Rubix StudiosRubix Studios
Vincent is the founder and director of Rubix Studios, with over 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, film, photography, and web development. He is a certified partner with industry leaders including Google, Microsoft, AWS, and HubSpot. Vincent also serves as a member of the Maribyrnong City Council Business and Innovation Board and is undertaking an Executive MBA at RMIT University.
The June 2025 Google Core Update, which rolled out from June 30 to July 17, delivered a significant evolution in how Google evaluates and displays content. This update built upon previous changes, especially the March 2025 update, by integrating advanced artificial intelligence into search, expanding AI Overviews, and introducing new mechanisms for zero-click search experiences. The update reinforced Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), prioritising high-value content that meets user intent with depth, originality, and transparency.
The update included the rollout of Audio Overviews, enabling AI-generated voice summaries to appear in select search results, each citing authoritative sources. Google also enhanced Search Console with a 24-hour comparison feature, allowing site owners to monitor ranking volatility and respond to performance changes in near real time.
Volatility during this rollout was broad-based. The update impacted news media, affiliate, e-commerce, and YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) sectors, as well as any site dependent on programmatic or mass-produced content, especially those with significant AI-generated materials.
While both the March and June 2025 core updates were broad in scope, their technical focus and market effects differed in critical ways.
| Feature | March 2025 | June 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Rollout duration | 14 days | 16–18 days |
| Core focus | Eliminate low-quality content | Reinforce E-E-A-T, deepen informative content |
| Affected sectors | Health, finance, retail, travel | News, affiliates, YMYL, e-commerce, info sites |
| New features | Standard core refinement | AI Overviews, AI Mode, Search Console tools |
| AI overviews | Spike in select queries | Broad integration, increased zero-click events |
| AI Mode | US pilot, early experimentation | Wider integration, ad placement, “Search Live” |
| User/Intent | Valued firsthand expertise, YMYL | Greater alignment, UX/technical signals |
| Forum/Programmatic | Forums (excl. Reddit) devalued | Ongoing suppression of low-depth AI content |
| SERP | High in health/finance; snippet drops | Impressions up, clicks down, zero-click surge |
| Search Console | N/A | 24-hour comparison view for updates |
Zero-click AI, commonly referred to as zero-click search or AI Overviews, represents a fundamental change in how users interact with Google’s search engine. In this paradigm, users receive direct answers on Google’s results page, removing the necessity to click through to external sites.
AI-generated summaries, or "AI Overviews," synthesise credible information from multiple authoritative sources and are positioned prominently at the top of results. These are complemented by other zero-click formats, including featured snippets, direct answer boxes, knowledge panels, People Also Ask, local packs, rich snippets, calculators, and converters.
Google’s AI Mode, also known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), introduces a conversational and interactive interface for search, powered by Gemini 2.5. This mode allows users to engage in follow-up actions such as booking appointments or contacting businesses directly from the search results.
This interface continues to evolve and is gradually being introduced outside the United States, though branding and features may vary. The broader use of SGE and AI Overviews shifts user journeys away from external websites and towards a self-contained Google experience, heightening the challenge for businesses reliant on organic search traffic.
Challenges
Opportunities
The March and June updates together created a strict environment for AI-generated and programmatic content:
| Area | March 2025 | June 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-produced AI content | Penalised thin, generic, repetitive AI content | Ongoing suppression, only expert-reviewed and deep AI content retained |
| Originality and value | Emphasis on unique, firsthand expertise | Additional trust/authority signals needed |
| Programmatic SEO | Templated/affiliate sites penalised, deindexed | Continued devaluation unless expert-driven |
| E-E-A-T requirements | Stronger author scrutiny | Further scrutiny, clear expertise mandatory |
| SERP/CTR | Drop in CTR for generic pages | Zero-click surges, AI Overviews show only authoritative content |
Only well-cited, original, and expert-enhanced AI content is being surfaced in AI Overviews. Generic or unedited AI content and mass programmatic pages are now systematically excluded from Google’s top results.
Australian publishers face greater scrutiny. Authority, original reporting, and editorial transparency are required for inclusion in AI Overviews and Google News.
Sites with thin or duplicated product listings have lost visibility. Original, in-depth product guides with compliance and customer experience details are rewarded. Adherence to Australian Consumer Law, ACCC advertising guidelines, and privacy standards is now an indirect ranking factor.
Strict compliance is essential. Content must be regularly updated by domain experts and meet regulatory requirements. Trust, author credentials, and transparency are mandatory to avoid devaluation.
Mass AI-generated or templated reviews are heavily filtered out. Only genuine, expert-authored reviews and comparisons with clear value to users are retained.
Australian businesses must ensure full compliance with the Privacy Act, ACCC guidance, and advertising regulations. Transparency in author profiles, disclosure statements, and fact-checked expertise aligns both with Google’s trust signals and Australian law.
The June 2025 Google Core Update represents a turning point in search. Compared to March 2025, it deepens Google’s investment in AI Overviews, zero-click experiences, and stringent quality signals. For Australian organisations, compliance, editorial transparency, and ongoing adaptation are no longer optional.
Next steps:
Organisations that invest early in these areas will sustain their authority and visibility, even as Google’s AI-led evolution transforms the search landscape.
The June 2025 Core Update is a broad algorithm update by Google that introduced significant changes to how content is evaluated and ranked, with a focus on quality, expertise, and the integration of AI-powered features such as AI Overviews and Audio Overviews.
While both updates targeted content quality and expertise, the June update placed greater emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), expanded AI Overviews, and introduced new tools in Google Search Console. It also drove higher volatility across a wider range of industries.
Zero-click AI overviews are summaries generated by Google’s AI that answer user queries directly on the search results page, often reducing the number of users who click through to external websites. This change has contributed to noticeable declines in organic traffic for many publishers and businesses.
AI-generated and mass-produced content that lacks originality, depth, or credible authorship faces further suppression. Only content that is reviewed, expert-driven, and demonstrably valuable to users is prioritised in search results and AI overviews.
News media, health, finance (YMYL), retail, e-commerce, and affiliate marketing sectors have seen the greatest impact, particularly where compliance, author credibility, and original reporting are essential.
Google introduced a 24-hour comparison tool in Search Console, allowing site owners to monitor ranking fluctuations and respond promptly to performance changes during and after core updates.
Businesses should audit existing content for originality and compliance, strengthen E-E-A-T signals, optimise for inclusion in zero-click features, and diversify digital acquisition channels beyond traditional search.
Failure to meet Australian Consumer Law, ACCC, and Privacy Act requirements may now affect both compliance and search visibility. Clear author attribution, disclosure of sponsorship, and privacy protections are critical.
Yes, brands cited in AI Overviews and other SERP features gain authority and visibility, even if users do not click through. This can drive future direct searches and increase consumer trust.
Site owners should refer to Google’s official documentation, monitor Search Console insights, and seek specialist advice on both SEO best practices and Australian regulatory obligations.
Vincent is the founder and director of Rubix Studios, with over 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, film, photography, and web development. He is a certified partner with industry leaders including Google, Microsoft, AWS, and HubSpot. Vincent also serves as a member of the Maribyrnong City Council Business and Innovation Board and is undertaking an Executive MBA at RMIT University.