---
title: "Small business insurance providers in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the insurers small businesses in the US buy liability and business cover from. Share of Search among The Hartford, Next Insurance, Hiscox, Progressive, Simply Business, Thimble, Travelers and Nationwide, the small business insurance providers Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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/us/categories/us-small-business-insurance"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Small business insurance providers in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the insurers small businesses in the US buy liability and business cover from. Share of Search among The Hartford, Next Insurance, Hiscox, Progressive, Simply Business, Thimble, Travelers and Nationwide, the small business insurance providers Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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

- **Competitive set**: Small business insurance providers
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 8
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: The Hartford, 56.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among small business insurance providers in the United States?

- In September 2026, The Hartford was the most searched among small business insurance providers in the United States, with an estimated 246K branded searches, 56.5% of all searches for the eight we track.
- Next Insurance is in 2nd place, 39.5 percentage points behind at 17%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Next Insurance’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States decreased from 21% to 17%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hiscox’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States increased from 9.7% to 12.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Simply Business’ share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States increased from 4.4% to 5.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Hartford’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 61.1% in December 2025 and was lowest at 50.5% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Next Insurance’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 23.6% in April 2026 and was lowest at 17% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hiscox’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 13.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 8.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Progressive’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 6.5% in December 2025 and was lowest at 5% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Simply Business’ share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 5.6% in August 2026 and was lowest at 3.9% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thimble’s share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States peaked at 2.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 1.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Hartford, Progressive, Thimble, Travelers and Nationwide held steady: their share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top small business insurance providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hiscox was mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Hiscox was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four answers that gave a list. The Hartford was second, and Next Insurance was third. Simply Business, which ranked fifth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hiscox | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| The Hartford | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Next Insurance | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Progressive | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Nationwide | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Thimble | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Travelers | 7th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Simply Business | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about small business insurance providers

- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best small business insurance company in the US?": 1. Next Insurance, 2. The Hartford, 3. Hiscox, 4. Nationwide, 5. Travelers
- Asked ChatGPT "Where can a small business in the US get general liability insurance online?": 1. Hiscox, 2. Thimble, 3. Progressive
- Asked ChatGPT "Which insurers are best for small business insurance in the US?": 1. The Hartford, 2. Next Insurance, 3. Hiscox, 4. Nationwide, 5. Progressive, 6. Travelers
- Searched Google, AI Overview "small business insurance": 1. The Hartford, 2. Progressive, 3. Hiscox, 4. Next Insurance, 5. Travelers
- Searched Google, AI Overview "general liability insurance": named none of the brands we track

Not named in any answer: Simply Business.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 23, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [The Hartford vs Next Insurance: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/next-insurance-vs-the-hartford): 56.5% against 17% Share of Search.
- [The Hartford vs Hiscox: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hiscox-insurance-vs-the-hartford): 56.5% against 12.7% Share of Search.
- [The Hartford vs Progressive: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/progressive-insurance-vs-the-hartford): 56.5% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [The Hartford vs Simply Business: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/simply-business-vs-the-hartford): 56.5% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [Next Insurance vs Hiscox: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hiscox-insurance-vs-next-insurance): 17% against 12.7% Share of Search.
- [Next Insurance vs Progressive: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/next-insurance-vs-progressive-insurance): 17% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Next Insurance vs Simply Business: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/next-insurance-vs-simply-business): 17% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [Hiscox vs Progressive: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hiscox-insurance-vs-progressive-insurance): 12.7% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Hiscox vs Simply Business: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/hiscox-insurance-vs-simply-business): 12.7% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [Progressive vs Simply Business: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/progressive-insurance-vs-simply-business): 6.1% against 5.4% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States small business insurance providers in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Progressive overtook Simply Business to rank 4th among small business insurance providers in the United States, with 6.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Hiscox gained share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States, from 10.7% to 12.7%.
- In September 2026, The Hartford lost share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States, from 58.4% to 56.5%.
- In September 2026, Next Insurance lost share of searches among small business insurance providers in the United States, from 17.6% to 17%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Nationwide in the United States rose 80.6% over 12 measured months, from 720 to 1.3K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Travelers in the United States rose 46.2% over 12 measured months, from 1.3K to 1.9K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Simply Business in the United States rose 22.4% over 12 measured months, from 19.2K to 23.5K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Thimble in the United States rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 6.6K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The Hartford | 56.5% | 246K | 0.0% | The Hartford |
| 2 | Next Insurance | 17% | 74K | 0.0% | Next Insurance |
| 3 | Hiscox | 12.7% | 55.3K | +22.3% | Hiscox |
| 4 | Progressive | 6.1% | 26.6K | +18.2% | Progressive |
| 5 | Simply Business | 5.4% | 23.5K | 0.0% | Simply Business |
| 6 | Thimble | 1.5% | 6.6K | -18.5% | Thimble |
| 7 | Travelers | 0.44% | 1.9K | +18.8% | Travelers |
| 8 | Nationwide | 0.3% | 1.3K | +170.8% | Nationwide |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | The Hartford | 246K | 57% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Next Insurance | 90.5K | 21% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Hiscox | 41.9K | 9.7% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Progressive | 26.6K | 6.2% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Simply Business | 19.2K | 4.4% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Thimble | 5.4K | 1.3% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Travelers | 1.3K | 0.3% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | Nationwide | 720 | 0.17% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | The Hartford | 201K | 57% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Next Insurance | 74K | 21% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Hiscox | 34.3K | 9.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Progressive | 21.7K | 6.2% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Simply Business | 15.7K | 4.5% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Thimble | 4.4K | 1.2% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Travelers | 1K | 0.28% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Nationwide | 590 | 0.17% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | The Hartford | 246K | 61.1% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Next Insurance | 74K | 18.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Hiscox | 34.3K | 8.5% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Progressive | 26.2K | 6.5% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Simply Business | 15.7K | 3.9% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Thimble | 4.4K | 1.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Travelers | 1.3K | 0.32% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Nationwide | 720 | 0.18% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | The Hartford | 301K | 57.3% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Next Insurance | 110K | 20.9% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Hiscox | 51.2K | 9.8% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Progressive | 30.3K | 5.8% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 4.5% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Thimble | 6.6K | 1.3% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.3% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Nationwide | 880 | 0.17% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 55.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Next Insurance | 90.5K | 20.6% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Hiscox | 51.2K | 11.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Progressive | 23.5K | 5.3% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Simply Business | 20.2K | 4.6% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Thimble | 6.6K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.36% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Nationwide | 720 | 0.16% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 50.5% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Next Insurance | 110K | 22.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Hiscox | 66.2K | 13.6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Progressive | 28.8K | 5.9% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 4.8% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Thimble | 9.9K | 2% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.33% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Nationwide | 880 | 0.18% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 52.7% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Next Insurance | 110K | 23.6% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Hiscox | 51.2K | 11% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Progressive | 23.5K | 5% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 5% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Thimble | 9.9K | 2.1% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.34% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Nationwide | 720 | 0.15% | 8 |
| May 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 56.1% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Next Insurance | 90.5K | 20.6% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Hiscox | 45.2K | 10.3% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Progressive | 23.5K | 5.4% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 5.4% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Thimble | 8.1K | 1.8% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Travelers | 1.3K | 0.3% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Nationwide | 590 | 0.13% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 56.4% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Next Insurance | 90.5K | 20.7% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Hiscox | 45.2K | 10.4% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 5.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Progressive | 22.5K | 5.2% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Thimble | 6.6K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.37% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Nationwide | 480 | 0.11% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 59.2% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Next Insurance | 74K | 17.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Hiscox | 41.9K | 10.1% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Progressive | 22.5K | 5.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Simply Business | 22.5K | 5.4% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Thimble | 6.6K | 1.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.39% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Nationwide | 480 | 0.12% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 58.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Next Insurance | 74K | 17.6% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Hiscox | 45.2K | 10.7% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 5.6% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Progressive | 22.5K | 5.3% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Thimble | 8.1K | 1.9% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Travelers | 1.6K | 0.38% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Nationwide | 480 | 0.11% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | The Hartford | 246K | 56.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Next Insurance | 74K | 17% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Hiscox | 55.3K | 12.7% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Progressive | 26.6K | 6.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Simply Business | 23.5K | 5.4% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Thimble | 6.6K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Travelers | 1.9K | 0.44% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Nationwide | 1.3K | 0.3% | 8 |

## What is being compared

- **Hiscox**: Measured on the search terms “hiscox” and “hiscox insurance”, summed into one figure.
- **Nationwide**: Measured on the search term “nationwide business insurance”.
- **Next Insurance**: Measured on the search term “next insurance”.
- **Progressive**: Measured on the search terms “progressive business insurance” and “progressive commercial”, summed into one figure.
- **Simply Business**: Measured on the search terms “simply business” and “simply business insurance”, summed into one figure.
- **The Hartford**: Measured on the search term “the hartford”.
- **Thimble**: Measured on the search term “thimble insurance”.
- **Travelers**: Measured on the search term “travelers business insurance”.

- [Hiscox](/demand/us/brands/hiscox-insurance)
- [Nationwide](/demand/us/brands/nationwide)
- [Next Insurance](/demand/us/brands/next-insurance)
- [Progressive](/demand/us/brands/progressive-insurance)
- [Simply Business](/demand/us/brands/simply-business)
- [The Hartford](/demand/us/brands/the-hartford)
- [Thimble](/demand/us/brands/thimble-insurance)
- [Travelers](/demand/us/brands/travelers)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among small business insurance providers in the United States?

In September 2026, The Hartford was the most searched among small business insurance providers in the United States, with an estimated 246K branded searches, 56.5% of all searches for the eight we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Small business insurance providers in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-small-business-insurance

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-small-business-insurance. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.