Google's planning benchmarks are 40% weekly on-target reach and 2.7x weekly frequency

40%

weekly on-target reach

2.7x

weekly frequency

StatBrand Strategy

Brands with higher awareness were more likely to be following established media planning principles, which in turn correlated with greater Share of Search. Google's two published numbers for these Golden Rules: a minimum 40% weekly on-target reach for peak campaign effectiveness, and a median optimal weekly frequency of 2.7x on YouTube.

Source

Return on Awareness: how brand awareness drives share of search and why it pays to invest early - Google and Tracksuit (2026)

Google and Tracksuit; Tracksuit brand health data joined with Google indexed Share of Search

p5, Return on Awareness, Google with Tracksuit, June 2026; the Golden Rules are attributed to third-party research without a specific citation

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StatAt low awareness, brand growth converts into search demand roughly one for one PrincipleThe cheaper half of the awareness curve is the half you are on before anyone knows you WarningOn this chart the steeper line is the worse outcome, not the better one StatThe finding rests on 31 brands in two markets over a single year PrincipleShare of Search moves 6 to 12 months before market share does PrincipleSearching for a brand by name is a demand signal, not an exposure metric WarningBudget meetings select for measurable metrics, not for meaningful ones PrincipleEarly awareness investment delivers the highest return, so challengers gain most PrincipleWhen Share of Search stops tracking awareness, that is the signal to move money down the funnel PrincipleA famous brand grows at the fringes - new entrants, lapsed users, light buyers PrincipleAwareness, Share of Search and sales together tell you which part of the funnel broke PrincipleTraditional search was chosen because AI discovery has no measurement history yet