23 January 2024
SEO for FAQ Pages After Google's Core Update
According to Google’s August Core Update, the visibility of FAQs has been reduced in rich results, formerly known as ‘rich snippets’, that box displaying pertinent info underneath the top search result in SERPs. What does this mean for FAQs? If Google does not consider them as strongly in their all-important algorithm, should we still take the time to create them?
What is FAQ Schema Markup?
It used to be the case that when web designers and content creators made an FAQ page, it was in their best interest in terms of SEO to tag the page as such using a form of structured data known as Schema markup. This basically told the search engine what kind of page it was. Schema markup can be used to describe all kinds of pages, and a properly tagged FAQ page could help that content of the page appear in rich snippets, aka rich results. This is the info that appears in a box at the top of the SERPs and contains information from that webpage, thus enhancing the search results.
Google goes on to say that FAQ rich results will only be shown in rich results for “well-known, authoritative government and health websites”. So for most websites, their FAQs will not appear in rich results. If you are interested in exactly what part of your site or page will be shown in rich results, you can find out by using the Rich Results Test on Google Search Console.
Should We Still Write FAQs?
Some people think FAQs are lazy, deliver a bad user experience, and a crutch to cover up poor website design. Some FAQ pages are written by an organisation with little research done into what their customers are asking, and seem more like a marketing tool than providing answers to actual ‘frequently asked questions’. A more refined customer journey and more relevant content on other pages could eradicate the need for FAQs. AI-powered chatbots and search functions may do a better job at answering customer questions than a FAQ page.
Are FAQ Pages Still Relevant?
Just because FAQs aren’t displayed as much in rich results doesn’t necessarily mean we should do away with them entirely. Many site visitors do read FAQs and find them helpful and informative. Instead of doing away with FAQs entirely, make sure that your FAQ page is relevant and useful for customers.
Here are some good tips for creating a functional and helpful FAQ page that adds value:
- The key to making a helpful FAQ page full of relevant content lies in doing some research. Find out what your customers are asking and address this in your FAQs.
- Don’t share generic information on the FAQ page – use it as a place to answer specific questions that can’t be answered by your home page or other main site page.
- Update your FAQ page regularly to reflect any changes in the business, or to the products and services you offer.
- Avoid using the FAQ page as a cheap marketing attempt, i.e. don’t include questions like “Why is product X so amazing?” This won’t provide any value or help your SEO.
Should I Still Tag FAQ Pages in Schema Markup?
Just because Google isn’t including FAQs in rich results any more doesn’t mean you should skip the Schema markup process – it can still be helpful. Other search engines may still use it too, as it provides context to the page and tells the search engine what type of content it is. It’s certainly not going to hurt your SEO. Although, if you already have your FAQ page marked as FAQ in your Schema markup, you may need to update the code so it meets current structured data protocols. You can test your structured data here using Google’s Schema Markup Validator.
How To Optimise Your Website For Rich Results
Having your web content appear in rich results is a great way to make your website more appealing in SERPs and boost your website traffic. Users are more likely to click on a link which includes rich results, as it offers a preview of what they can expect from the page and shows that it is relevant to their search terms. It can also boost general SEO as it shows that the search engine understands exactly what the page is about, which means it may rank it better.
Markup pages appropriately
Use a website auditing tool or the Schema markup validator mentioned above to make sure your pages are tagged correctly. Avoid tagging pages as something they are not – this will not be looked upon kindly by Google as it may be seen as misleading.
Make sure your content is high quality
Before you even think about structured data or Schema markup, you need to ensure that your content is up to scratch. Poor quality, outdated, or just poorly written content is never going to rank that highly. Use Google’s Helpful Content guidelines to make sure your content is of good enough quality for it to be considered for a rich result.
Check that you are using the right tags
It’s important to use the correct tags for the type of content your webpage includes. There are 32 different Schema markup tags recognised by Google, such as recipes, products, blogs and more. Check through them all here to see which is most appropriate for your content.
Focus on one topic per page
It may be tempting to add lots of different content to one page, and use lots of tags to increase your chances of getting that rich snippet, but this isn’t such a good idea. Sticking with one topic on each page makes for a better user experience, and allows you to better showcase your expertise on that topic.
Even though Google is largely ignoring Schema markup for FAQ pages, they can still be useful for site visitors, so don’t feel you have to get rid of them – just follow our tips and make sure they actually answer your customers’ questions in a helpful way. Google’s updates are not intended to confound web designers and content writers, they are there to enhance the overall user experience and cut down on poor quality content in the SERPs, and they do provide a plethora of free tools to guide you along the way.
For more help with SEO and high-quality web content, get in touch with us – our team of experts can help you optimise your website content for rich results, better SEO and more.
