AI Search Pulse, 3 November 2026

Published 4 November 2026.

The patterns behind this first issue, across all six engines: read the first-reading report.

Moves outside the margin of error

First reading: changes start with the next scan.

Olly's take

From this first reading, what stood out is how far apart the engines are on the same company. Crunch leads online accountants overall, yet it is named in 63.3% of Google AI Mode answers and 25% of ChatGPT answers. If you only check one engine, you won't know what the other five say about you.

Question spotlight

Which leasing companies have the best electric company car deals for a director who wants low benefit-in-kind tax?

Car and van leasing, one answer per engine

ChatGPT: Octopus EV, Lex Autolease, Arval, Ayvens, LeaseLoco, Leasing.com, Moneyshake, Select Car Leasing, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts
Claude: Lex Autolease, Ayvens, Arval, Zenith, Leasing.com, Select Car Leasing, Vanarama, Tusker, Octopus EV, The Electric Car Scheme, Gateway2Lease, LeaseLoco
Gemini: Octopus EV, The Electric Car Scheme, Select Car Leasing, Synergy Car Leasing, Lex Autolease, Arval, Rivervale Leasing, Ayvens, Zenith, Leasing.com
Perplexity: Select Car Leasing, Octopus EV, Synergy Car Leasing, Leasing Options, Auto Trader
Google AI Overviews: Select Car Leasing, Octopus EV, Carwow
Google AI Mode: Select Car Leasing, Synergy Car Leasing, Fleet Alliance, Zenith, Lex Autolease

Which home chargers meet the UK smart charge point regulations that came in during 2022?

Home EV chargers, one answer per engine

ChatGPT: Ohme, myenergi, Hypervolt, Indra, Wallbox, Easee, Pod, EO Charging
Claude: Ohme, myenergi, Pod, Hypervolt, Andersen EV
Gemini: Ohme, myenergi, Wallbox, Hypervolt, Pod, Indra, Easee, Andersen EV
Perplexity: Ohme, Wallbox
Google AI Overviews: myenergi, Ohme, Hypervolt, Wallbox, Rolec, Zaptec, Project EV
Google AI Mode: Ohme

How do the main HR systems for UK SMEs compare on connecting to separate payroll software?

HR and payroll software, one answer per engine

ChatGPT: Breathe, Xero, Sage, BrightPay, Moneysoft, CharlieHR, HiBob, ADP, Employment Hero, BambooHR, Personio, Deel, IRIS
Claude: IRIS, Xero, Sage, Breathe, QuickBooks, BrightPay, BrightHR, CharlieHR, PeopleHR, HiBob, Personio, Employment Hero
Gemini: BrightPay, Sage, Breathe, Xero, QuickBooks, Personio, PayFit, ADP, CharlieHR, HiBob, BambooHR
Perplexity: Sage, BambooHR, Xero, QuickBooks, Breathe, Personio, HiBob, CharlieHR, Factorial, IRIS, Employment Hero, Rippling, ADP
Google AI Overviews: No AI answer on this search
Google AI Mode: Breathe, CharlieHR, Xero, Sage, FreeAgent, HiBob, ADP, PeopleHR, BrightHR, IRIS

What's a fair monthly fee for a limited company accountant in the UK, and who offers it?

Online accountants, one answer per engine

ChatGPT: Crunch, Caroola Accountancy, The Accountancy Partnership
Claude: Crunch, Osome, Brookson, Caroola Accountancy, Goforma, Sleek
Gemini: Gorilla Accounting, Crunch, Sleek, The Accountancy Partnership, TaxAssist Accountants, Taxez
Perplexity: The Accountancy Partnership, Mazuma, Sleek, Osome, Gorilla Accounting, Crunch
Google AI Overviews: Accountancy Cloud
Google AI Mode: Crunch, SG Accounting, Aardvark Accounting, Goforma

Answers naming no tracked company

Car and van leasing: 5.9% of answers named none of the companies we track
Home EV chargers: 13.4% of answers named none of the companies we track
HR and payroll software: 3.9% of answers named none of the companies we track
Online accountants: 16.3% of answers named none of the companies we track

Where the engines disagree

Zenith in car and van leasing: 50.0% on Gemini, 13.3% on ChatGPT
Arval in car and van leasing: 38.3% on ChatGPT, 5.0% on Perplexity
Nationwide Vehicle Contracts in car and van leasing: 60.0% on Gemini, 26.7% on ChatGPT
Leasing.com in car and van leasing: 41.7% on Gemini, 10.0% on Perplexity
Synergy Car Leasing in car and van leasing: 33.3% on Gemini, 3.3% on ChatGPT
Wallbox in home EV chargers: 70.0% on Gemini, 20.0% on Google AI Mode
myenergi in home EV chargers: 81.7% on Gemini, 33.3% on Google AI Mode
Hypervolt in home EV chargers: 71.7% on Gemini, 26.7% on Google AI Mode
Pod in home EV chargers: 61.7% on ChatGPT, 17.3% on Google AI Overviews
Ohme in home EV chargers: 86.7% on Gemini, 43.3% on Google AI Mode
PayFit in HR and payroll software: 46.7% on Gemini, 5.0% on ChatGPT
Employment Hero in HR and payroll software: 43.3% on ChatGPT, 5.0% on Google AI Mode
Sage in HR and payroll software: 76.7% on Claude, 42.9% on Google AI Overviews
ADP in HR and payroll software: 36.7% on Claude, 3.3% on Google AI Mode
QuickBooks in HR and payroll software: 51.7% on ChatGPT, 21.7% on Perplexity
Gorilla Accounting in online accountants: 73.3% on Gemini, 18.3% on Claude
Crunch in online accountants: 63.3% on Google AI Mode, 25.0% on ChatGPT
Taxez in online accountants: 41.7% on Gemini, 5.0% on ChatGPT
Goforma in online accountants: 31.7% on Claude, 1.8% on Google AI Overviews
Sleek in online accountants: 33.3% on Gemini, 6.7% on ChatGPT

Named, but not on our list

ChargePoint in home EV chargers: 51 answers. Ask us to add it
SolarEdge in home EV chargers: 20 answers. Ask us to add it
Gusto in HR and payroll software: 45 answers. Ask us to add it
Workday in HR and payroll software: 34 answers. Ask us to add it
Deputy in HR and payroll software: 21 answers. Ask us to add it
Zellis in HR and payroll software: 13 answers. Ask us to add it

The rankings

Car and van leasing Leader: Select Car Leasing, 51.0%
Home EV chargers Too close to call: Ohme 67.0%, myenergi 62.8%
HR and payroll software Too close to call: Sage 60.7%, Xero 59.3%
Online accountants Leader: Crunch, 46.6%

A ranking measures how often AI answers name a company. It is not a recommendation, and nothing here is financial advice.

Inclusion is free. No company can pay to be listed or moved. AEOscore sells AI visibility services, and companies listed here may be or become clients. A listing does not mean a company is a client or endorses AEOscore.

Logos are trade marks of their owners and are shown only to identify each company.

In well over half of its 240 answers on 3 November 2026, Claude said its web search had stopped or failed, or that it was working partly from its own knowledge. Leaving those answers out keeps the same three companies on top in every industry and moves no company's overall figure by more than about 4 points, but read Claude's own column with more care than the others.

Visibility:: the share of eligible AI answers that name the company.
±:: the margin of error. It means that if we had asked a different mix of similar questions, the figure would land inside this range 95 times in 100.
Within noise:: a change whose 95% range includes zero, or that is under 3 percentage points. We never present these as movers.
0.0% and -:: 0.0% means we measured and the company was never named. A dash means there is no reading.

How we measure this