Who AI search surfaces for accounting software
nerdwallet.com anchors the accounting software retrieval pool (4/5 queries)
| # | Domain | Type | Queries | Mean pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | nerdwallet.com | Aggregator | 4/5 | 4.75 |
| 2 | quickbooks.intuit.com | Brand | 3/5 | 1.67 |
| 3 | xero.com | Brand | 2/5 | 2 |
| 4 | sage.com | Brand | 2/5 | 3.5 |
| 5 | business.com | Aggregator | 2/5 | 4 |
| 6 | cnbc.com | Editorial | 2/5 | 4.5 |
| 7 | g2.com | Aggregator | 2/5 | 6 |
| 8 | uschamber.com | Editorial | 2/5 | 7 |
| 9 | business.org | Aggregator | 1/5 | 1 |
| 10 | waveapps.com | Brand | 1/5 | 2 |
| 11 | fishbowlinventory.com | Brand | 1/5 | 2 |
| 12 | fitsmallbusiness.com | Aggregator | 1/5 | 2 |
“Queries” = how many of the 5 sampled queries surfaced this domain in the top 10 (across 3 samples). Position is the mean rank when present.
By distinct domain the pool is 44.8% brand-owned, 31% aggregator/directory, 24.1% editorial. Brand pages hold the largest single share here, so your own domain can compete directly.
nerdwallet.com (aggregator) is the most consistently surfaced source, appearing in 4 of 5 sampled queries at a mean position of 4.75. Below them, quickbooks.intuit.com (brand) at 3/5 and xero.com (brand) at 2/5 also recur. 8 of the 29 distinct domains surface in two or more of the 5 queries; the rest appear once and drop out. Across the pool, brand-owned pages hold the largest share of what AI search retrieves here.
A comprehensive on-domain library is a credible lever in this category. The retrieval set is very stable run to run (top-10 overlap 1), so a single snapshot is a reasonable read.
Methodology & limits: Snapshot only: 5 buyer-intent queries, 3 samples each, one time period. This maps the retrieval candidate pool (what AI search can draw from), not logged AI citations. Treat it as a directional signal, not a census.
- best accounting software
- accounting software for small business
- top accounting software 2026
- QuickBooks vs Xero
- cheapest accounting software for freelancers
Is your accounting software brand in the pool?
Run a free audit to see whether AI search surfaces you for your category, and who it surfaces instead.
Run My Free Audit