A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page helps you answer your customer’s questions exactly where they ask them – online! It’s estimated that between 50-70% of your customer’s are making their buying decisions before they even speak to you. They’re finding the information they need on the internet – so you need to make every effort to ensure that your website is where they find it! A good FAQ page is a great tactic for getting your content, products or services directly in front of those that are actively looking.
Why Your Website Needs an FAQ Page
Have you read ‘They Ask You Answer‘ by Marcus Sheridan? If you have, you know that he summarises content marketing with one simple idea: “Just answer people’s questions.” The key to effective marketing in 2021 is to becoming a valuable resource for potential customers and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page is a great tactic for doing that. Since buying decisions are usually made before your company gets to talk directly to a potential customer, your FAQ section must be a resource that provides similar value.
Think of the FAQ page as a teacher who leaves the floor open to students to ask questions. In this case, the teacher must accurately predict questions and have succinct answers already prepared. You wouldn’t want your students to have to ask a different teacher their questions, just because you made it difficult to find answers. When a customer wants to learn about the return policy, how a service works, or how your product compares to competitors, they should be able to easily find answers. FAQ pages help you quickly fill in any gaps in your website’s content and provide high-level answers to your customer’s most common questions.
More important than that? Google really appreciates that you are a resource to your customers and will boost your content accordingly. A search engine is more likely to rank your website high on its search engine results page (SERP), if you prove that your website is an authority in that topic.
How To Create an SEO-friendly FAQ Page
You understand that your customers have questions, but now you need to know how to make sure they find your answers. This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. You need to create an SEO-friendly FAQ page so that Google promotes your answers to the people asking those questions. Your site can quickly start ranking for keywords if you create an SEO-friendly FAQ page using these tips:
Use Structured Data Markup
Google has made it easier for people to find quick answers to their questions by adding an answer section to the top of the search engine’s results page. This answer is also used by Google Assistant. For your website to have a chance at being Google’s first answer to the question, you need to use structured data markup. Properly marked up FAQ pages have a much better chance of ranking high on SERPs because they provide a clear answer to a question. Click this link to learn more about Google’s resources on structured data markup to ensure your FAQ page is SEO-friendly.
Ask and Answer the Right Questions
Your FAQ page is not just for customer service questions. When determining which questions and answers to include, seek help from your marketing, sales, and customer service teams. This will ensure that questions commonly received through all stages of the buyer’s journey are included.
The “right” questions also incorporate keywords. Through keyword research, you will learn which words you want to rank highly in. Structure your questions and answers to thoughtfully include your desired keywords. This is a quick and easy way to boost your website with minimal effort.
Make It Easy to Find an Answer
Your FAQ page should use an SEO-friendly navigation system. An easy-to-read FAQ page includes proper headings, categories, and subcategories that are intuitive and structured. If you have many questions to answer, Search Engine Watch recommends including only the questions on one page and then having the questions link to the answer on separate pages. This can be good for SEO because internal links greatly increase page traffic and views which helps Google see that people find your site valuable.
Still want more? Check out these other Oracle Tree blogs for more!
Don’t make these SEO mistakes – Marama Carmichael
5 tips for offering excellent customer service online – Marama Carmichael
10 types of content for your business website – Marama Carmichael
SEO: 5 keys to being found on Google – Marama Carmichael
Get Expert Advice
To make sure your website will get attention from search engines and prospects, you may seek advice and guidance from experts in SEO. At Oracle Tree, we focus on creating a “Google and human friendly” strategic websites that rank highly and are user-friendly. We also follow up on our strategies with the Cultivation and Growth stage where we use analytical tools to see where your website succeeds and where it can be improved. These two stages together will ensure that your FAQ page properly answers the right questions and is seen by the right people.
If you need help with SEO and content marketing, please contact us for a free strategy call. We are here to help.
