How AI Search Is Recommending Job Posting Sites: Monthly Trends

Executive Summary

LinkedIn leads AI recommendation coverage for job posting sites in September 2026 at 92.0% valid recommendation coverage, a 6.9-point gain from 85.1% in July 2026. The gap to second-place Indeed narrowed to 1.0 point, with Indeed at 91.0% coverage. Both leaders posted significant gains across the three-month series, separating the top tier from the rest of the field.

The strongest upward mover this month was ZipRecruiter, which rose 7.2 points from August to September 2026, reaching 84.9% coverage, a significant gain that moves it solidly into third place. Glassdoor also continued a two-month rise, up 12.6 points from 67.0% in July to 79.6% in September, with a top-three recommendation rate of 22.7%. The sharpest declines over the series hit Dice, down 11.8 points to 51.9%, and Monster, down 12.2 points to 16.0%, both significant and now in two-month downtrends.

The category posted a mixed month: the top brands strengthened while two mid-tier brands weakened. CareerBuilder, SimplyHired, Snagajob, and Wellfound held stable through September, with several showing modest single-month recoveries from August dips. The competitive spread between the leaders and the trailing brands widened across the series as the top four all gained coverage while Dice and Monster lost ground.

This monthly benchmark tracks Job Posting Sites across the AI/search surface universe. Each month runs 800 prompt-surface observations, reduced to 632 unique questions in July 2026, 624 in August 2026, and 538 in September 2026. All 800 prompts in each month mentioned a tracked brand or competitor; 418 were relevant and 382 irrelevant in July, 575 relevant and 225 irrelevant in August, and 639 relevant and 161 irrelevant in September. The public benchmark metrics use the qualified observations that survive both stages: 309 in July, 466 in August, and 524 in September.

Key Findings

Benchmark Context

The report separates the raw collection universe from the qualified analysis set. Brand-level recommendation percentages are calculated within the qualified benchmark set.

These funnel stages roll up into the month-level metrics below, which anchor every brand comparison in this report.

Benchmark-Level Metrics

August 2026, the intermediate month, saw 466 qualified observations with a valid recommendation shortlist share of 86.9%. The rising qualification rate across the series — from 82.5% to 90.6% — reflects a growing share of prompts relevant to the job posting category, which expanded the base for every brand-level percentage.

AI Recommendation Trend

Top Brands Strengthen While Lower-Tier Brands Fade

LinkedIn and Indeed sit in a two-brand top tier that has pulled away from the field, with ZipRecruiter a clear third and Glassdoor closing from fourth. Four brands posted movements exceeding normal month-to-month variation across the series — Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter rose significantly, while Dice and Monster declined significantly — and the remaining four brands moved within expected ranges. Wellfound overtook Dice for fifth place in September despite both posting series declines, as Dice's larger drop outpaced Wellfound's modest retreat.

What Changed This Month

LinkedIn: Extending Leadership at the Top

LinkedIn rose 6.9 points in valid recommendation coverage from 85.1% in July 2026 to 92.0% in September 2026, a significant gain. Its top-three recommendation rate rose 10.8 points from 59.2% to 70.0%, and its rank-one rate climbed 13.0 points from 30.1% to 43.1%, both significant gains across the series.

LinkedIn appeared in 523 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 482 valid recommendations. Its rank-one count rose from 93 in July to 226 in September, meaning LinkedIn was the top recommendation in nearly half of all qualified observations.

The distinction to notice: LinkedIn's presence was already near-universal at 99.0% in July; the September gains came from placement, with AI systems recommending LinkedIn first more often. The leader is strengthening its hold on the top slot, not just its visibility.

Highest-priority diagnostic: Which prompt types drive the rank-one gains, and does LinkedIn win them on its own attributes or because competitors are not surfaced?

Indeed: Closing the Gap to the Leader

Indeed rose 7.8 points in valid recommendation coverage from 83.2% in July 2026 to 91.0% in September 2026, a significant gain that narrowed the gap to LinkedIn from 1.9 points to 1.0 point. Its top-three rate rose 9.5 points from 55.0% to 64.5%, though its rank-one rate dipped 4.8 points to 28.2%.

Indeed appeared in 522 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 477 valid recommendations. Its top-three count rose from 170 in July to 338 in September, while its rank-one count moved from 102 to 148.

The distinction to notice: Indeed gained top-three placements substantially but lost ground on the top recommendation slot, where LinkedIn strengthened. Indeed is increasingly a top-three choice yet is being beaten to rank one more often than in July.

Highest-priority diagnostic: Which prompts shifted Indeed from the first recommendation to second or third, and which competitor captures those rank-one wins?

ZipRecruiter: The Strongest Single-Month Mover

ZipRecruiter rose 5.6 points in valid recommendation coverage from 79.3% in July 2026 to 84.9% in September 2026, a significant series gain. The movement was concentrated in the most recent month, with a 7.2-point jump from 77.7% in August to 84.9% in September, also significant. Its top-three rate rose 10.3 points from 26.9% to 37.2%.

ZipRecruiter appeared in 486 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 445 valid recommendations. Its top-three count rose from 83 in July to 195 in September, and its rank-one count edged from 2 to 5.

The distinction to notice: ZipRecruiter's September surge was a single-month event after an August dip, not a steady climb. It remains behind LinkedIn and Indeed on rank-one rate at 0.9%, winning its ground through top-three placements rather than the first recommendation.

Highest-priority diagnostic: What changed from August to September to drive the 7.2-point jump, and did that shift come from specific surfaces?

Glassdoor: Significant Riser Closing on the Top Three

Glassdoor rose 12.6 points in valid recommendation coverage from 67.0% in July 2026 to 79.6% in September 2026, the largest significant gain among risers. Its raw mention presence rose 12.6 points from 75.4% to 88.0%, and its top-three rate climbed 10.7 points from 12.0% to 22.7%.

Glassdoor appeared in 461 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 417 valid recommendations. Its top-three count rose from 37 in July to 119 in September, though it recorded zero rank-one recommendations in each of August and September.

The distinction to notice: Glassdoor is now within 5.3 points of third-place ZipRecruiter, yet it has not won a single rank-one recommendation in two months. Its growth is concentrated in being a consistently recommended top-three option, not in being the first choice.

Highest-priority diagnostic: Which prompts drive Glassdoor's top-three gains, and what would need to shift for it to convert those into rank-one wins?

Dice: Significant Decliner Losing Mid-Tier Position

Dice fell 11.8 points in valid recommendation coverage from 63.7% in July 2026 to 51.9% in September 2026, a significant two-month decline. Its raw mention presence dropped 8.9 points from 66.3% to 57.4%, and its top-three rate fell 2.3 points to 0.0%, with no rank-one recommendations in September.

Dice appeared in 301 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 272 valid recommendations. Its top-three count fell from 7 in July to 0 in September, and its rank-one count went from 5 to 0. Dice fell from fifth to sixth place as Wellfound held steadier.

The distinction to notice: Dice retains a solid presence at 57.4% but is no longer being placed in top-three positions, a separation between being visible and being recommended prominently.

Highest-priority diagnostic: Which competitor is capturing the top-three recommendations Dice lost, and on which prompt types has Dice's placement collapsed?

Monster: Continued Decline With Sentiment Erosion

Monster fell 12.2 points in valid recommendation coverage from 28.2% in July 2026 to 16.0% in September 2026, a significant two-month decline. Its net sentiment score fell from 0.8 to 0.5, the sharpest sentiment drop among tracked brands, and it recorded 13 negative mentions in September after none in July.

Monster appeared in 142 of 524 total observations in September 2026 with 84 valid recommendations. Its presence rate fell from 33.3% to 27.1%, and it recorded just 1 top-three recommendation in September, compared with none in July.

The distinction to notice: Monster's decline combines shrinking presence with deteriorating sentiment. It remains visible in about a quarter of observations but is recommended as a valid option in only 16.0% of them, a wide gap between being mentioned and being recommended.

Highest-priority diagnostic: Which surfaces account for Monster's presence loss, and what is driving the rise in negative sentiment across its mentions?

Buyer-Intent Interpretation

All 524 qualified observations in September 2026 fell into the Brand Recommendation cluster. The analysis found no qualified observations in the Pricing & Value or Multi-Brand Comparison clusters, meaning the public benchmark cannot yet answer questions about price positioning, value perception, or head-to-head comparison outcomes for job posting sites. The current dataset captures which brand AI recommends, not why it is recommended on cost or comparative merits.

Brand Opportunity Summary

The benchmark identifies where attention is warranted; a company-level analysis is needed to explain why.

Evidence Behind the Benchmark

The aggregate metrics are built from prompt-level observations (query, surface, recommendation outcome, rank, sentiment, and citations where exposed). Company-level analysis can go deeper into prompt, competitor, surface, and evidence patterns. Source presence is not automatically treated as proof of causation.

Report-Specific Interpretation Notes

• Small-count movement: Brands like SimplyHired and CareerBuilder have small absolute observation counts. CareerBuilder received 61 valid recommendations from 524 observations in September 2026, and SimplyHired received 62, so their percentage movements represent a small number of prompts and should be read with that base in mind.
• Qualified denominator: All brand-level percentages use the qualified benchmark set (309 observations in July 2026, 524 in September 2026), not the raw 800-prompt collection universe.
• Directional analysis: Month-over-month movement identifies changes worth investigating. It does not by itself establish the cause of those changes; the benchmark records output distribution, not the reasons behind it.

About This Benchmark

This report is part of the LLM Authority Index AI Market Discovery research program.

• AI Industry Market Discovery Methodology
• AI Industry Market Discovery Metrics
• AI Industry Market Discovery Standards

Next Step

The Public Benchmark Shows Where a Brand Is Winning or Losing. A Company-Level Audit Shows Why.

Beneath the aggregate percentages sit specific questions: Which high-intent prompts does a brand win, and which does it lose? When a brand is not recommended, which competitor takes the recommendation? What attributes do AI systems associate with each option, and which external sources shape those answers?

A company-specific AI visibility audit maps those prompt, surface, competitor, ranking, sentiment, and evidence-source patterns into a prioritized visibility strategy. The public benchmark shows the score; an audit reveals the drivers behind it.

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