New data from BrightEdge shows how finance-related queries perform on AI Overviews, identifying clear areas that continue to show AIO while Google is pulling back from others. The deciding factor is whether the query benefits from explanation and synthesis versus direct data retrieval or action.
AI Overviews In Finance Are Query-Type Driven
Finance queries with an educational component, such as “what is” queries trigger a high level of AI Overviews, generating and AIO response as high as 91% of the time.
According to the data:
- Educational queries (“what is an IRA”): 91% have AI Overviews
- Rate and planning queries: 67% have AI Overviews
- Stock tickers and real-time prices: 7% have AI Overviews
Examples of finance educational queries that generate AI Overviews:
- ebitda meaning
- how does compound interest work
- what is an IRA
- what is dollar cost averaging
- what is a derivative
- what is a bond
Finance Queries Where AIO Stays Out
Two areas where AIO stays out are local type queries or queries where real-time accuracy are of the essence. Local queries were initially a part of the original Search Generative Experience results in 2023, showing AI answers 90% of the time. That dropped to about 10% of the time.
The data also shows that “brand + near me” and other “near me” queries are dominated by local pack results and Maps integrations.
Tool and real-time information needs are no longer triggering AI Overviews. Finance calculator queries only shows AI Overviews 9% of the time. Other similar queries show no AI Overviews at all such as:
- 401k calculator
- compound interest calculator
- investment calculator
- mortgage calculator
The BrightEdge data shows that these real-time data topics do not generate AIO or generate a low amount:
- Individual stock tickers: 7% have AI Overviews
- Live price queries: Traditional results dominate
- Market indices: Low AI coverage
Examples of queries Google AI generally keeps out of:
- AAPL stock
- Tesla price
- dow jones industrial average today
- S&P 500 futures
Takeaway
The direction Google takes for virtually anything search related depends on user feedback and the ability to show relevant results. It’s not uncommon for some in SEO to underestimate the power of implicit and explicit user feedback as a force that moves Google’s hands on when to show certain kinds of search features. Thus it may be that users are not satisfied with synthesized answers for real-time, calculator and tool, and local near me types of queries.
AIO Stays Out Of Brand Queries
Another area where AI Overviews are rarely if ever shown are finance queries that have a brand name as a component of the query. Brand login queries show AIO only zero to four percent of the time. Brand navigational queries do not show any AI search results.
Where AI Overviews Dominates Finance Results
The finance queries where AIO tends to dominate are those with an educational or explanatory intent, where users are seeking to understand concepts, compare options, or receive general guidance rather than retrieve live data, use tools, or complete a navigational task.
The data shows AIO dominating these kinds of queries:
- Rate and planning queries: 67% have AI Overviews.
- Rate information queries: 67% have AI Overviews.
- Rate/planning queries (mortgages, retirement): 67%.
- Retirement planning queries: 61% have AI Overviews.
- Tax-related queries: 55% have AI Overviews.
Takeaway
As previously noted, Google doesn’t arbitrarily decide to show AI answers based on its judgments. User behavior and satisfaction signals play a large role. The fact that AI answers dominates these kinds of answers shows that AIO tends to satisfy users for these kinds of finance queries with a strong learning intent. This means that showing up as a citation for these kinds of queries requires carefully crafting content with a high level of precise answers. In my opinion, I think that a focus on creating content that is unique and doing it on a predictable and regular basis sends a signal of authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Definitely stay away from tactic of the month approaches to content.
Visibility And Competition Takeaways
Educational and guidance content have a high visibility in AI responses, not just organic rankings. Visibility increasingly depends on being cited or referenced. It may be useful to focus not just on text content but to offer audio, image, and video content. Not only that, but graphs and tables may be useful ways of communicating data, anything that can be referenced as an answer or to support the answer may be useful.
Traditional ranking factors still hold for high-volume local, tool, and real-time data queries. Live prices, calculators, and local searches continue to operate under conventional SEO factors.
Finance search behavior is increasingly segmented by intent and topic. Each query type follows a different path toward AI or organic results. The underlying infrastructure is still the same classic search which means that focusing on the fundamentals of SEO plus expanding beyond simple text content to see what works is a path forward.
Read BrightEdge’s data on finance queries and AI: Finance and AI Overviews: How Google Applies YMYL Principles to Financial Search
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Mix and Match Studio
