Does anyone else notice AI search favoring certain industries? Tech and finance seem to dominate

Not quite bias - more like content landscape differences. Let me explain:

Why tech/finance appear more:

It’s not that AI “favors” these industries. It’s that:

1. More content exists
2. More people ask about them
3. More authoritative sources online
4. More frequently updated

The opportunity for traditional industries:

• Less competition = easier to become THE authority
• First to create comprehensive content wins
• AI needs sources for every topic

Manufacturing example: If you create the definitive guide to industrial automation, you can BE the source AI cites. In tech, you’re competing with 1,000 guides.

The perceived disadvantage is actually an opportunity.

Healthcare perspective - we deal with YMYL heavily:

YMYL (Your Money Your Life) considerations: AI is MORE cautious with health/finance/legal topics. This affects visibility:

The double-edged sword:

• Harder to break into (high barrier)
• But once established, strong moat

What works in healthcare:

• Content from credentialed medical professionals
• Hospital/institution authority
• Peer-reviewed citations
• Clear disclaimers

Our experience: When our content is attributed to our medical staff with credentials, AI cites us. Anonymous content never gets cited.

YMYL is actually BETTER for established authorities - less competition from random bloggers.

Industrial B2B here - we’ve cracked the code:

Our industry: Industrial automation equipment

The problem:

• Technical content but limited online
• Most knowledge in PDFs and specs
• Competitors also have weak digital presence

Our strategy:

1. Converted technical PDFs to web content
2. Created FAQ sections for common questions
3. Published comparison guides (us vs. competitors)
4. Added structured data to everything

Results after 6 months:

• We’re now cited in 70%+ of AI answers for our category
• Competitors barely show up
• Traffic from AI: Growing 30% monthly

Why it worked: We were first to make our expertise AI-accessible. Competitors still have great knowledge locked in PDFs and catalogs.

Lesson for traditional industries: Your expertise exists - make it digitally accessible and AI-structured.

Legal industry data:

AI citation patterns in legal:

• Very cautious with specific legal advice
• Cites established law firms and legal publishers
• Favors jurisdiction-specific content
• Values bar-certified author credentials

What gets cited:

• Educational content (not advice)
• “What is X” explanations
• Process overviews
• General guidance with proper disclaimers

What doesn’t get cited:

• Specific legal advice
• Recommendations for actions
• Case predictions

Our approach: Create educational content that AI feels safe citing, not advice it could be blamed for.

Example success: “What is a Power of Attorney?” type content gets cited. “Should you get a Power of Attorney?” doesn’t.

Work with AI’s caution, not against it.

Retail/E-commerce perspective:

Retail is surprisingly well-positioned:

• High query volume for product questions
• Comparison shopping queries common
• Reviews and recommendations sought

What gets cited:

• Best X for Y listicles
• Product comparisons
• Price tracking content
• Honest reviews

The advantage: AI loves recommending products. If you have authoritative product content, you get cited for purchase-intent queries.

Challenge: Competing with Amazon, Wirecutter, major retailers.

Niche opportunity: Specialized retail categories with less coverage. “Best industrial welding gloves” has less competition than “best running shoes.”

Retail can win in AI - just pick your battles in underserved niches.

Agriculture - definitely underserved:

The landscape:

• Very little AI-optimized content
• Most content is from 2010-era websites
• Huge knowledge exists but not online

Our opportunity: Created modern, AI-friendly content on farming practices:

• Equipment comparisons
• Crop management guides
• Seasonal planning content
• Technology adoption guides

Results: Within 3 months, we became THE source AI cites for our specific crop category.

Why:

• Zero competition in AI space
• Genuine expertise to share
• Farmers are starting to use AI for advice

The irony: Agriculture might be the BEST opportunity for AI visibility because no one’s trying.

Underserved industries should see this as first-mover advantage.

Finance perspective - yes we’re visible, but it’s competitive:

Why finance shows up:

• Enormous query volume
• Content constantly updated
• Strong authority signals required
• YMYL means credentialed sources only

But the competition is fierce:

• Major publications dominate (NerdWallet, Investopedia)
• Banks and institutions have authority
• Hard for newcomers to break in

Niches still exist:

• Specific financial situations
• Industry-specific finance (real estate, crypto)
• Demographic-specific advice

The lesson: Yes, finance appears more in AI - but that’s because more people ask. The competition is proportional to the visibility.

Every industry has its trade-offs.

This completely reframed how I see our situation. Key insights:

It’s not bias - it’s content landscape:

• Tech/finance have more content, not preferential treatment
• Traditional industries have less competition
• Less competition = easier path to authority

The opportunity for manufacturing:

1. We have expertise that’s not digitally accessible
2. First to make it AI-friendly wins
3. Our competitors are equally behind
4. We can become THE authoritative source

Action plan:

1. Audit what questions people ask AI about our industry
2. Create definitive, well-structured content
3. Add expert authorship and credentials
4. Structure for AI extraction
5. Monitor what gets cited (Am I Cited)

YMYL considerations: For safety-critical manufacturing topics, emphasize credentials and proper disclaimers.

Mindset shift: Stop comparing to tech. Start capitalizing on underserved space.

Thanks everyone - from “we’re invisible” to “we have first-mover advantage”!