Author: WMWL Support

Email Authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC) + MX Records

Written by WMWL Support on November 15, 2025. Posted in SMTP.

DKIM – proof the email message wasn’t messed around with, digital signature key

SPF – where can my letters come from, anti-spam rule

DMARC – what big G should do if someone tries to pull a sneaky one, boss policy

MX – where to deliver mail (don’t send it to my house, send it to Google Workspace)

A – “address” where does the house live? it points to the IP address (like hosting nation) (e.g. 123 maple street)

CNAME – instead of following an IP, it follows a different name (e.g. your buddy calls your house “the dragon lair” but its still 123 maple street) like a nickname. www.domain.com -> domain.com

TXT – proof, rules, or verification codes. like a sticky note on the mailbox. (only family can send me mail). includes spf, dkim, dmarc, google verification

Your Full DNS “Mailbox” (Hosting Nation cPanel) – Like a House with Signs

Sign on Mailbox	Meaning
A yourdomain.com → 142.44.215.123	“House is here”
CNAME www → yourdomain.com	“www is just a nickname”
MX → aspmx.l.google.com (1)	“Send all mail to Google”
TXT “v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all”	“Only Google can send from here”
TXT google._domainkey → [long code]	“Here’s the key to prove it’s us”
TXT _dmarc → p=quarantine	“Fake mail? Spam folder, please”

Record	TL;DR
A	Tells the internet the IP address of your website
CNAME	Says “this name is just an alias for another name”
MX	Tells mail servers where to deliver email (@yourdomain.com)
TXT	Holds text notes like SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or Google verification

Website → Hosting Nation
Email → Google Workspace
No spoofing → SPF/DKIM/DMARC
WordPress mail → WP Mail SMTP → Google

Think of sending email like mailing a physical letter.
Your domain (yourname.com) is the return address on the envelope.
Criminals love forging that return address to send spam or phishing emails that look like they came from you.The whole point of SPF + DKIM + DMARC is to make it impossible (or extremely hard) for someone to fake your return address without getting caught.

1. MX Records – “Where do I deliver mail addressed to @yourname.com?”

This is just the postal address for incoming mail.
You put MX records in your domain’s DNS that say:
Send all email for @yourname.com to Google’s mail servers.

Google Workspace gives you exactly what to put:

Priority 1: aspmx.l.google.com
Priority 5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
Priority 5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
etc.

Once you add these, all incoming mail goes to Google, not your cheap shared hosting’s crappy mail server.

Super important: If you’re using Google Workspace, you usually delete any old MX records from your hosting company, otherwise mail still goes to the wrong place.

2. SPF – “Who is allowed to send mail FROM @yourname .com?”

This is a TXT record in your DNS that lists the “approved senders”.
It’s literally a list that says:
“Only these servers are allowed to send email that claims to be from @yourname.com”
For Google Workspace the record is usually:
```
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
```
Translation in retard-speak:
- include:_spf.google.com = “Google’s mail servers are allowed”
- ~all = “anything else is sketchy, treat it as soft-fail (put it in spam, don’t reject yet)”

If someone in Nigeria tries to send an email to your customers pretending to be you@gmail.com without going through Google’s servers → SPF fails → big red flag.

3. DKIM – “Proof the email actually came from you and wasn’t changed”

Google signs every outgoing email with a secret key.
They publish the matching public key in your DNS as a special TXT record (looks like google._domainkey.yourname.com).
When someone receives your email, their server grabs that public key from your DNS and checks the signature.
If it matches → “Yep, this really came from Google’s servers and wasn’t tampered with on the way.”

Google Workspace does this automatically once you add the DKIM record they give you in the admin console. You just copy-paste the TXT record into your DNS.

4. DMARC – “What should Gmail/Yahoo/etc do when someone fails SPF or DKIM?”

This is the boss policy. It’s another TXT record: _dmarc.yourname.com
Example of a good, safe-but-effective policy:
```
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourname.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-failures@yourname.com; pct=100; fo=1
```
Translation:
- p=quarantine = “If SPF or DKIM fails, put it in spam (or reject if you change to p=reject later)”
- rua= = “Send me daily reports of who is trying to fake my domain”
- pct=100 = apply this policy to 100% of emails
- fo=1 = tell me if both SPF and DKIM failed

DMARC is what actually stops the spoofing. Without it, even if SPF/DKIM fail, many servers will still deliver the mail. With DMARC, you force them to spam or reject it.

How It All Works Together in Real Life (Google Workspace Example)

You send an email from Gmail/Google Workspace → Google adds DKIM signature + sends from their servers (which pass SPF).
Someone tries to spoof you → their mail fails either:
- Comes from wrong server → SPF fail
- Has no DKIM signature or wrong one → DKIM fail
Receiving server sees your DMARC policy that says “quarantine or reject if either fails” → message goes to spam or gets bounced.
You get beautiful reports showing exactly who is trying to impersonate you.

Where Do You Actually Put These Records?

Whoever controls your domain’s DNS:
- GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, your hosting provider (cPanel, Plesk, etc.)
If your domain points to shitty shared hosting (Bluehost, HostGator, etc.), they usually have a DNS editor.
If you use Cloudflare → even better, super easy.

Typical setup order when moving to Google Workspace:

Add Google’s MX records (and delete old ones)
Wait 1–48 hours for propagation
Turn on DKIM in Google Workspace admin → add the TXT record they give you
Add SPF record (include:_spf.google.com ~all)
Add DMARC record (start with p=none to monitor, then p=quarantine, then p=reject after a week or two when you’re sure it’s working)

That’s literally it. Once all three (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) are set up properly, almost no one can successfully spoof your domain anymore. Your emails also get better delivery rates because Gmail, Outlook, etc. trust you more.You’re now basically un-spoofable. Congrats.

Your Exact Setup: Domain @ GoDaddy + Hosting @ HostingNation.ca + Email @ Google Workspace

This is an extremely common Canadian setup — tons of people do exactly this. Hosting Nation is a solid little BC-based cPanel host, domain at GoDaddy, email on Google. It works perfectly.There are two possible ways this is actually configured in the real world. One is way more common with Hosting Nation customers.

The Way 99% of Hosting Nation Customers Do It (Nameservers pointed to Hosting Nation)

You (or they) changed the nameservers at GoDaddy to Hosting Nation’s nameservers.In GoDaddy → your domain → Nameservers → it says:

ns1.hostingnation.ca
ns2.hostingnation.ca

(or whatever their current ones are — they sometimes change, but it’s always their own).This is the easiest way for them because when you add the domain to your Hosting Nation cPanel account, everything “just works” for the website without you touching any A records.What your DNS records look like inside Hosting Nation’s cPanel → Zone Editor:

Type    Name              Value / Points to                          Priority   TTL
A       yourdomain.com.   192.168.XXX.XXX   (their shared server IP)          -        14400
A       cpanel            same IP
A       webmail           same IP
A       whm               same IP
CNAME   www               yourdomain.com.
CNAME   mail              yourdomain.com.   (usually left but doesn't matter)

MX      yourdomain.com.   aspmx.l.google.com.                        1        14400
MX      yourdomain.com.   alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.                   5
MX      yourdomain.com.   alt2.aspmx.l.google.com.                   5
MX      yourdomain.com.   alt3.aspmx.l.google.com.                   10
MX      yourdomain.com.   alt4.aspmx.l.google.com.                   10

TXT     yourdomain.com.   "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"               14400
TXT     google._domainkey "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCA..." (super long string from Google)
TXT     _dmarc            "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; fof=1" (or whatever policy you set)

(Optionally) TXT  yourdomain.com.   "google-site-verification=xxxxxxxxxxxx"   (if Google asked for it during setup)

That’s literally it. You deleted the default local MX record that pointed to mail.yourdomain.com or localhost (priority 0) — that’s the only thing you had to change for email to go to Google.Everything else was already there for the website to work.

The Other Way (Less Common, but Totally Works): Nameservers Stay at GoDaddy

You kept GoDaddy nameservers and just pointed the A record to Hosting Nation’s server IP (they give you this IP in your welcome email or in cPanel → “Shared IP Address”).In GoDaddy DNS it looks exactly like my first big explanation, but with their IP:

A       @                 192.168.XXX.XXX   (Hosting Nation server IP)
CNAME   www               yourdomain.com.   (or sometimes directly to a hostname they give like server123.hostingnation.ca)
MX      @                 aspmx.l.google.com.           1
MX      @                 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.      5
... (same Google MX as above)
TXT     @                 v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
TXT     google._domainkey (the DKIM one)
TXT     _dmarc            (your DMARC policy)

This way works great too, and some people prefer it because GoDaddy’s DNS editor is actually pretty decent for adding TXT records.

Hosting Nation fully supports both ways — they even offer free DNS service even if you don’t host with them.

Important Real-World Notes for Hosting Nation Specifically

They have a help article literally called “Google Suite domain setup” (it’s old, still says G Suite, but same thing) that tells you exactly which MX records to add in their Zone Editor.
If your WordPress/site contact forms or cron jobs send email, they will come from Hosting Nation’s server → SPF will soft-fail (~all) and sometimes land in spam. Fix = either:
- Add the server IP to your SPF:
  v=spf1 ip4:YOUR_SERVER_IP include:_spf.google.com ~all
  (get the IP from cPanel main page)
- Or install an SMTP plugin (WP Mail SMTP, FluentSMTP, etc.) and make it use your Google Workspace credentials → then everything goes through Google and SPF/DKIM passes perfectly.

for wordpress we use wp smtp plugin so is that extra step needed?
If your WordPress/site contact forms or cron jobs send email, they will come from Hosting Nation’s server → SPF will soft-fail (~all) and sometimes land in spam.

Short answer:
No — you do not need to add Hosting Nation’s IP to your SPF record if you’re using WP Mail SMTP (or any SMTP plugin) and you’ve configured it to send through Google Workspace

dba platform update october 2025

Written by WMWL Support on October 30, 2025. Posted in dba platform.

GBP Q&A API Depreciation
– Google is changing things, likely adding AI
– It might disappear for a bit
– AI generated Q&A and search bars on the FAQ section have been tested. It looks like we won’t have direct control.
– Want something specific to show up? Make Google Posts to showcase certain things.

GBP Bugs/Issues
– appeal delays
– verification processing delays (including videos, even up to 2 weeks)
– missing reviews

Google Posts Scheduling
– You can now schedule your posts (well, it’s rolling out)
– They are trying to make it more like a Social Media thing
– Don’t know how many you can post at a time, but they have discussed adding more robust features

GBP What’s Happening for Multi-Location
– Grabs event info from third-party areas
– Used to be just one location, now its multi-location
– its an event listing on the GBP listing

Google removes param &num=100
– No longer formally supported
– in response to AI system scraping
– effects rank trackers
– impressions go down, rankings go up, because now we are looking at page 1 instead of first 100 hits

Cookie Consent Banners
– when visitors decline consent tracking, GA4 will not collect data for that session
– If they click “no” and click around, their hits get lumped together into “Direct”

GatherUp Local Business Q3 Review
– not searchable, just from Yan’s secret stash
“how do you usually search for local businesses when you need something?”
most people still “I type my query into a search engine or maps” 75%
i use voice search on my phone or smart speaker 15%
ask AI 10%
personal recommendations under 10%
– so 10% of people now go to AI to find a local business

“how often do you click through on the links for AI responses”
– most people do not trust ai directly (only about 10%)
– 30% always check, 20% frequently, 25% sometimes, 7% rarely
“how often do you read online reviews before choosing a local business?”
– always 40%, frequently 35%, sometimes, 20%, rarely 5%, never 2%

The Customer Journey Tracking is Becoming More Complex
– AI Discovery search (awareness) to Google Brand Search to read reviews (Consideration) to Click to website/call (conversion)

Better Lead Tracking
– use UTM parameters on all links shared online
– implement call tracking software with dynamic number insertion
add “how did you hear about us” field to your contact forms
-train staff to ask every new customer “how did you find us today?”
– use a QR code on in-person materials to track offline-to-online traffic
– set up Google’s Consent Mode to model data from users who decline cookies

Google verification criteria for videos
– prooving the business exists (showing office or truck with signage)
– prooving you are the owner of the business (key to unlock vehicle or house)
– prooving where you are located
– support agents will literally go to google maps and look around and see if it matches
– the video you take may be cropped, so ensure the video is super clear
– for the locked door, you have to show its locked first and that your foot isn’t holding it open or anything
– don’t pan too fast

More channels, more visibility: apple integration (dba platform thing)
– seamless analytics and content opportunities agross google and apple
– apple has become more important, google has lost 30% of its search traffic in the last year probably due to apple and AI, so dba is in the process to integrate apple so you can see google and apple side by side
– dba platform has a beta available soon, if you’re interested contact Luke Luke@dbaplatform.com

Mailchimp and Formidable Forms

Written by WMWL Support on October 29, 2025. Posted in MailChimp.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f3otmtmsl26pjz4jy5wzo/How_to_connect_MailChimp_via_Formidable_Forms_2025-10-29_10-55-16.mp4?rlkey=bfnwzolpoa1h4lmd894w0zi3x&e=1&st=1ilxatfk&unfurl=slack_gen&dl=0

Add membership card (PDF attachment) to formidable forms

Written by WMWL Support on October 22, 2025. Posted in Formidable.

This is a great use case for a Formidable Forms View, but to send it as a reliable attachment, you’ll need the Formidable Forms PDF Add-on (which is typically available with their Business or Elite plans).

Here’s the general process using the PDF Add-on:

1. Ensure the View Displays a Single Entry

Your membership card view needs to display the data for only the entry that was just submitted. You likely already have this set up by using a filter in your View settings like:

Filter entries: Entry ID equals [get param=entry_id]
Or, if you’re redirecting with a custom URL after form submission, make sure the View is set to display a single entry based on the entry’s key or ID.

2. Configure the PDF Generation to Use Your View

The PDF Add-on lets you generate a PDF from either the raw entry data or a specific View. To use your custom-designed membership card View:

Go to your form’s Settings $\rightarrow$ Actions & Notifications.
Edit the Email Notification that you want the PDF attached to (this would typically be the confirmation email sent to the person who filled out the form).
Scroll down to the Attach PDF of entry to email option and toggle it on.
If Formidable Forms provides a setting to choose the PDF Template or View for the attachment in the email action settings, select your membership card View.

3. Use the `frm_pdfs_email_attachment_args` Hook (If a Setting Isn’t Available)

If there is no direct setting in the Email Notification to select the View, you’ll need to add a small snippet of PHP code to your child theme’s functions.php file to tell the PDF generator to use your specific View for that email notification.

PHP

<?php
// Apply a Formidable Forms view for the attached PDF in email.
add_filter( ‘frm_pdfs_email_attachment_args’, ‘add_view_to_attached_pdf’, 10, 2 );
function add_view_to_attached_pdf( $pdf_args, $args ) {
// CHANGE ‘5’ to the ID of the Form
if ( $args[‘form’]->id == 5 ) {
// CHANGE ’10’ to the ID of your Membership Card View
$pdf_args[‘view’] = 10;
// This ensures the PDF shows the detail of the current entry
$pdf_args[‘id’] = $args[‘entry’]->id;
return $pdf_args;
}
return $pdf_args;
}

// Add any other custom functions below this line

Change 5 to the ID of the form that generates the membership card.
Change 10 to the ID of your Formidable View that looks like the membership card.

In the view make a filter

entry id equals [get param=entry]

and in the grid advance settings limit 1

MEC modern events calendar doesn’t work on mobile

Written by WMWL Support on September 8, 2025. Posted in Troubleshooting.

you cannot duplicate the same shortcode on the same page. It is an ID so it only works once.
so, you need a new calendar that’s just for mobile view. The full calendar view does not work. “Calendar/Monthly” view is perfect for mobile. “Full Calendar” is good for desktop.

dba platform: Google & Local SEO

Written by WMWL Support on August 28, 2025. Posted in dba platform.

New GBP categories

RV repair and maintenance service
probate attorney
bilingual preschool
donburi restaurant

GBP bugs

Review attacks on the rise (they get a bunch of 1-star reviews, then a message to WhatsApp saying “I left bad reviews, give me money or I’ll leave more”). Do not respond, take a screenshot, flag the review, respond professionally, and escalate if needed. Google link: https://support.google.com/business/workflow/9945796

August 2025 spam update rolled out. The last one was rolled out in December, usually takes 1-2 weeks. Targets low-quality content & link manipulation (buying links). Mostly impacts informational sites/blogs.

Google Posts Central Dashboard

You can see a new screen that shows your previous posts with info about when it was created, the picture, etc.
It’s an extra step to post now.
Doesn’t look like much now, but it’s likely it’s going to be something later because Google is putting effort into something.
Right now there doesn’t seem to be any help for posting with keywords. Not top of the priority. But that might change in the future since Google is spending time on this feature.

Google changes things all the time

Menu link instead of website link
website link might be cut off
it changes depending on your category
in this example the place saw a decrease in clicks, so the reason was the layout on google maps and on SERP made clicking the website button less accessible

ChatGPT

still says it uses Bing as the default search partner
Tests show ChatGPT results align more with Google results than Bing
Free version and paid version of ChatGPT access differently. Free version may not have updated as quickly, or the paid version might be more robust so it checks more things.
So, most users likely use the free version while marketers might be more likely to use the paid version. Need to be careful when testing for clients, as they might not representative of the “real world.”

Google AI Overview

There was a study “how much do you trust AI Overviews compared to regular search snippets or links?”
40%, about the same.

“Do you still click on website links in the search results after reading an AI Overview?”
The click-throughs look like they have increased based on the study, but in reality, we are seeing drastic drops in clicks.

Google AIO

We’re seeing in the overviews that when you click the button to see the sources the info was pulled from, Google is pulling from itself sometimes via shopping tabs. So, having your products in the Merchant Centre is important.
The way AI works is that if I do a search for air conditioning in a town, Google would just give me those links. But AI takes “best ac in city”, and makes lots of versions/questions to send to google and Bing. So, instead of 1 query, it’s more like 20. Not just the best, but the associated questions, like repairs. It looks at who gets mentioned the most often and likely lists them closer to the top. AI fans out their queries, then aggregates what is the most mentioned option. So, are you mentioned in every type of search variation you can think of?

Survey on interactions with Google AI Overviews: https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/google-ai-overview-click-trust-survey-us-adults/

Google rep talking about AI Overview testing: https://x.com/rmstein/status/1960045095169966197

My Question

Does AI like long, informative website pages or more “to the point”? You mentioned multiple queries, so not sure if just having a short and sweet answer is good, or if there’s benefit to telling a bit of a story. Like, for exterior cleaning in Nanaimo, do I want my gutter cleaning service page to be worshipping “Nanaimo Gutter Cleaning” in every aspect I can think of, or is it too much?

More straightforward is better. The narrative content isn’t as good. AI is like the Vulcan, the logic and basic facts matter. I do this, I’m good at this, why am i good at this? here’s proof i’m good at this, i won an award so I’m the best at this. Tell the AI you are the best. FAQ is good. Why should I hire you? why should I trust you? Less keyword stuffing, although we are kinda inbetween right now. What would convince a person? That’s what we want to go for. Don’t fluff, don’t add extra stuff. People want to call, they don’t have much time reseraching. Show your proof right away. 10 employees, 5 trucks, we sponsor little league, i’m a family business owner -> those are keywords AI like to see.

Other questions

Im in the self storage industry. We see 2 different primary categories- Self storage facility vs storage facility. How do we know which one is the best for the primary?

You have to test it, but changing category can risk suspension. What’s the primary category of your competitors? It can help guide what Google might like the best. If you have a secondary category like “luggage storage” then have a page on your website that talks about this. Your listing should have things that your website can support/backup.

What are the three most beneficial actions, and at what rate, one can take to improve maps ranking?

Reviews, content on the website, and pictures/posts (the easy stuff). Backlinks from local places, like other companies you’ve worked with strengthens the local linking to show a stronger connection.

June dba platform update

Written by WMWL Support on July 2, 2025. Posted in dba platform.

New Google Business Profile categories

None

New GBP Bugs

None

Suspicious Review Message

(the message appears in the circled area on affected profiles)

“Suspicious high-rated reviews were recently removed from this place.”

This message has been appearing on some GBPs in the UK.
Along with it came a deletion of the suspicious reviews.
It is now being seen in North America.
Reviews are deleted and no new reviews can be submitted for 30 days.

GBP Products

While you can add products manually on GBP, Google is shifting away from this.
Merchant Centre is the best place to put products, as you can link it to GBP.
You cannot link GBP products to Merchant Centre.
If your company has a product, just put it in Merchant Centre. Google is shifting towards MC so best to have it there already.

AI Overviews

Yan did the same search a few times and compared the overviews to look for patterns.
He found long-tailed keywords are doing better, as they are more specific.
More variety in your ideal keyword phrases helps the AI understand and reply to varied queries
You can do this with competitors, run tests to see what is showing up and where on the website it is pulling from. Then, use that info to your advantage.
Yan suggests overtly mentioning important info (like award winning) on these pages:
- Website Homepage
- GBP Description
- Bing Profile Description (chatGPT looks here)
- Yelp Profile Description (chatGPT looks here)

What’s Next In Google Search

Written by WMWL Support on June 5, 2025. Posted in dba platform.

Bugs/Issues
– side panel missing on dashboard
– school reviews being removed inconsistently

GBP Categories Added
– bartending services
– esthetics service

GBP Q&A going away?
– no, no official announcement
– but its missing on most desktop knowledge panels
– it still shows on Google Maps results
– keep using it

Google Search Is Declining
– Ai and in-app search (like Apple Maps) now account for a big chunk of the total search volume.
– Nearly 40% Gen Z users start product or local discovery on platforms like TikTok or Apple Maps rather than Google. (Google 2022)
– It is forecasted that Google’s overall serach ad share could fall below 50% by 2026 (Insider Intelligence, 2024)

Citation Management
– backbone of local search visibility
– it is critical for local search because consistent and accurate business information across the web directly affects your local SEO performance, trust with customers, and visibility in search engine results (especially Google)
– clicks to websites are going away, so we need more citations
– Google uses citations as trust symbols, especially if they are consistent
– Online directories don’t matter as much to Google, but Bing and Apple are a bit behind. They are getting more important again because Google is falling and Bing/Apple are rising.
– Consistency matters, things like 123 N street is different from 123 North Street.
– Smart assistants (Siri, Alexa, etc) rely on citation data

Citation management local search
– is it working?
– are there errors?
– how do i fix them?
– am i better than my competitors?
– how do I prove it?

dba platform accuracy report (in beta)
– a clear quantifiable snapshop of how your listings appear across top platforms

dba account activity report
– every change, every sync, every action is documented and searchable
– good for holidays and things where you have to temporily update store hours across multiple platforms
– google does not have this yet (who did what on my account?)

dba sync issues report
– see whats blocking your listings and how to fix it

dba platform new audit tool
– type in a business name, connect to google places api. Run scan.
– pulls from search results; google, apple, bing, FB down the line
– shows every location, easy fixes

the increasing importance of apple
– a new powerhouse in the making
– Apple Maps is no longer a background app, it’s a major player in local serach.
– the default navigation app for iOIS devices, viging businesess listed on Apple Business Connect direct access to over half US smartphone users.
– apple maps drives 10% of phone calls and 5% of website visits that GBPs do not (NearMedia.co, 2023)
– Apple Business Connect is like GBP but a huge pain. Search the business on Apple Maps and “claim this place”. All businesses should be claimed.

Advanced Profile Optimization

Written by WMWL Support on April 28, 2025. Posted in dba platform.

Bugs

delays in GBP reinstatements
Google Posts missing (some have come back already)

GBP removed categories

school (there are more specific ones available)
home hairdresser
mobile hairdresser
accounting software company
curtain and upholstery cleaning
garbage dump service
junk store
traditional restaurant

Misc

No reviews are allowed for GBPs that are for schools, due to spam. A lot of this spam was from students. This will come into effect April 30, 2025
New: Messaging for WhatsApp is back, you can track clicks
When doing the video verification process, you can now watch your video before submitting it. Ensure no other faces are in the video and it helps to show you unlocking the door into your business while showing the address.
4 updates from Google in April. This indicates that they are changing things up, so some features might look a bit odd
Map packs are being experimented with. Instead of the usual 3, Yan had an example where it showed 10 listings. It took up most of the SERP

Q: Can Google detect AI content?

A: Yes, but it is ok if the voice and content is good. You don’t want the content to be too generic. The algorithm looks for the most info (most robust). AI content can only use what already exists, so add your own touch. Examples are unique ways to make your content more robust. Images, too!

AI Overview Feature

pay attention to directories to ensure you are on there
Microsoft can’t read Google reviews, but Gemini can. But, everyone can read directories like Yelp. So, make sure you’re on these universal directories.
Exact match domains are doing well (i.e. the keyword is in the domain)
there are variations and they change quickly. Your AI overview may look different if you search the same phrase again minutes later, or someone else’s browser will have different results. This makes it more difficult to track.
Some results are linked, some are not. We don’t know why the AI chooses to link some phrases and not others.
AI is inserting descriptions into GBPs so pay attention. How do you fix it? You have to contact Google support. This is usually a one liner description by the reviews.

Author: WMWL Support

1. Ensure the View Displays a Single Entry

2. Configure the PDF Generation to Use Your View

3. Use the frm_pdfs_email_attachment_args Hook (If a Setting Isn’t Available)

3. Use the `frm_pdfs_email_attachment_args` Hook (If a Setting Isn’t Available)