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UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting - PPC Market Share Analysis August 2026

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the UK Payroll / Accounting category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Payroll / Accounting – UK

Google AI Overview visibility for Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting UK

See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.

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AIO Frequency

How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 48.0326254126
51.9673745874
48%

Complex Query Frequency

A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 35
65
35%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 14%
Transactional 6%
Navigational 16%
Seasonal 0%
Local 0%
Problem Solving 8%

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Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

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Share of Clicks - Last month
Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
xero.com 68.65
sage.com 12.34
quickbooks.intuit.com 9.71
adp.com 2.73
invoicehome.com 2.13
bizimply.com 0.73
blackline.com 0.28
iris.co.uk 0.25
freeagent.com 0.25
stripe.com 0.21
others 2.72
  • xero.com - 68.65%
  • sage.com - 12.34%
  • quickbooks.intuit.com - 9.71%
  • adp.com - 2.73%
  • invoicehome.com - 2.13%
  • bizimply.com - 0.73%
  • blackline.com - 0.28%
  • iris.co.uk - 0.25%
  • freeagent.com - 0.25%
  • stripe.com - 0.21%
  • others - 2.72%

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Xero.com dominates with 68.65% click share, overshadowing competitors. Sage.com follows at 12.34%, while QuickBooks holds 9.71%. Others collectively capture 2.72%.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month. 

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Share of Spend - Last Month
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date sage.com xero.com quickbooks.intuit.com netsuite.com invoicehome.com adp.com blackline.com iris.co.uk dext.com stripe.com
2026/08/01 25.37% 35.27% 11.09% 0.52% 1.83% 2.52% 1.3% 1.41% 1.83% 1.04%
2026/08/02 26.59% 30.17% 10.77% 0.26% 2.38% 3.85% 1.21% 1.51% 1.76% 0.82%
2026/08/03 26.47% 33.85% 10.41% 0.96% 2.3% 3.37% 1.18% 1.44% 0.88% 1.25%
2026/08/04 22.64% 38.81% 10.24% 1.04% 4.71% 3.03% 0.84% 1.15% 0.71% 3.12%
2026/08/05 23.24% 37.73% 11.25% 1.32% 3.82% 2.28% 0.93% 0.77% 0.94% 2.44%
2026/08/06 22.98% 42.05% 10.45% 1.01% 2.56% 2.4% 1.07% 0.99% 0.7% 0.74%
2026/08/07 23.65% 43.58% 11.1% 0.41% 2.29% 2.66% 0.92% 0.84% 0.91% 0.79%
2026/08/08 21.36% 31.97% 17.22% 0.26% 1.8% 4.92% 0.94% 1.3% 1.27% 0.36%
2026/08/09 24.42% 30.85% 18.16% 0.17% 3.63% 3.73% 1.24% 1.13% 1.15% 0.77%
2026/08/10 27.74% 30.46% 11.69% 1.22% 3.06% 0.95% 1.53% 1.24% 1.51% 2.29%
2026/08/11 25.65% 31.57% 12.62% 1.53% 2.03% 3.11% 1.8% 1.16% 1.14% 1.72%
2026/08/12 24.55% 29.3% 10.46% 1.01% 3.4% 1.87% 1.29% 0.76% 1.06% 1.44%
2026/08/13 27.68% 25.65% 11.06% 0.76% 3.91% 3.33% 1.02% 0.93% 1.78% 2.22%
2026/08/14 31% 24.38% 13.72% 1.53% 3.15% 1.98% 1.42% 1.55% 1.61% 1.18%
2026/08/15 29.3% 23.04% 15.22% 0.49% 3% 1.18% 1.61% 1.27% 1.39% 0.86%
2026/08/16 31.21% 25.13% 13.56% 0.16% 2.58% 0.79% 1.47% 1.58% 1.55% 1.2%
2026/08/17 30.72% 26.59% 13.36% 0.76% 2.86% 4.68% 1.88% 0.95% 0.9% 1.05%
2026/08/18 33.47% 24.42% 11.3% 2.36% 4.59% 1.96% 1.55% 0.88% 1.6% 0.55%
2026/08/19 27% 26.5% 12.62% 2.27% 3.99% 3.58% 1.84% 1.35% 1.46% 0.51%
2026/08/20 31.66% 29.76% 11.15% 2.54% 2.02% 2.94% 1.58% 1.06% 1.28% 1.47%
2026/08/21 33.42% 27.01% 12.25% 1.44% 3.27% 2.79% 2.71% 0.93% 1.3% 1.01%
2026/08/22 36.95% 23.11% 13.9% 0.83% 3.64% 3.23% 1.52% 1.19% 1.02% 1.26%
2026/08/23 38.28% 23.36% 14.26% 0.34% 2.7% 2.33% 1.68% 0.99% 1.23% 0.72%
2026/08/24 30.39% 28.38% 13.06% 1.58% 1.99% 3.3% 2.74% 0.92% 0.82% 0.49%
2026/08/25 32.82% 29.11% 12.37% 1.61% 2.64% 1.6% 0.99% 0.73% 0.62% 0.79%
2026/08/26 28.05% 30.83% 11.7% 2.68% 4.03% 2.85% 1.66% 0.62% 0.51% 1.03%
2026/08/27 30.19% 30.15% 11.27% 2.48% 3.48% 3.13% 1.3% 0.71% 0.3% 1.17%
2026/08/28 32.07% 28.65% 10% 3.27% 4% 2.86% 1.4% 0.64% 0.77% 2.05%
2026/08/29 35.09% 27.79% 14.18% 3.23% 2.42% 1.8% 1.49% 1.02% 1.2% 0.53%
2026/08/30 34.6% 24.66% 13.13% 2.34% 2.81% 2.07% 1.55% 1.13% 1.75% 0.1%
2026/08/31 31.29% 27.87% 11.15% 4.56% 2.78% 2.17% 1.48% 1.16% 0.86% 0.25%
  • sage.com
  • xero.com
  • quickbooks.intuit.com
  • netsuite.com
  • invoicehome.com
  • adp.com
  • blackline.com
  • iris.co.uk
  • dext.com
  • stripe.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In August 2026, Sage.com saw a steady rise, peaking at 38.28% on the 23rd. Xero.com started strong but declined, ending at 27.87%. Quickbooks.intuit.com fluctuated, finishing at 11.15%. Netsuite.com had a late surge, closing at 4.56%.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month. 

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Competitor Count - Last month
Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2026/08/01 255
2026/08/02 257
2026/08/03 263
2026/08/04 261
2026/08/05 268
2026/08/06 247
2026/08/07 241
2026/08/08 227
2026/08/09 229
2026/08/10 247
2026/08/11 241
2026/08/12 242
2026/08/13 246
2026/08/14 237
2026/08/15 222
2026/08/16 217
2026/08/17 213
2026/08/18 215
2026/08/19 217
2026/08/20 215
2026/08/21 196
2026/08/22 191
2026/08/23 189
2026/08/24 200
2026/08/25 233
2026/08/26 236
2026/08/27 240
2026/08/28 244
2026/08/29 245
2026/08/30 241
2026/08/31 268

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

August began with 255 advertisers, peaking at 268 mid-month. A decline followed, reaching 189 on August 23. The month concluded with a resurgence, ending at 268.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

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Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
sage.com 3.19%
freeagent.com 0.16%
adp.com 0.12%
mollie.com 0.11%
c-bas.co.uk 0.07%
stripe.com -0.09%
getapp.com -0.1%
bizimply.com -0.1%
quickbooks.intuit.com -0.49%
xero.com -2.9%

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Sage.com surged with a 3.19% click share increase, while Xero.com faced a significant drop of 2.9%.

Campaign Efficiency

UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

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Date xero.com sage.com quickbooks.intuit.com invoicehome.com adp.com gocardless.com iris.co.uk mollie.com paypal.com stripe.com
2026/08/01 60.66% 10.75% 8.25% 1.64% 1.75% 1.13% 1.24% 0.41% 1.29% 0.51%
2026/08/02 55.67% 12.18% 8.41% 2.01% 3.42% 0.19% 1.07% 1.26% 1.86% 0.62%
2026/08/03 60.91% 11.31% 7.96% 2.25% 2.48% 0.6% 1.06% 0.22% 1.47% 0.6%
2026/08/04 59.99% 13.75% 7.47% 3.95% 2.12% 0.31% 1.2% 0.84% 0.21% 1.63%
2026/08/05 58.71% 9.34% 8.12% 3.21% 2.4% 1.49% 0.57% 0.42% 0.12% 1.49%
2026/08/06 59.72% 13.21% 7.71% 2.31% 1.56% 0.78% 0.44% 0.31% 0.07% 0.34%
2026/08/07 64.93% 11.28% 8.52% 2.29% 2.51% 1.25% 0.35% 0.17% 0.24% 0.4%
2026/08/08 51.08% 8.63% 14.2% 1.94% 3.63% 0.42% 0.67% 0.11% 0.24% 0.17%
2026/08/09 52.73% 10.19% 15.91% 3.07% 3.48% 0.15% 0.7% 0.23% 0.19% 0.35%
2026/08/10 57.78% 12.32% 7.15% 3.37% 2.12% 0.16% 0.77% 0.28% 0.15% 1.94%
2026/08/11 56.24% 13.11% 8.51% 2.44% 3.4% 0.11% 0.63% 0.72% 0.1% 1.24%
2026/08/12 47.71% 10.99% 8.05% 3.03% 2.05% 0.15% 0.79% 0.09% 1.66% 0.86%
2026/08/13 42.99% 17.24% 8.93% 3.59% 2.49% 1.76% 0.58% 0.16% 1.47% 1.7%
2026/08/14 47.84% 16.31% 12.6% 3.09% 2.27% 0.68% 1.06% 0.63% 2.05% 0.79%
2026/08/15 44.65% 15.1% 11.68% 2.62% 1.46% 4.55% 0.62% 1% 1.03% 0.43%
2026/08/16 53.04% 13.93% 8.96% 2.44% 1.44% 2.17% 0.9% 1.18% 1.3% 0.67%
2026/08/17 48.08% 18.97% 10.28% 2.45% 3.7% 1.56% 0.75% 0.53% 0.93% 0.57%
2026/08/18 51.31% 17.78% 8.45% 3.79% 2.28% 0.43% 0.49% 1.22% 1.04% 0.29%
2026/08/19 56.04% 12.41% 8.77% 4.01% 3.66% 0.36% 0.94% 0.89% 0.79% 0.22%
2026/08/20 61.18% 13.1% 7.44% 1.95% 3.02% 0.58% 0.73% 0.57% 0.71% 0.76%
2026/08/21 53.62% 16.45% 9.68% 3.06% 2.28% 0.49% 0.39% 0.53% 0.5% 0.59%
2026/08/22 49.75% 22.67% 9.12% 2.95% 2.66% 0.55% 0.82% 0.79% 0.21% 0.66%
2026/08/23 48.27% 22.22% 9.45% 2.76% 2.05% 0.52% 0.72% 0.77% 0.85% 0.34%
2026/08/24 55.31% 14.42% 8.66% 2.29% 2.49% 0.8% 0.41% 0.66% 0.18% 0.3%
2026/08/25 45.45% 23.39% 6.82% 2.44% 1.59% 1.11% 0.63% 1.2% 0.65% 0.42%
2026/08/26 48.24% 17.82% 5.95% 3.45% 2.31% 0.47% 0.54% 0.42% 0.38% 0.83%
2026/08/27 46.77% 18.54% 7.54% 3.22% 2.67% 0.29% 0.64% 0.52% 0.84% 0.74%
2026/08/28 45.83% 22.71% 8.69% 3.43% 2.23% 0.17% 0.46% 1.25% 0.37% 1.23%
2026/08/29 48.22% 20.53% 12.31% 2.68% 2.37% 0.45% 0.81% 0.62% 1.32% 0.37%
2026/08/30 42.14% 22.13% 8.17% 2.88% 1.63% 1.95% 0.76% 1.82% 1.73% 0.06%
2026/08/31 48.52% 20.45% 8.08% 3% 2.1% 1.69% 0.89% 0.87% 0.59% 0.18%
  • xero.com
  • sage.com
  • quickbooks.intuit.com
  • invoicehome.com
  • adp.com
  • gocardless.com
  • iris.co.uk
  • mollie.com
  • paypal.com
  • stripe.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In August 2026, Xero led with fluctuating impressions, peaking early and stabilizing mid-month. Sage surged mid-month, while QuickBooks saw a brief spike. InvoiceHome and ADP maintained steady shares. GoCardless and Mollie showed minor fluctuations. PayPal and Stripe had minimal impact.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

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Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Software & Technology Payroll / Accounting - Last month
  1. 1
    ADP Payroll Solutions | Fast, Easy Payroll Services https://uk.adp.com › payroll

    Payroll, security and compliance experts in 140 countries. Outsourced, flexible solutions. Payroll you can trust for your business. Easily keep compliant.

  2. 2
    Intuit QuickBooks Online https://quickbooks.intuit.com › accounting › software

    Manage Everything In One Place — Intuit Intelligence Gives Fast, Reliable Answers, So You Get More Done In Less Time. Customers Say They Grew Revenue By 18% On Average With Intuit Intelligence. HMRC-Recognised Software.

  3. 3
    Sage™ Official Site https://www.sage.com

    Sage™ For Small Businesses — Manage Accounting, Finances, Payroll, Operations & People With Our Award-Winning Software. Over 1 Million UK Businesses Use Sage™ To Manage Their Business. Find Out More. Free Trial.

  4. 4
    Simple Invoice Creation https://www.stripe.com

    Create and Send Invoices — Create, send, and track invoices—no code required. Get started now. Simplify and automate your invoicing process with Stripe Invoicing.

  5. 5
    Xero https://www.xero.com

    Accounting for Small Business — Xero accounting software is made for SMBs. Automate admin and work from anywhere, anytime. Accounting software with all the time-saving tools you need. Simple. Invoicing. Invoice Creation.

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive landscape of Google PPC, ADP, Intuit QuickBooks, Sage, Stripe, and Xero shine with distinct narratives. ADP emphasizes global payroll expertise, while QuickBooks highlights efficiency and revenue growth. Sage offers comprehensive business management, Stripe simplifies invoicing, and Xero focuses on SMB-friendly automation.

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