central van insurance
The Van Insurer
1 branded search term
- the van insurer
Other head-to-heads among van insurance providers
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