A recent BrightEdge study shows that YouTube video citations on Google AI Overviews have grown by over 25% since January 1, 2025, providing valuable insights for YouTube video creators.
Most frequently cited YouTube videos on AI Overviews
BrightEdge’s recent study reveals that YouTube mentions on AI Overviews are surging, with specific industries and topics leading the way. The results could provide insights for content creators regarding which industries and topics to focus on when creating their videos.
Here’s a breakdown of which YouTube video content AI Overviews is citing most:
- Instructional content citations rose by 35.6%, with “how-to” queries the most popular at 22.4%.
- Visual demonstrations for queries on style guides and physical techniques increased by 32.5%.
- Verification videos, including visual proof and product comparisons, were up 22.5%.
- Current events, like live coverage and breaking news topics, increased by 9.4%.
BightEdge`s graph backs up their findings.
Growth by Industry
Industry AI Overviews citations also increased significantly, with healthcare leading the way, aligning with earlier citation reports and Google’s previous statements about sourcing its AI Overviews results from authoritative sites.
Industries experiencing a surge include:
- Healthcare queries are at an all-time high, with 41.97% of AI Overviews citations.
- E-commerce queries are up by 30.87%.
- B2B tech rose to 18.68%.
- Finance queries were up by 9.52%.
- Travel queries are now appearing at 8.65% on AI Overviews.
Here’s BrightEdge’s graph on YouTube industry citation rates:
Why it matters
It’s no secret that Google is biased when sourcing its Featured Snippets content.
And as the tech giant recently confirmed that less than 1% of YouTube video views originate from Search, that bias continues with AI Overviews.YouTube video creators who want to increase their visibility in AI Overviews might consider aligning their subject choice with BrightEdge’s report to maximize their SEO strategies and improve their chances.
