What Is FAQ Schema? (And How to Get Started With FAQ Schema for Google)

Google’s results page is a competitive arena, so it’s critical to find ways to rise above the rest. Certain tactics can make your listing more obvious to readers, increasing their odds of visiting your site.

Filling a page with frequently asked questions (FAQs) and adding FAQ schema to the code is gaining popularity as an effective way to stand out, even when other pages rank higher than yours. 

This article will help you understand and apply FAQ schema to your website.

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What is schema markup?

Before diving into FAQ schema, it’s vital to understand what schema markup is. 

Schema markup, also called structured data, is standardized code that tells search engines like Google how to interpret and categorize the page. The code can also determine how the page’s listing will appear on the search engine results page (SERP). 

Structured data produces rich search results that show more than a link to a page. A rich search result will display information like product prices, customer reviews, job listings, and much more. 

By facilitating a rich search result, schema markups help search engines decide what to do with a page while letting readers easily find the information they need.

What is FAQ schema?

FAQ schema is a specific type of schema markup for FAQ pages. The markup tells Google that the page contains an FAQ section. Adding FAQ schema to your page’s code will help your listing stand out among others on the results page. 

Google will display FAQs with relevant question-and-answer markups on the results page when websites use the FAQPage tag. The FAQs will appear as dropdown bars readers can click to reveal each answer. 

Today, Google displays two FAQs on the results page for each new listing with FAQ schema. Existing listings produced before Google’s update in June 2021 are eligible for three FAQ schema markups. 

What are the advantages of adding FAQ schema?

Adding FAQ schema will cause Google to include two questions from your page below the listing. Adding it is easy to do, even with little programming experience. FAQ schema produces a few key advantages for your page that will improve its traffic. 

Here’s how you’ll benefit from adding FAQ schema:

• Expand your listing’s size: FAQ schema will cause your listing to command more space on the SERP. Your listing will be more likely to catch a reader’s attention, even when competitor pages appear higher up. 
• Offer an interactive search result: Clickable FAQ snippets attract readers because they know they can uncover information before committing to the page. The interactive element will allow your readers to test drive your page to confirm its credibility. 
• Mesh with Google Assistant: FAQ schema will make Google Assistant more likely to show users your page when they use voice search to research the topic your page discusses. 

When is FAQ schema useful?

You can add FAQ schema to any page featuring an FAQ section. The most obvious type of page to integrate FAQ schema is an FAQ page dedicated to answering common questions about a subject. FAQ sections are also useful within product descriptions and on category pages. 

Google recommends the following situations as valid use cases for FAQ schema:

• An original FAQ page where there is one answer per question. Users don’t have the option to submit and vote on answers as they do for question and answer (Q&A) pages. 
• A product support page containing an FAQ list. The site provides a single answer for each question. 

How to add FAQ schema to a page

You can add FAQ schema to a page by adding structured data within the page’s code using either JSON-LD or Microdata. 

JSON-LD is a JavaScript notation that communicates JSON data structure and meaning to the search engine. FAQPage is one of various existing JSON-LD schemas to choose from. 

Microdata is a part of the JSON umbrella, but it offers a unique approach to adding markups as an open-community HTML specification. When using microdata, you’ll add information to HTML tags that define data types and tell the search engine how to respond.  

You can add structured data through Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper tool. The tool will load your webpage or HTML and allow you to create tags for specific sections. 

For JSON-LD, you’ll embed the FAQPage code into the <head> section. For microdata, you’ll embed the FAQPage code as an item type so that it appears in the URL. 

After adding the code, optimize the order in which you present the questions. Google will display the first two questions in your snippet, so list the most relevant ones at the top.

Now, you can download the structured data from the Structured Data Markup Helper tool and insert it into your page. 

What are the best questions to answer on an FAQ page?

You’ll experience the most benefits from an FAQ snippet when you fill your page with relevant questions and insightful answers. But how do you know which questions to include? You can design an effective FAQ page or section by following these steps: 

• Check “people also ask”: Google your page’s topic and inspect the “people also ask” section for other common searches. The list will grow with related questions each time you click on a question, so use these results to quickly build your FAQ section. 
• Use the autocomplete feature: Type your page topic after question words like “what,” “how,” and “when” to see autocomplete results indicating common searches around the topic. 
• Read Quora and other forums: Online forums can unveil numerous questions that users ask about your topic.
• Use a keyword generator tool: Our keyword generator tool has a categories feature that lets you choose questions as your keyword category.

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