New data from BrightEdge reveals how finance-related queries perform regarding AI Overviews (AIO), highlighting clear areas where AIO presence remains strong and others where Google is pulling back. The key determinant is whether the query benefits from explanation and synthesis versus direct data retrieval or immediate action. **AI Overviews in Finance Depend on Query Type** Finance queries with an educational angle—such as “what is” questions—trigger AI Overviews frequently, with a response rate reaching 91%. The data specifies: - Educational queries (e. g. , “what is an IRA”): 91% display AI Overviews - Rate and planning queries: 67% - Stock tickers and real-time prices: only 7% Examples of educational queries generating AI Overviews include terms like: - “ebitda meaning” - “how does compound interest work” - “what is dollar cost averaging” - “what is a derivative” - “what is a bond” **Areas Where AI Overviews Are Limited** AIO is largely absent in “local” queries or those demanding real-time accuracy. Initially showing AI answers about 90% of the time in early 2023’s Search Generative Experience, local queries’ AIO presence has dropped to roughly 10%. Queries like “brand + near me” and other local search terms are dominated by local pack results and Maps integrations. Similarly, tool-based and real-time finance queries rarely trigger AI Overviews: - Finance calculator queries show AIO only 9% of the time - Other tool queries such as 401k calculators, mortgage calculators, or investment calculators show virtually no AI Overviews. For real-time data: - Individual stock tickers only 7% have AI Overviews - Live price queries and market indices mostly feature traditional results - Example queries excluded from AI responses include “AAPL stock, ” “Tesla price, ” “dow jones industrial average today, ” and “S&P 500 futures. ” **Google’s Approach Based on User Feedback** Google’s choice to display AI Overviews is guided heavily by user satisfaction and feedback. Queries requiring real-time accuracy, calculators, or localized information appear to perform better without synthesized AI answers, indicating user preference for traditional search formats for these. **AIO Rarely Appears in Brand-Related Finance Queries** Finance queries containing brand names, particularly brand login or navigational queries, almost never trigger AI Overviews—with presence ranging from zero to four percent at best. **Where AI Overviews Dominate in Finance** Queries with educational or explanatory intent dominate AIO results, especially those seeking to understand financial concepts or receive guidance—rather than immediate data or action-driven content.

The data shows: - Rate and planning queries (mortgages, retirement): 67% have AI Overviews - Retirement planning: 61% - Tax-related queries: 55% This trend indicates that AI Overviews satisfy users well for finance topics with learning intent. To rank well, content must be precise, authoritative, and trustworthy, emphasizing uniqueness and consistency over “tactic of the month” approaches. **Visibility and Competition Insights** Educational and guidance content enjoys high visibility in AI-powered responses beyond traditional organic rankings. Being cited or referenced is becoming increasingly crucial. Diversifying formats—audio, images, videos, graphs, and tables—can enhance the chance of appearing as a referenced answer. Conventional SEO factors remain critical for high-volume local, tool-based, and real-time queries, where live prices, calculators, and local searches adhere to traditional ranking practices. Finance search behavior is highly segmented by intent and topic, with each query type taking a distinct path toward AI or organic results. The underlying search infrastructure remains classic, so focusing on SEO fundamentals while expanding content formats is a strong strategy moving forward. For the full BrightEdge report, see: *Finance and AI Overviews: How Google Applies YMYL Principles to Financial Search. * *Featured image by Shutterstock/Mix and Match Studio. *