AEO for transaction advisory services: AI search visibility ranking
How AI search engines rank transaction advisory services by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured quarterly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Transaction advisory services firms helping buyers, sellers, and investors with due diligence, carve-outs, quality of earnings, and deal execution support. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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When asked about Transaction advisory services, AI engines frequently highlight EY as the leader. With 75% visibility, EY stands out among competitors like Deloitte and PwC. This high visibility shows EY's strong presence in the advisory space, making it a frequently mentioned choice among AI responses.
The rankings reflect the sources that AI models rely on most, such as youtube.com, reddit.com, and mascience.com. The prominence of these platforms, many of which are aggregators or review-based, means they capture a broad spectrum of user experiences and professional insights, influencing how brands are ranked.
For buyers evaluating this list, consider how AI engines prioritize brands with strong, recent reviews and validated expertise. Look for brands that perform well on platforms that AI often cites, as these engines value current and comprehensive third-party validation in the subcategory of Transaction advisory services.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
EY leads transaction advisory services AI visibility by a substantial margin, scoring 75.0% visibility against a category average of just 11.9%. That 63-point gap over the average, and a 25-point lead over second-ranked Deloitte at 50.0%, signals EY has significantly more presence in AI-generated responses than any peer. Deloitte is the biggest recent riser, jumping from rank 6 to rank 2 with a 37.5-point visibility gain, making the top two a distinct tier above the remaining 18 brands.
A clear divergence exists between being named and being cited. EY and PwC both hold top-three visibility positions yet carry 0.0% citation rates, meaning AI responses mention them without linking to their domains. Conversely, CohnReznick has 0.0% visibility but a 50.0% citation rate, the highest in the category, indicating its content is used as a source even when the brand itself is not surfaced in answers. Grant Thornton and KPMG both achieve 25.0% citation rates despite relatively modest visibility scores of 12.5% and 25.0% respectively.
The top cited sources for this category are dominated by non-brand domains: youtube.com, reddit.com, mascience.com, websiteclosers.com, glassdoor.com, and ghjadvisors.com all appear alongside cohnreznick.com and bonadio.com. Every brand in the top 10 lists Google AI Mode as its top engine, confirming the audit data reflects a single-engine landscape. The presence of community and video platforms among top cited sources suggests Google AI Mode is drawing on a broad range of third-party content rather than anchoring primarily on advisory firm websites.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility risers
-
Deloitte 12% → 50% · rank #6 → #2+38pp
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PwC 12% → 38% · rank #7 → #3+25pp
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KPMG 12% → 25% · rank #2 → #4+12pp
Biggest visibility fallers
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CohnReznick 12% → 0% · rank #5 → #6-12pp
The AEO ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
ey.com
|
75% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
EY leads with 75.0% visibility, more than six times the 11.9% category average, yet its 0.0% citation rate means AI names it without sourcing its domain content. |
||||
| 2 |
deloitte.com
|
50% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
Deloitte is the category's biggest riser, gaining 37.5 visibility points to reach 50.0%, while also recording a 25.0% citation rate that no other top-three brand achieves. |
||||
| 3 |
pwc.com
|
38% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
PwC climbed from rank 7 to rank 3 with a 25.0-point visibility gain, but like EY it holds a 0.0% citation rate, reflecting strong naming presence without source attribution. |
||||
| 4 |
kpmg.com
|
25% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
KPMG dropped two rank positions despite a 12.5-point visibility increase to 25.0%, and its 25.0% citation rate matches Deloitte's, making it relatively well-cited for its visibility tier. |
||||
| 5 |
grantthornton.com
|
12% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
Grant Thornton holds only 12.5% visibility, just above the 11.9% category average, but its 25.0% citation rate is disproportionately high compared to peers at similar visibility levels. |
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| 6 |
cohnreznick.com
|
0% | 50% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
bdo.com
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
hl.com
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
rsmus.com
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
fticonsulting.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
plantemoran.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
alvarezandmarsal.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
kroll.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
stout.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
lincolninternational.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
forvismazars.us
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
bakertilly.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
armanino.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
crowe.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
eisneramper.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on transaction advisory services, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this AEO ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer. More on visibility →
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence, different from being named. More on citation rate →
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps. How AI engines pick sources →
AEO rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 90 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Run an AEO audit on your own transaction advisory services brand
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same answer engine optimisation measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about AEO for transaction advisory services
Who leads AI visibility in transaction advisory services?
EY leads with 75.0% visibility, a composite score of 52.5, and a 25-point gap over second-ranked Deloitte at 50.0%.
Which brands are cited most by AI in transaction advisory services?
CohnReznick has the highest citation rate at 50.0%, followed by Deloitte, KPMG, and Grant Thornton, each at 25.0%.
What sources does Google AI Mode anchor on for transaction advisory services queries?
The top cited sources include youtube.com, reddit.com, mascience.com, and websiteclosers.com, alongside advisory firm domains cohnreznick.com and bonadio.com.
Can a brand be frequently cited by AI without having high visibility in this category?
Yes. CohnReznick has 0.0% visibility but a 50.0% citation rate, the highest in the category, showing its content is sourced even when the brand is not surfaced in AI answers.
Which brands have improved their AI visibility the most recently in transaction advisory services?
Deloitte gained 37.5 visibility points and rose from rank 6 to rank 2, while PwC gained 25.0 points and rose from rank 7 to rank 3.
How does the category average compare to the top performers in transaction advisory services AI visibility?
The category average visibility is 11.9%, while EY sits at 75.0% and Deloitte at 50.0%, placing both well above the typical brand's AI presence in this space.