A Guide to FAQ Schema
Schema markup was first introduced in 2011 as a way for search engines to understand what a page is about. Schema markup is a form of tagging and structuring data to classify a page’s content.
It sounds like a complicated extra step with only technical value, but in reality, schema markup is the secret for dominating the search results pages with items like featured snippets, People Also Ask appearances, knowledge panels and more.
If you’re new to schema markup, learn more in our guide to schema markup.
So what is FAQ Page schema and why is it such a valuable SEO hack? Discover more about FAQ schema, how it’s used and how to implement it in this article.
What is FAQ Schema?
FAQ schema is a form of schema markup that can be used to classify “Frequently Asked Questions” page content and service and product pages with FAQs – telling Google that the content is in question and answer format.
How does FAQ Schema Work?
FAQ schema works by informing Google that a landing page has FAQ content.
When the FAQ schema is implemented correctly, your content will be eligible for even more appearances in search listings and as answers on Google Voice Assistant.
This allows you to take up more real estate on the SERPs and can help improve your organic clickthrough rate.
FAQ schema is one of the quickest and simplest ways to increase your rich results appearances, with some claiming to have seen appearances in under 30 minutes after implementing!
Where does FAQ Schema Appear?
FAQ schema allows for your content to be eligible to appear in a range of places, including:
SEARCH LISTINGS
Below is an example of an FAQ rich result appearance for the term “what is local SEO”:
This result shows a collapsible list of FAQs that have been marked up on a website. Once opened, the dropdown menus will show the marked up answers and lead your users to your website.
Not only does this increase your real estate on the search results pages, but it also shows Google that this page is more relevant to that search term.
GOOGLE VOICE ASSISTANT
Below is the result from Google Voice Assistant for the question, “why is link building important”
The result will pull a snippet from your website and direct the user to your page.
FAQ schema plays a significant role in voice search appearances, and with voice search on the rise (71% of consumers now prefer to conduct searches by voice instead of typing), this is a huge opportunity to increase your visibility!
Even more voice searches are in the form of questions than for normal desktop searches, so when creating your FAQs, be sure to optimise your answers for voice search.
FAQ Schema Usage
FAQ schema can be used when the content is:
- An FAQ page was written by the site itself, with no way for users to submit alternative answers
- A product support page that lists FAQs, with no way for users to submit alternative answers
- Visible to all users on the page
FAQ schema is not appropriate on:
- A forum page where users can submit answers to a single question
- A product support page where users can submit answers to a single question
- A product page where users can submit multiple questions and answers on a single page
- A page for advertising purposes
- A page where questions and answers are not visible to users
How to Implement FAQ Schema
FAQ schema is a relatively simple structured data type to implement. At TSCA, we like to use this Schema Markup Generator
It allows you to easily choose the type of schema markup you want to create and provides all the required sections that need to be filled out.
As you add each question and answer, the JSON-LD markup will be created in real-time.
Once complete, you can easily copy and paste the JSON-LD in a <script> tag in the page head or body.
If you don’t have access to the HTML code, there are many structured data plugins available that allow you to add custom schema markup to any page, and give you further support on other types of structured data.
Some examples of useful schema plugins are:
How Do I know if FAQ Schema is Implemented Correctly?
Once your FAQ schema has been inserted on your page, you should use Google’s various tools to verify that it has been implemented correctly and if any sections have been missed.
Google’s Rich Results tool can be used to verify what Google rich results a page is eligible for, and will inform you of any errors in the code.
You can also use the Schema Validator which will check and validate all scheme-related code, without Google-specific warnings.
Why You Should Care
While FAQ pages seem a bit old-fashioned and not high value for SEO purposes, ever since the implementation of FAQ schema markup, their value has increased tremendously! They are not only useful as expanded information for users already on your website, but they increase your reach and help you get in front of the right audience.
FAQ schema makes you eligible for even more appearances in Google Search with minimal effort and will increase your authority in the eyes of Google on pages with substantial FAQ content.
If you haven’t tried FAQ schema yet, get it on your radar and test out the results on one of your core service or product pages – you won’t be disappointed!
Looking for more technical SEO techniques, or a team to take the reins on your SEO strategy? Get in touch with our SEO agency in Manchester to see how we can help.
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