FAQ Schema Markups: What You Need To Know

Alright, so before we dive into using FAQ schema markups, I want to explain what are schema markups and structured data, in general. You can also check out the video below for a detailed walkthrough on schema markups.

What are Schema Markups?

Schema markups, or structured data, refer to a semantic vocabulary of tags that you can add to the HTML code of a page. They help search engine crawlers “read” specific parts of your website and represent them the way you want in the search results.

Schema markups can help Google understand who you are and what your page is all about. And that can potentially help you rank better for relevant search queries. Moreover, schemas can help you stand out on Google SERPs. Not only do they look better from an aesthetic point of view, they also deliver useful information to searchers. That can entice users to click on your page and drive traffic to your site. Win-Win, right?

Now that we understand what schema markups are, let’s discuss a particular type of schema, FAQ Schema, in detail.

What is FAQ Schema?

FAQ Schema is another way to say FAQ Structured Data Markup. FAQs are frequently asked questions about a topic. If you’re writing about something in a question-answer format, you can use the FAQ schema markup, and Google will instantly grasp that structured information and show it to the visitors on Search Engine Result Pages.

For example, on eCommerce websites, the page might contain information about purchase options, shipping details, refund policies and refund policies. To show these frequently asked questions on Google Search, you can develop and deploy FAQ schema markup, and users will access the information instantly on the results page, making the user experience phenomenal – exactly what Google looks for in a good rankable page.

Now that you understand what FAQ schema is, we are moving to that part where we teach you how to create, implement, and test it without hiring a developer.

Advice: In Google Guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that you should only use the FAQ Scheme when it is relevant and you have FAQs in place.

You should not create an empty or blank page just to host structured data, nor should you add FAQ schema to forums where people can openly answer questions.

Let’s get your pages to appear in Google Search with enhanced features.

1- Follow the Guidelines

Before getting swayed by the benefits that FAQ schema offers, make sure that the content structure on your page follows Google’s guidelines.

To be precise, you need to follow:

• General Structure Guidelines
• Webmaster Guidelines
• Content Guidelines

In these guidelines, Google also leads you through the process of developing, deploying, testing, and validating the schema markup so your page is up and running in no time.

2- Choose your Questions

Choose your questions wisely so they fulfill the purpose of the search queries.

For example, when I search for what FAQ Schema is, I can access all the answers without having to check every blue link on the search result page.

How to Choose The Right Questions?

If you own a product or know the solution to a problem, your customer or audience research data provides you with enough information about what people are looking for. That’s what your solution is based on anyway, right?

Write down the supposedly frequently asked questions and go for it.

If you find it troublesome, use tools like Answer The Public. This is the perfect tool to find out what questions people are frequently asking about your product or topic. Just a few clicks, and your problem is solved.

Now that you have written the questions, what about the answers?

Your answers should be clear and concise, and they should truthfully solve the problem. Google aims to solve people’s problems with authentic information. Try to abide by that.

Tip: You can also write your snippets in a way that entices customers to read and find MORE.

Do you know the tricks of leaving right where you share the answer?

Now, the real part.

3- Write The Code

To deploy the FAQ schema and properly validate it, the page content should be within the HTML page source code in a way that it can also be accessed by the users.

Now, Google prefers JSON-LD markup for structured data. If you’re not comfortable with coding, Matthew Woodward created this free tool which helps write your code in a minute or less.

Just three steps, and you’re done.

1- Enter your questions

2- Enter your answers

3- Get the code

This code can be directly used in the header of the targeted page.

4- Implement The Code

There are numerous ways to implement FAQ Schema markup.

You can either use the Insert Header and Footer plugin on your website, and it will take care of it, or you can use Google Tag Manager to implement your code.

5- Test Your Markup

Now that the code is implemented, it is time to test it.

Open Rich Result Test.

If you followed the guidelines and deployed the markup correctly, you will see a green tick next to the FAQs.

You will also be able to preview how your page will look in the Google SERPs after re-indexing.

Now, re-index your updated page.

Google Search Console > Coverage > Submitted and Indexed

By following this path, you will find all the indexed URLs on your website.

Find the one you just updated and Inspect it.

Request the re-index, and you’re ready.

I have taken time to explain it better, but when following the process step by step, it will only take 5 minutes to deploy FAQ Schema markup with no coding knowledge.

Conclusion

Creating, deploying, and testing structured data markup like this is a game-changer for non-developer SEOs. As complicated as the process looks from the outside, tools like FAQ Rich Snippet Generator have made things easy for us. As far as the impact matters, even if FAQ Schema is not proven to be a ranking factor, it boosts the click-through rate and gives you a competitive edge over your competitor.

However, the questions about Google’s preference for structured data and its future will remain.

What if every webmaster decides to use FAQ schema? How will Google decide which one to prioritize?

It is also concerning that if all the information is instantly accessible through snippets, what is the future of writing enriched long-form content?

What do you think?

Let us know in the comments.