The author's views are his own (except in the unlikely case of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
The golden rule of marketing has always been: don't leave your customers in the dark or you'll lose them. This rule also applies very well to SEO: if Google can't find an answer, and fast, it will select and feature your competitor.
One way to ensure this doesn't happen is to have a well designed and optimized FAQ page. Your FAQs are key to providing your customers and search engines with all the answers they might need about your brand.
Why create a FAQ page?
- Lighten the workload of your customer service team. If you get it right, your FAQ page will be the first port of call for your prospects, before they have to contact you directly.
- Shorten the purchase paths of your customers. If your site users can find all the answers without listening to your team, they will buy right away.
- Generate trust signals. Covering your return policies and shipping processes, and being transparent to your website users, will encourage them to trust your brand more. As always, when your website users trust your brand, so will Google.
- Create a more effective sales funnel by incorporating your company's competitive advantages: What makes you better than your competitors?
- Improve the internal linking of your website (useful).
- Capture more search visibility opportunities.
Convinced? Then we move from why to how.
Where to find questions to be answered
I wrote a very detailed article about it.research questionsfor moz. It lists all kinds of tools, including SEO-driven (based on questions people type into Google's search box) and People Also Ask-based (questions that appear in Google's People Also Ask boxes), that collect questions from online discussion forums, as well as tools that monitor questions from Twitter and Reddit.

Plus, your customer support team is your most important resource. You need to know exactly what your customers are asking when they contact your business, and then use all other sources to optimize those questions for organic rankings and grow your list if necessary.
The answers must be CCF (clear, concise and objective).
(I just made up that acronym, but you get my point right.)
A good rule of thumb is to write short answers to each question; two or three paragraphs would be a good answer. If more time passes, the page becomes too long and cluttered.
If you have more to say:
- Write a standalone article explaining the process.
- Add a video
It's almost always a good idea to create a video to answer most of these questions. Videos are good promotional tools to get your brand noticeddiscovered on youtube, as well as through Google video carousels.
And if video marketing sounds too intimidating for you, there are a few tools you can use to create videos on a budget without investing in expensive software (and training) or outside services. I list some of these tools.Here.
Another video creation tool I recently discovered is calledrenderwald. It offers some powerful explainer video templates that are perfect for answering questions.

Other ways to shorten answers are:
- Add instructional GIFs (I have listed some tools to make GIFsHere).
- Create downloadable flowcharts and checklists (there are manyonline toolsto put them together).
Total,Images have proven their worth for a long time.To improve engagement and make things easier to understand and remember, then why not use them on your FAQ page?
FAQ outline - use it!
Google loveswith clear answers(That's why it's a good idea to create a strong FAQ page.) In fact, Google loves responses so much that there's a separate schema type specifically for this content format:FAQPage-Schema.
Definitely use it. For WordPress users:There is a WordPress pluginthis helps tag content with the FAQ outline.
It makes your FAQ page easier for Google to understand and helps your page stand out in searches:

Quick Tip: If you include an internal link in your reply, it will also show up in search results. More links in organic SERPs!

Internal link: use your FAQ as a sitemap
Getting more links from your organic search listing is not the only reason to link from your FAQ page. Your FAQ page is part of the customer journey, where each answer is an important step in the sales funnel. For this reason, adding internal links is key to ensuring that the customer journey continues.
But don't just think about these links from an SEO perspective. Here, creating keyword-optimized link text isn't as important (although it's not a bad idea, if it makes sense). The most important factor to consider here isuser intent.
What is your website user likely to do next when searching for a specific question?
If they have a question about shipping cost, they are probably about to make a purchase, but need to know more about the final price. Here you can brag about your great shipping partners and link directly to the product (or listing) page and cart so they can complete checkout.
If you're asked how long shipping usually takes, you're probably their current customer, so linking to their shipping information page would be more helpful.
Monitoring your FAQ page and user paths will give you more ideas on how to best configure each answer. More on that below.
If you need inspiration for proper linking in the FAQ, take a look hereShopify, which does a good job of matching different user intents via internal linking:

structure is everything
There are Internet users who search and there are those who browse.
Your FAQ page should address both.
That means:
- There should be search box suggestions to effectively guide the user through the website.
- There should be clear categories (like subheadings) that site visitors can navigate through and get a good idea of what your site does at a glance. This helps people who are still in the research phase to make a buying decision faster.
PayPal compliedboth in a very nice way:

To determine the best structure for the FAQ page, try thistext optimizer, which uses semantic analysis to ask related questions. It makes it easy to catch some common keywords and question patterns:

Once you have your FAQ content structure in place, create anchor links so users can quickly jump to the section where they want to search further. To see this page navigation in action, go toAdobe FAQ Page:

Here is a short tutorialhow to configure this type of navigation.
To make your FAQ page work: integrate, analyze, monitor
A well-designed FAQ page addresses multiple types of user intent and helps with different steps in a sales funnel. This makes monitoring the site closely a very important task.
Here are some ways to achieve this:
1. Monitor search in FAQs
If your website runs on WordPress, there are a variety of FAQ plugins (includingThis one here), which are equipped with an extended search function. The feature informs about:
- The most popular searches, which show which product features or website sections are causing the most confusion (this may indicate some usability issues).
- Empty searches showing what questions the user asked that didn't generate answers in your FAQ (these should go directly to your content team).
If you decide to go for a custom solution without a plugin, make sure that is the case.Use Google Analyticsto set up your In-FAQ search, which allows you to monitor the search patterns of your website users.
2. Track User Traces Through Your FAQ Page
What pages (or off-site channels) usually take people to your FAQ page, and where do they typically go from there? These paths are important in understanding the role of the FAQ page in your sales funnel.
To track how effective a page is at sending conversions, I tend to useTranslated, which allows you to create an unlimited (if I haven't reached the limit yet) number of sales funnels to monitor and compare different user paths through your website:

3. Monitor people also ask ratings
Chances are you're monitoring that page's traffic and rankings anyway, but here's something to add: "People Ask Too" positions.
Since this page is focused on answering customer questions, Google ranks it as "People ask too."they are quite significantif you are doing a good job or not.SE Classificationit's the only tool I know of that can help you with that. Tracks most Google search items and reports your progress:

If you do things right, your PPA positions will probably grow.
4. Monitor customer feedback
Finally, collecting user feedback on each answer in your FAQ will help you create more useful answers. Again, most pre-built FAQ solutions come with this option, but there are standalone plugins as well (likeThis one here).

Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions
There are some common questions about creating an FAQ page floating around the web (as well asMoz Community Forums). Let's quickly address them here:
Is an FAQ section still useful?
Yes, definitely, but only if you're serious about it.
Should I use "collapsible" responses to save space?
I have no problem with this setup (many brands go this route), but SEOs believe that content hidden behind tabs or clicks has less value than content immediately visible.
Can I reuse the selected answers on other pages where these questions and answers make sense? Is that duplicate content?
It's not a "problematic" duplicate content issue (meaning Google won't penalize you), but the best way to avoid duplicate content is to write new (original) answers for each page.
Should it be one page or is it better to build a multi-page knowledge base?
Depending on how much you have to say, either is good.
mouthful
- Their FAQ page is an important step in the buying process and a good resource for organic search that can drive traffic and conversion.
- To find answers to your FAQ page, check out our nicheQuestion Investigation Guide.
- Createconcise, factual answers that offer immediate help or guidelines. Videos and animated GIFs make the FAQ section more and more useful.
- Link from your FAQ page to accommodate different user intentions and help your site users continue their journey through the site.
- Structure your FAQ page in a meaningful way to give site users some clues as to what is covered.
- Closely monitor your website user journeys through your FAQ page to improve and expand.
Do you have any other tips for optimizing your FAQs? Let me know in the comment section.
FAQs
How do I optimize my FAQ page for SEO? ›
- Format Your Questions for Featured Snippets. Featured Snippets are the answer boxes that display at the top of search results pages. ...
- Use Header Tags to Organize Your FAQ Categories. ...
- Add Links to Your Content. ...
- Apply FAQ Schema. ...
- Monitor and Maintain Your FAQ Page.
However, when optimized for relevant keywords and well designed in terms of UX, FAQ pages can be great for SEO. In fact, the goal of an FAQ page is the same as the core goal of SEO: to provide the best answer to a question.
How do I optimize page optimization? ›- Crawl your website.
- Conduct an SEO audit and define your site architecture.
- Update URLs, page titles, and meta descriptions.
- Make sure your keyword is in your URL.
- Include your keyword throughout your page.
- Track keywords and topics for each page.
- Don't keyword stuff.
There's no right or wrong answer here, since this will vary greatly by the nature of your business and the intelligence of your customers. That said, you want to find a nice middle ground. Fewer than five questions might indicate you haven't done your research… or that you didn't need an FAQ to begin with.
How long should FAQ pages be? ›A good rule of thumb is to write short answers to each question — two to three paragraphs would make a good answer. If you go longer, the page will be too long and cluttered.
What does a good FAQ page look like? ›Your FAQ page should address the most common questions customers have about your products, services, and brand as a whole. The best way to identify those questions is to tap into your customer service data and see which problems customers are consistently reaching out to you with.
What should a FAQ page contain? ›An FAQ page (short for Frequently Asked Question page) is a part of your website that provides answers to common questions, assuages concerns, and overcomes objections. It's a space where customers can delve into the finer details of your product or service, away from your sales-focused landing pages and homepage.
What are examples of on page optimization? ›Onpage optimization (AKA on-page SEO) refers to all measures that can be taken directly within the website in order to improve its position in the search rankings. Examples of this include measures to optimize the content or improve the meta description and title tags.
What is the difference between FAQ and Q&A? ›In FAQ Schema one question has only one answer but in Q&A schema, one question may have multiple answers. For example, let's take the example of What are the top 11 SEO Tools Every Marketer Should Use in 2020.
What are the two types of FAQs present on the platform? ›Answer. Use “FAQ” or “Frequently Asked Questions” as the page title. Write questions from the point of view of your customer. Write the FAQ sheet in an actual question-and-answer format.
Why does FAQs Frequently Asked Questions important? ›
An FAQ page can help users navigate your site.
Not only does an FAQ with links to related content provide your user with a deeper experience of your website, it also boosts your internal link-building, which is an important search ranking factor.
Should FAQs be numbered? Yes, you should number them. Numbering FAQs makes it easy for readers to call out which FAQ they want to make a point about. If there are multiple sections of FAQs in a document (e.g., a Customer FAQ and an Internal FAQ), make sure the numbering is continuous across all sections.
Are FAQs a good idea? ›FAQs are a good indicator that there may be an issue with your content. Most are created because people think by bringing frequently asked questions together on a single page, they will make it easier for people to find the answers they are looking for.
What are the disadvantages of FAQs? ›FAQ pages are notoriously written to defend the company's shortcomings rather than to intrigue and guide the customer along the path to a purchase. In many cases, ecommerce FAQs avoid answering tough questions if the answer isn't positive, thereby defeating the entire purpose of the page and introducing more friction.
Where should website FAQs be? ›Make your FAQ page easy to find
For customers who are going straight to your site for answers, put the link to your FAQ or support page in a highly visible place—preferably in the top navigation bar. This will encourage customers to read through the FAQs before they reach out to a support rep or open a ticket.
Optimize meta descriptions:
include a call to action and most important keywords (but don't overdo it) specify exactly what is on the page. make people curious – use open-ended phrases and questions. keep it between 145 – 155 characters, going on about something for too long – search engines will cut off any extra text.
Rich Results are a type of search result that takes up extra space in the SERPs. Publishers who add an FAQ to their page and also mark up it up with structured data become eligible for showing in Google's search results with these FAQs.
What are four pieces of information that should be included on a home page? ›There are four essential pieces of information you should have on your homepage: value proposition, differentiation, proof, and calls to action. Though the role of the homepage has changed over time, chances are it's still the most highly trafficked and most important page on your website.
How do I rank my FAQs on Google? ›- Target complex keywords that are obtainable.
- Your content must logically answer the question in detail.
- Use structured data and formatting.
- Use Google features to identify search trends such as: Autocomplete. People also ask. ...
- Crush it with your content by making a page people find useful and informative.
An FAQ page can help users navigate your site.
Not only does an FAQ with links to related content provide your user with a deeper experience of your website, it also boosts your internal link-building, which is an important search ranking factor.
How can we optimize a SEO friendly URL? ›
- Start with your page title.
- Remove special characters.
- Remove numbers.
- Remove superfluous information.
- Boil it down to a keyword.
- Add keyword modifiers (optional)
- Make it readable (optional)
- Make it lowercase.
First, you'll need to generate the FAQ schema code. You can do this by using the FAQPage JSON-LD Schema Generator. Start by adding your questions and answers on the left side of the tool. You can click 'Add Another FAQ' to add as many questions as needed.
What should FAQ contain? ›An FAQ page (short for Frequently Asked Question page) is a part of your website that provides answers to common questions, assuages concerns, and overcomes objections. It's a space where customers can delve into the finer details of your product or service, away from your sales-focused landing pages and homepage.