AI sales automation market, September 2026
Miles FosterOwner and tester, RankDude
The market▼ Shrinking
- Visits, year on year
- -38%
- Visits vs August 2026
- -8.6%
- Name searches vs October 2025
- -13%
Every month I measure Google visits to the 20 AI sales automation sites I track, and how often people search for them by name. In September 2026 they got about 1.2 million visits, 38% fewer than a year ago and 9% fewer than in August 2026.
Below: who grew fastest (one site is up 406% in a year), who sits highest on Google, where the visitors live and what comes next.
Data from DataForSEO, Tranco, Chrome UX Report, Ahrefs and SerpApi · not a ranking
AI sales automation market: the key numbers for September 2026
Four numbers for September 2026. Visits mean visits from Google search to the tracked sites. Tap one for the detail below.
- The tracked sites got 1,174,580 visits from Google in September 2026, 38% fewer than a year ago and 9% fewer than in August 2026.
- “ai sales automation” gets about 260 US searches a month. People searched the site names 104,050 times in the US in September 2026, 13% less often than in October 2025.
- 1 tracked site is on Google’s first page for “ai sales automation”; the highest is Smartlead at position 5. Apollo.io is the most-visited site.
- 35.7% of visits came from the US (33% a year ago), then India, United Kingdom and Canada. The five most-visited sites took 72.3% of all visits.
1How many visits
In plain words: These sites got fewer visits from Google than a year ago (-38%), and September 2026 was a weaker month than August 2026 (-9%).
- Visits, September 2026
- 1,174,580 (-38.3% on a year ago, -8.6% on August 2026)
- US visits
- 419,812 (-33.1% on a year ago)
- 24-month peak
- 4,571,702 in October 2024
WorldVisits a month to AI sales automation sites, worldwide
Source: DataForSEO, Google search visits, all tracked sites.
Miles explains
Judge this line on the year, not the last dot: visits are 38% below a year ago, and 74% below the October 2024 high. One site winning or losing a ranking can swing a single month a lot.
2How many people went looking
People typed a site’s name into Google 13% less often than in October 2025 (-13%). That is the loyalty number, because nobody types a name by accident.
- Searches for "ai sales automation"
- 260 a month in the US, 720 worldwide (12-month average)
- Name searches, September 2026
- 104,050 in the US (-13.2% since October 2025), 571,460 worldwide
USSearches a month for "ai sales automation", United States
Source: Google Ads via DataForSEO.
USSearches a month for the site names, United States
Source: Google Ads via DataForSEO, to September 2026.
| Most searched by name, US | Searches a month |
|---|---|
 Apollo.io | 40,500 |
 Salesloft | 18,100 |
 Seamless.AI | 9,900 |
 Instantly | 8,100 |
 Smartlead | 6,600 |
 lemlist | 4,400 |
 Amplemarket | 3,600 |
 Phantombuster | 3,600 |
Most searched by name, US
- Apollo.io
- Searches a month
- 40,500
- Salesloft
- Searches a month
- 18,100
- Seamless.AI
- Searches a month
- 9,900
- Instantly
- Searches a month
- 8,100
- Smartlead
- Searches a month
- 6,600
- lemlist
- Searches a month
- 4,400
- Amplemarket
- Searches a month
- 3,600
- Phantombuster
- Searches a month
- 3,600
Ordered by US searches for the brand name in September 2026. A measured order, not a ranking.
Miles explains
Name searches are the number I trust most. They are down 13%, and nobody types a site’s name by accident, so this shows fewer people coming back on purpose.
3Who is on Google's first page
1 tracked site is on Google’s first page for “ai sales automation”; the highest-placed is Smartlead, at position 5. Being on that page is the biggest single thing that decides how many visits a site gets.
Ordered by US Google position for “ai sales automation”, then Tranco rank. A measured order, not a ranking.
| Site | Google US | Tranco | Move in 37 days | Search visits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartlead | 5 | 85,928 | ▲ 5,245 | 13,163 |
| Apollo.io | – | 7,391 | ▲ 117 | 237,806 |
| Salesloft | – | 12,089 | ▼ 554 | 43,996 |
 Outreach | – | 14,058 | ▼ 1,648 | 12,754 |
 Clay | – | 35,913 | ▲ 1,782 | 178,111 |
| lemlist | – | 46,090 | ▲ 2,310 | 31,247 |
| Instantly | – | 49,061 | ▼ 2,759 | 93,206 |
| Phantombuster | – | 67,747 | ▼ 4,220 | 52,536 |
 Cognism | – | 74,238 | ▼ 11,158 | 36,733 |
| Seamless.AI | – | 97,478 | ▼ 14,846 | 230,091 |
| Amplemarket | – | 111,218 | ▲ 8,253 | 8,792 |
 Reply.io | – | 120,161 | ▲ 275 | 24,230 |
 UserGems | – | 181,647 | ▼ 24,779 | 906 |
 Salesforge | – | 246,127 | ▲ 7,307 | 109,914 |
 Regie.ai | – | 265,793 | ▲ 12,278 | 1,002 |
Site
- Smartlead
- Google US
- 5
- Tranco
- 85,928
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 5,245
- Search visits
- 13,163
- Apollo.io
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 7,391
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 117
- Search visits
- 237,806
- Salesloft
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 12,089
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 554
- Search visits
- 43,996
- Outreach
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 14,058
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 1,648
- Search visits
- 12,754
- Clay
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 35,913
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 1,782
- Search visits
- 178,111
- lemlist
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 46,090
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 2,310
- Search visits
- 31,247
- Instantly
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 49,061
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 2,759
- Search visits
- 93,206
- Phantombuster
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 67,747
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 4,220
- Search visits
- 52,536
- Cognism
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 74,238
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 11,158
- Search visits
- 36,733
- Seamless.AI
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 97,478
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 14,846
- Search visits
- 230,091
- Amplemarket
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 111,218
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 8,253
- Search visits
- 8,792
- Reply.io
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 120,161
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 275
- Search visits
- 24,230
- UserGems
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 181,647
- Move in 37 days
- ▼ 24,779
- Search visits
- 906
- Salesforge
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 246,127
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 7,307
- Search visits
- 109,914
- Regie.ai
- Google US
- –
- Tranco
- 265,793
- Move in 37 days
- ▲ 12,278
- Search visits
- 1,002
Source: DataForSEO (US Google positions) and Tranco, September 2026. First 15 of 20 sites shown.
Miles explains
No tracked site sits high on Google for “ai sales automation”, so most visits here come from people who already know the names.
4Who grew, who faded
Biggest gain in September 2026: Salesforge (+49%); biggest loss: Nooks (-46%). Year-on-year growers are on the demand page.
Biggest moves in September 2026
| Up this month | Aug 26 | Sep 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforge | 73,616 | 109,914 | +49.3% |
| Instantly | 86,301 | 93,206 | +8.0% |
| Salesloft | 41,632 | 43,996 | +5.7% |
| Seamless.AI | 225,667 | 230,091 | +2.0% |
| Smartlead | 13,156 | 13,163 | +0.1% |
Up this month
- Salesforge
- Aug 26
- 73,616
- Sep 26
- 109,914
- Change
- +49.3%
- Instantly
- Aug 26
- 86,301
- Sep 26
- 93,206
- Change
- +8.0%
- Salesloft
- Aug 26
- 41,632
- Sep 26
- 43,996
- Change
- +5.7%
- Seamless.AI
- Aug 26
- 225,667
- Sep 26
- 230,091
- Change
- +2.0%
- Smartlead
- Aug 26
- 13,156
- Sep 26
- 13,163
- Change
- +0.1%
| Down this month | Aug 26 | Sep 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nooks | 38,858 | 21,056 | -45.8% |
 Clodura | 101,209 | 58,831 | -41.9% |
| Clay | 215,348 | 178,111 | -17.3% |
| Phantombuster | 63,454 | 52,536 | -17.2% |
| lemlist | 36,665 | 31,247 | -14.8% |
| Apollo.io | 278,606 | 237,806 | -14.6% |
Down this month
- Nooks
- Aug 26
- 38,858
- Sep 26
- 21,056
- Change
- -45.8%
- Clodura
- Aug 26
- 101,209
- Sep 26
- 58,831
- Change
- -41.9%
- Clay
- Aug 26
- 215,348
- Sep 26
- 178,111
- Change
- -17.3%
- Phantombuster
- Aug 26
- 63,454
- Sep 26
- 52,536
- Change
- -17.2%
- lemlist
- Aug 26
- 36,665
- Sep 26
- 31,247
- Change
- -14.8%
- Apollo.io
- Aug 26
- 278,606
- Sep 26
- 237,806
- Change
- -14.6%
Brand demand, since October 2025
| Searched more | Oct 25 | Sep 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo.io | 27,100 | 40,500 | +49.4% |
| Smartlead | 5,400 | 6,600 | +22.2% |
| Nooks | 1,600 | 1,900 | +18.8% |
Searched more
- Apollo.io
- Oct 25
- 27,100
- Sep 26
- 40,500
- Change
- +49.4%
- Smartlead
- Oct 25
- 5,400
- Sep 26
- 6,600
- Change
- +22.2%
- Nooks
- Oct 25
- 1,600
- Sep 26
- 1,900
- Change
- +18.8%
| Searched less | Oct 25 | Sep 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phantombuster | 12,100 | 3,600 | -70.2% |
| lemlist | 9,900 | 4,400 | -55.6% |
| Cognism | 4,400 | 2,400 | -45.5% |
| Seamless.AI | 18,100 | 9,900 | -45.3% |
| Outreach | 1,600 | 1,000 | -37.5% |
| UserGems | 1,600 | 1,300 | -18.7% |
Searched less
- Phantombuster
- Oct 25
- 12,100
- Sep 26
- 3,600
- Change
- -70.2%
- lemlist
- Oct 25
- 9,900
- Sep 26
- 4,400
- Change
- -55.6%
- Cognism
- Oct 25
- 4,400
- Sep 26
- 2,400
- Change
- -45.5%
- Seamless.AI
- Oct 25
- 18,100
- Sep 26
- 9,900
- Change
- -45.3%
- Outreach
- Oct 25
- 1,600
- Sep 26
- 1,000
- Change
- -37.5%
- UserGems
- Oct 25
- 1,600
- Sep 26
- 1,300
- Change
- -18.7%
Source: Google Ads via DataForSEO.
5Where the visitors live
About 36 of every 100 visits come from the United States.
- US share of visits
- 35.7% (33% a year ago)
- Largest outside the US
- India, United Kingdom and Canada
- US share of "ai sales automation" searches
- 36%
USShare of visits that come from the US (%)
US share of worldwide search visits, month by month.
| Country | Search visits a month | Share of the measured countries |
|---|---|---|
| India | 271,536 | 69.9% |
| United Kingdom | 41,045 | 10.6% |
| Canada | 32,711 | 8.4% |
| France | 15,158 | 3.9% |
| Brazil | 10,569 | 2.7% |
| Germany | 10,218 | 2.6% |
| Australia | 7,356 | 1.9% |
Country
- India
- Search visits a month
- 271,536
- Share of the measured countries
- 69.9%
- United Kingdom
- Search visits a month
- 41,045
- Share of the measured countries
- 10.6%
- Canada
- Search visits a month
- 32,711
- Share of the measured countries
- 8.4%
- France
- Search visits a month
- 15,158
- Share of the measured countries
- 3.9%
- Brazil
- Search visits a month
- 10,569
- Share of the measured countries
- 2.7%
- Germany
- Search visits a month
- 10,218
- Share of the measured countries
- 2.6%
- Australia
- Search visits a month
- 7,356
- Share of the measured countries
- 1.9%
Source: DataForSEO, September 2026.
Miles explains
The US is the single biggest market, but only about 36 in every 100 visits. India alone is 69.9% of the countries I measure outside it.
6Links and ratings
The tracked sites had 118,107 referring domains between them in September 2026; this is the first reading, so there is no year-on-year figure yet. The average Domain Rating is 73. Apollo.io has the strongest link profile at DR 85.
| By Domain Rating (Ahrefs) | DR |
|---|---|
| Apollo.io | 85 |
| Salesloft | 83 |
| Clay | 80 |
| Instantly | 80 |
| Cognism | 79 |
| Outreach | 79 |
| lemlist | 78 |
| Reply.io | 78 |
By Domain Rating (Ahrefs)
- Apollo.io
- DR
- 85
- Salesloft
- DR
- 83
- Clay
- DR
- 80
- Instantly
- DR
- 80
- Cognism
- DR
- 79
- Outreach
- DR
- 79
- lemlist
- DR
- 78
- Reply.io
- DR
- 78
| By referring domains | Domains |
|---|---|
| Apollo.io | 15,972 |
| Salesloft | 12,424 |
| Clay | 9,343 |
| Outreach | 8,336 |
| Instantly | 8,311 |
| Cognism | 7,997 |
| lemlist | 7,440 |
| Reply.io | 6,853 |
By referring domains
- Apollo.io
- Domains
- 15,972
- Salesloft
- Domains
- 12,424
- Clay
- Domains
- 9,343
- Outreach
- Domains
- 8,336
- Instantly
- Domains
- 8,311
- Cognism
- Domains
- 7,997
- lemlist
- Domains
- 7,440
- Reply.io
- Domains
- 6,853
Source: DataForSEO and Ahrefs, September 2026.