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Google's New AI Overviews Isn’t Just Another Search Update

Google's recent rollout of AI Overviews (previously called “Search Generative Experience”) at its annual developer conference is being hailed as the biggest transformation in search since the company was founded. This isn’t a side project for Google — it fundamentally alters how content gets discovered, consumed, and valued online. If you're in marketing, PR, content strategy, or run a business that depends on online visibility, this requires a fundamental shift in your thinking. What Is AI Overviews? Instead of showing users a familiar list of blue links and snippets, Google now uses artificial intelligence to generate a summary answer at the very top of many search results pages. This AI-generated box pulls together content from across the web and tries to answer the user’s question instantly—without requiring them to click through to individual websites. Here’s what that looks like: You type in a question like “What are the best strategies for handling a media crisis?” Instead of just links, you see a big AI-generated paragraph with summarized strategies, possibly quoting or linking to 3-5 sources—some of which might not even be visible unless you scroll or expand the summary.  Welcome to the new digital gatekeeper. Elizabeth Reid, VP of Search at Google states "Our new Gemini model customized for Google Search brings together Gemini’s advanced capabilities — including multi-step reasoning, planning and multimodality — with our best-in-class Search systems. Let's breakdown this technobabble. Think of Gemini as the brain behind Google’s search engine that’s now: Even More Focused on User intent For years, SEO strategies were built around guessing and gaming the right keywords: “What exact phrase are people typing into Google?” That approach led to over-optimized content — pages stuffed with phrases like “best expert speaker Boston cleantech” — written more for algorithms than actual humans.  But with Google Gemini and other AI models now interpreting search queries like a smart research assistant, the game has changed entirely.  Google is no longer just matching phrases — it’s interpreting what the user wants to do and why they’re asking. Here’s What That Looks Like: Let’s say someone searches: “How do I find a reputable expert on fusion energy who can speak at our cleantech summit?” In the old system, pages that mentioned “renewable energy,” “expert,” and “speaker” might rank — regardless of whether they actually helped the user solve their problem. Now Google more intuitively understands: • The user wants to evaluate credibility • The user is planning an event • The user needs someone available to speak • The context is likely professional or academic If your page simply has the right keywords but doesn’t send the right signals — you’re invisible. Able to plan ahead Google and AI search platforms now go beyond just grabbing facts. They string together pieces of information to answer more complex, multi-step queries.  In traditional search, users ask one simple question at a time. But with multi-step queries, users are increasingly expecting one search to handle a series of related questions or tasks all at once — and now Google can actually follow along and reason through those steps.  So imagine you’re planning a conference. A traditional search might look like: "Best conference venues in Boston” But a multi-step query might be: “Find a conference venue in Boston with breakout rooms, check availability in October, and suggest nearby hotels with group rates.” This used to require three or four different searches, and you’d piece it together yourself. Now Google can handle that entire chain of related tasks, plan the steps behind the scenes, and return a highly curated answer — often pulling from multiple sources of structured and unstructured data. Even Better at understanding context Google now gets the difference between ‘a speaker at a conference’ and ‘a Bluetooth speaker’ — because it understands what you mean, not just what you type.”  In the past, Google would match keywords literally. If your page had the word “speaker,” it might rank for anything from event keynotes to audio gear. That’s why so many search results felt off or required extra digging. Now Google reads between the lines. It understands that “conference speaker” likely refers to a person who gives talks, possibly with credentials, experience, and a bio.  And that “Bluetooth speaker” is a product someone might want to compare or buy. Why this matters for marketers: If you’re relying on vague or generic content — or just “keyword-stuffing” — your pages will fall flat. Google is no longer fooled by superficial matches. It wants depth, clarity, and specificity. Reads More Than Just Text Google now processes images, videos, charts, infographics, and even audio — and uses that multimedia information to answer search queries more completely.  This now means that your content isn’t just being read like a document — it’s being watched, listened to, and interpreted like a human would. For example: • A chart showing rising enrollment in nursing programs might get picked up as supporting evidence for a story about healthcare education trends. • A YouTube video of your CEO speaking at a conference might be indexed as proof of thought leadership. • An infographic explaining how your service works could surface in an AI-generated summary — even if the keyword isn’t mentioned directly in text. Ignoring multimedia formats?  Then, your competitors’ visual storytelling could be outperforming your plain content.  Because you're not giving Google the kind of layered, helpful content that Gemini is now designed to highlight. Why This Matters There's a big risk here.  Marketers who ignore these developments are in danger of becoming invisible in search. Your old SEO tricks won’t work. Your content won’t appear in AI summaries. Your organization won’t be discovered by journalists, customers, or partners who now rely on smarter search results to make decisions faster. If you’re in communications, PR, media relations, or digital marketing, here’s the key message. You are no longer just fighting for links. You need to fight to be included in the Google AI summary itself at the top of search results - that's the new #1 goal.  Why? Journalists can now find their answers before ever clicking on your beautifully written news page. Prospective students, donors, and customers will often just see the AI’s version of your content. Your brand’s visibility now hinges on being seen as “AI-quotable.” If your organization isn’t optimized for this new AI-driven landscape, you risk becoming invisible at the very moment people are searching for what you offer. How You Can Take Action (and Why Your Role Is More Important Than Ever) This isn’t just an IT or SEO problem. It’s a communications strategy opportunity—and you are central to the solution. What You Can Do Now to Prepare for AI Overviews 1. Get Familiar with How AI “Reads” Your Content AI Overviews pull content from websites that are structured clearly, written credibly, and explain things in simple language. Action Items: Review your existing content: Is it jargon-heavy? Outdated? Lacking expert quotes or explanations? Then, it's time to clean house. 2. Collaborate with your SEO and Web Teams Communicators and content creators now need to work hand-in-hand with technical teams. Action Items: Check your pages to see if you are using proper schema markup.  Are you creating topic pages that explain complex ideas in simple, scannable formats? 3. Showcase Human Expertise AI values content backed by real people—especially experts with credentials. Action Items: Make sure your expert profiles are up to date.  Make sure you continue to enhance them with posts, links to media coverage, short videos, images and infographics that highlight the voices behind your brand and make you stand out in search. 4. Don’t Just Publish—Package AI favors content that it can easily digest and display such as summary paragraphs, FAQs, and bold headers that provide structure for search engines.  This also makes your content more scannable and engaging to humans. Action Items: Repurpose your best content into AI-friendly formats: think structured lists, how-tos, and definitions. 5. Monitor Your Presence in AI Overviews Regularly search key topics related to your organization and see what shows up. Action Items: Is your content featured? If not, whose is—and identify what they doing differently. A New Role for Communications: From Media Pitches to Machine-Readable Influence This isn’t the end of communications as we know it—it’s an evolution. Your role now includes helping your organization communicate clearly to machines as well as to people. Think of it as “PR for the algorithm.”  You’re not just managing narratives for the public—you’re shaping what AI systems say about you and your brand. That means: • Ensuring your best ideas and experts are front and center online. • Making complex information simple and quotable. • Collaborating cross-functionally like never before. Final Thought: AI Search Rewards the Prepared Google’s new AI Overviews are here. They’re not a beta test. This is the future of search, and it’s already rolling out. If your institution, company, or nonprofit wants to be discovered, trusted, and quoted, you can no longer afford to ignore how AI interprets your online presence. Communications and media professionals are now at the front lines of discoverability. And the best way to lead is to act now, work collaboratively, and elevate your role in this new era of search. Want to see how leading organizations are getting ahead in the age of AI search? Discover how ExpertFile is helping corporations, universities, healthcare institutions and industry associations transform their knowledge into AI-optimized assets — boosting visibility, credibility, and media reach. Get your free download of our app at www.expertfile.com

Can the Olympics Help Americans Forget Politics (at Least for 16 Days)?

Americans are divided on a multitude of different issues, but could the Olympic Games unite the country – at least for the duration of an Olympiad? A Baylor University sports marketing and branding expert says yes, the Olympics can help bring people together even when it’s hard for them to agree about anything else. In his latest Forbes Sports Money column, Baylor University sports marketing and branding expert Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., executive director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, analyzed a July 8 national population poll that asked Americans questions about politics but also included the Steen Happiness Index (SHI). The 20-item happiness index provides a series of statements for participants to read and choose the one from each group that describes their state at that moment. Happiness items focus on three types of happy lives: the pleasant life (experiencing and savoring pleasures), the engaged life (losing the self in engaging activities) and the meaningful life (participating in meaningful activities). Are people happier when watching the Olympics? “Happy people follow the Olympics and people who follow the Olympics are happy people,” Wakefield wrote. The higher people scored on the happiness index, the more likely they are to: Watch at least some of the Olympics (49.75%) Root for the U.S. to win (31.8%) Follow the results of the Olympics (28.1%) Read stories about athletes in the Olympics (19.6%) Will talk with others about the Olympics events (18.7%) “Controlling for age, gender, income, education, race and marital status, Americans who follow the Olympics in one, two, or three of these ways are somewhat more happy people (+4% on the SHI). But those who follow the Olympics in four or all five of these ways are significantly happier people (+10% on the SHI),” Wakefield wrote. Who is happiest when the Olympics are on? The happiest? Those would be the Americans who love to talk about the Olympics with others while also cheering for U.S. athletes to win. In fact, they are about 14% happier than those who don’t follow the Olympics, according to the SHI. “Perhaps best of all, people of all political leaning and presidential preferences are equally likely to follow the Olympics. No matter the party, people can party together in unity following the Olympics,” Wakefield wrote. “Maybe we can’t forget politics. But we can give it a break to watch the Olympics.” ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business. The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield has conducted fan research on partnerships, pricing, promotions, sportscape, service, and anything else that explains why fans do what they do in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. His scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com. ABOUT THE CURB CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT (S3E) The Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) at Baylor University is the only program in the U.S. focused on generating revenue for sports. S3E graduates have career opportunities in sales, digital marketing or business analytics for major league teams, university athletics, corporations and agencies. Baylor is the only university combining learning with practice in partnership with the Athletics Department to prepare graduates for careers in the business of sports. The S3E program is unique in vision, values, mission and culture to transform the business of sports and entertainment. Consistent with the Christian mission and purpose of Baylor University, we prepare passionate servant leaders to positively influence lives in places people go to play or watch others play.

It Has to Matter Who Wins: Futurecasting the MLB All-Star Game

Globe Life Field in Arlington, home of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, will play host to the 94th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 16, marking the second time in franchise history the Rangers will host the Midsummer Classic. MLB’s All-Star game – which matches up the best players from the American League and National League as selected by fans, managers and players – is considered one of best all-star contests among professional sports, said Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., executive director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. However, the game faces continued headwinds, Wakefield said, ranging from lagging viewership to fan voting to a game that is more an exhibition than a meaningful game. Wakefield Weighs In: Five Thoughts on MLB's All-Star Game Is the MLB All-Star game the best All-Star contest of all major leagues? Wakefield: Yes, it’s the only one where players seem to try their best. The NBA and NFL – who have practically given up – have declining viewership since 2011. Unfortunately, MLB All-Star game is on the same downhill skid. (According to Statista, viewership has declined from 22 million in 1993 to seven million in 2023.) The reason why is it doesn’t really matter who wins. If the players don’t care who wins, neither will fans. Further, fans aren’t particularly a fan of only one league so that it really matters if one league has bragging rights. That was less the case years ago before interleague play. How could viewership improve in any of the All-Star games? Wakefield: It has to matter who wins. MLB tried this with home field advantage for the World Series. They gave that up. The current approach in baseball is truly an exhibition because every player gets to play, so it’s like three players at every position playing three innings. That’s not how a manager would play it if trying to win. And it’s not like it used to be when the starters (who were more likely to be the best at their positions) played longer. One suggestion I’ve heard is to make the payoff big enough for the winners so that the players gave it their best. Get a sponsor to put up the money so the winners each make seven figures and could be the players and managers will play more like a team trying to win. Does Monday’s prelude, the hugely popular Homerun Derby, enhance Tuesday’s game? Wakefield: The Homerun Derby is popular because fans do follow individual players. It matters more who wins. That said, the HR derby’s viewership has still lagged. Bottom line: Fans are loyal to teams more than to leagues or individual players. Fan voting… Need we say more? Wakefield: Major market teams with huge fan bases will dominate, but what about the Kansas City Royals, who at one point in the season were on pace for the biggest year-over-year improvement in wins and losses? Given the way fan voting has become essentially a promotion game to get more fans to vote more often, it’s hardly representative of anything other than largest markets with the best promoters. The good news is that the MLB All-Star game will be quite the occasion in Arlington, Texas, with a bevy of game-related activities and events July 13-16. Wakefield: Arlington is an optimal location central to the U.S. with plenty of space to blow out the occasion. It’s like the Texas State Fair came to baseball, where all the rides and attractions are baseball-happy. ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield has conducted fan research on partnerships, pricing, promotions, sportscape, service, and anything else that explains why fans do what they do in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. His scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com. ABOUT THE CURB CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT (S3E) The Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) at Baylor University is the only program in the U.S. focused on generating revenue for sports. S3E graduates have career opportunities in sales, digital marketing or business analytics for major league teams, university athletics, corporations and agencies. Baylor is the only university combining learning with practice in partnership with the Athletics Department to prepare graduates for careers in the business of sports. The S3E program is unique in vision, values, mission and culture to transform the business of sports and entertainment. Consistent with the Christian mission and purpose of Baylor University, we prepare passionate servant leaders to positively influence lives in places people go to play or watch others play.

Top 9 ROI Metrics for Expertise Marketing

When it comes to digital marketing, organizations are looking for data-driven solutions that are proven to support their bottom line. Here are 9 families of quantitative and qualitative metrics that will help you measure and track the success of your organization’s Expertise Marketing. (Taken from Chapter 5 of Expertise Marketing Whitepaper: Next Wave in Digital Strategy) REPUTATION Move Brand Metrics - Position research, client work, thought leadership perspectives and achievements in the context of relevant topics in the news. MARKET AWARENESS Move Search Metrics - Boost search-engine rankings and increase overall breath of search results. LEAD GENERATION Grow Inbound Leads - Increase the number of direct lead inquiries from the following audiences: Customers |  Students |  Patients  |  Donors  |  Patients  |  Media  |   Recruits  | Conferences  | Partners  |  Alumni  | & More... AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT Drive Engagement Metrics - A single familiar digital touchpoint provides access to all content marketing assets and encourages enhanced content browsing. Download our Free Whitepaper Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy TALENT DEVELOPMENT Boost People Performance -   Better engage stakeholders, researchers & subject-matter experts in the development and distribution of content. INTERNAL COLLABORATION Improve Teamwork & Internal Efficiency - Better coordinate the knowledge and resources across internal communications teams and other departments as they engage experts.  Provide a faster, more efficient way to generate content for breaking news and events. CONTENT CONTRIBUTION Expand Reach - Increase the size of the organization’s digital footprint by aggregating more content and distributing it contextually to multiple websites and third-party databases. EFFICIENCY Deliver More with Less - Help employees get their jobs done faster and more efficiently. Enable them to find information faster, speed up internal processes and foster collaboration among people in multiple locations. LEVERAGE CURRENT & FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE Extract More Value From Existing Investments - Properly integrated, new technology investments should integrate seamlessly to leverage existing/proposed infrastructure such as content management systems (CMS). What’s most important to you? Get in touch with Deanne and start the conversation about how ExpertFile can begin moving that dial within 6 weeks. Get Your Copy and Get Started Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy About ExpertFile ExpertFile is the world’s first Expertise Marketing Platform that helps organizations solve the challenge of creating, managing and amplifying expert content. Our software platform and services help you showcase your people and their insights to the audiences that matter across a range of channels including distribution through the Associated Press to over 15,000 newsrooms.  Learn more about ExpertFile.