Other Ways to Use FAQ Info on Your Site

Recently, we wrote about ways including a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section on your site can be helpful for SEO. Keeping all of your customers’ questions and answers lined up in one spot has always been viewed as an important concept for a website. However, there are some who think that a FAQ page isn’t necessary and there might be a better way to present answers to your customers’ questions.

What is FAQ content?

FAQ content is written in a question-and-answer format. Having a dedicated FAQ page is a simple way to answer your customers’ most common questions quickly.

Why a FAQ Page Might Work for You

Having a FAQ page helps rank for conversational questions asked in search engines. When done properly it could help you rank for a knowledge box (aka Featured Snippet) in the search landscape. Earning a knowledge box is highly sought after because of the prime location. Another reason to have a FAQ is it can help with user experience by offering a way for customers to navigate your website. A FAQ page can build trust between the customers and the company because it shows that the company will work towards helping them find a solution to any problem the customers have. (Here are some good FAQ page examples from Search Engine Journal.)

Why FAQ Pages Sometimes Fail

Sometimes FAQ pages are:

• Overwhelming to the user;
• Outdated while other sections of a website are updated, making the FAQ content redundant;
• Done with poor customer insight and include questions that are not relevant to what the customers are actually asking.

Website visitors often visit a FAQ page whenever they can not find their answer on the page that they are already on. If a customer has to switch pages away from a product page to answer a question, there’s a higher chance that they won’t buy that product. This occurs because the fewer steps a customer has to take the more likely they are to buy from you.

Building out content on your main pages instead of focusing on a FAQ page can make your website visitors happier because they won’t have to navigate as many pages and can get all of their information in one spot.

How to Provide Answers Without Using a FAQ Page

Keeping a page with frequently asked questions could be an option if instead of lengthy answers the FAQ had links that lead to a different page to find someone’s answer.

If a piece of information is really important, then it could be best to put it on every page so a customer can’t miss it. You want to answer a question before a customer ever has a question. You can incorporate these answers within your main pages by:

The example above is one way to include the FAQ information on the relevant page itself. This also works well with structured markup, which makes it more likely to snag a knowledge box.

• Adding a sidebar on product pages
• Creating different tabs for information within the description
• Placing answers as a headline across a main page
• Through pictures and videos
  • Ex: A company claims that their product is indestructible, so they make a video demonstrating this to be true
• Adding descriptors or keywords to product titles

What does this mean for you?

Making a customer’s experience smooth will always benefit both you and the user, and a FAQ page isn’t necessarily the best way to create that experience. Building your web pages so the answer is on the page where the question might arise could help make the customer’s experience easier. A FAQ page can still be utilized, but make sure it’s not overwhelmed with unnecessary information. By putting your user’s needs right up front, you are making it easier for them to choose you when it comes time to make a purchase.