L.E.K. Consulting vs McKinsey & Company:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, McKinsey & Company had more branded searches than L.E.K. Consulting among consulting firms worldwide. McKinsey & Company had about 450,000 branded searches, while L.E.K. Consulting had 18,100. McKinsey & Company made up 15.3% of all consulting firm searches we track, and L.E.K. Consulting accounted for 0.62%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about consulting firms, McKinsey & Company appeared in all four answers and L.E.K. Consulting in two. McKinsey & Company was mentioned before L.E.K. Consulting in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
McKinsey & Company, about 25 searches for every 1 for L.E.K. Consulting
Who does AI mention more?
McKinsey & Company, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
McKinsey & Company, named ahead of L.E.K. Consulting in every answer
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Top consulting firms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, McKinsey & Company appeared in all four answers. L.E.K. Consulting was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. McKinsey & Company was listed before L.E.K. Consulting in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- McKinsey & Company1st
BCG2nd
Bain & Company3rd
Oliver Wyman4th
EY-Parthenon5th
Kearney6th
L.E.K. Consulting7th
Accenture8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- BCG4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- McKinsey & Company4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Bain & Company4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Accenture2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Oliver Wyman2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- EY-Parthenon2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- L.E.K. Consulting2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Kearney2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about consulting firms
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which consulting firm should I hire?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best consulting firms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best consulting firm for business strategy?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“consulting firms”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“business consulting firm”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is L.E.K. Consulting or McKinsey & Company more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for L.E.K. Consulting and McKinsey & Company by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten consulting firms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for McKinsey & Company, L.E.K. Consulting. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Accenture | BCG | McKinsey & Company | Bain & Company | Oliver Wyman | EY-Parthenon | L.E.K. Consulting | Kearney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47% | 20.4% | 17.2% | 9.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.49% |
| Nov 2025 | 51% | 18.1% | 15.3% | 10.3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.62% | 0.44% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.2% | 15.5% | 16% | 11% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.43% | 0.37% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.4% | 17.9% | 15.1% | 10.9% | 3% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 0.45% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.7% | 18.4% | 15.5% | 9.2% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.51% | 0.47% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 17.3% | 17.8% | 10.5% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.48% | 0.44% |
| Apr 2026 | 50% | 17.8% | 18.3% | 8.9% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.49% | 0.45% |
| May 2026 | 51.8% | 18.4% | 15.5% | 9.2% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.51% | 0.38% |
| Jun 2026 | 53% | 16.5% | 15.9% | 9.4% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.52% | 0.41% |
| Jul 2026 | 53% | 16.5% | 15.9% | 9.4% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.52% | 0.41% |
| Aug 2026 | 50.9% | 15.8% | 15.3% | 12.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.61% | 0.42% |
| Sep 2026 | 51.2% | 18.2% | 15.3% | 9.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.62% | 0.43% |
How has the L.E.K. Consulting and McKinsey & Company comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McKinsey & Company was ahead of L.E.K. Consulting in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, L.E.K. Consulting’s share of searches among consulting firms worldwide moved from 0.7% to 0.62%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McKinsey & Company’s share of searches among consulting firms worldwide moved from 17.2% to 15.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 450K.
How did search popularity change for consulting firms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for L.E.K. Consulting worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 22.2K to 18.1K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for McKinsey & Company worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 550K to 450K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using L.E.K. Consulting’s and McKinsey & Company’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
L.E.K. Consulting
2 branded search terms
- l.e.k. consulting
- lek consulting
McKinsey & Company
1 branded search term
- mckinsey
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