A Quick Beginner’s Guide to FAQ Schema for Government or Health Sites

When people search for information, they want quick access to answers — whether on your website or in the search results.

In fact, 59% of people prefer self-service tools (like FAQs for simple questions/issues), and 31% say that not being able to get answers to simple questions from a website is frustrating.

Google knows people want fast answers to their queries, too. Enter FAQ schema.

If you have a well-known, authoritative government or health website:

1. Having FAQs on your website/web pages is a great self-serve customer tool that people want.
2. Marking up the FAQs on the page with schema is an excellent way to enhance your search listing to offer quick answers in a way that people want, and potentially get more clicks to your site (more on how later).

In this article, I’ll go into more detail on FAQ schema and how to implement it, including:

• FAQ schema: A quick primer
• Writing helpful FAQ content
• FAQ: How can I use FAQ schema to improve search result listings for my government or health website?

(If you’re new to structured data, you may first want to check out What Is Structured Data and Why Is It Important for SEO?)

FAQ Schema: Quick Primer

Here are some fast facts about FAQ schema to get you up to speed …

What: You can use FAQ schema on virtually any webpage that has FAQs on it.

For a webpage to be eligible for FAQ-rich results, Google’s guidelines are as follows:

• Only use FAQPage schema if the webpage has FAQs where there’s a single answer to each question. (For example, if the page has a single question and users can submit answers, use QAPage instead).
• Don’t use FAQPage schema for advertising purposes. For example, refrain from inserting promotional content, sales pitches or non-informational content into what should be straightforward answers within an FAQ section.
• Make sure each question for the page includes the entire text of the question, and each answer includes the entire text of the answer. The entire question text and answer text may be displayed.
• Question and answer content may not be displayed if it’s obscene, profane, sexually explicit, graphically violent, or promotes dangerous or illegal activities or hateful or harassing language.
• All FAQ content must be visible to the user on the source page as well.
• To be eligible, you must also follow Google’s general structured data guidelines and its documentation on search essentials.

Why: FAQ schema markup can potentially enhance your listing the search results, for example with a featured snippet.

This increases the amount of real estate any given webpage can take up on the search results, so this is usually a win.

With “zero-click” being a thing, though, using FAQ schema can go one of two ways:

• Increase the likelihood that people will get their answer from the results and not click through. Some data suggests that nearly 65% of Google searches end without a click to a website (these are known as “zero-click” searches).
• Increase the likelihood that people will click on your site by providing more information on the topic.

Also, properly marked-up pages can be eligible for an Action on the Google Assistant (for more on why this is beneficial, see our primer on voice search).

How: You can mark up the webpage using the structured data found at Schema.org on FAQPage.

Some tools can help you do this easier, such as:

• This FAQPage JSON-LD schema generator or this schema markup generator.
• Built-in functionality from SEO tool providers like this one.
• WordPress plugins for FAQ schema (please note that this is just a list and we do not recommend any specific one).
• ChatGPT: Sign into the AI tool (ChatGPT4), paste the FAQs in and ask the tool to “generate FAQ schema for the above frequently asked questions.”

Please note that some plugins may slow down a webpage’s performance, so keep that in mind as you weigh your options.

Bonus: You can implement URLs within the answers on your FAQs that drive people to additional helpful content on your website.

These links can show up in the search results within the FAQ-rich result.

That way, even if a person gets the answer to their original query from the FAQ rich result you enabled, they may want to click through to another helpful page provided as a link within the rich result.

Add the UTM tracking code to the JSON-LD markup only for the links in the FAQs (but not to the internal HTML text on the webpage itself).

Validate your markup using Google’s tools for structured data. Also, check Google’s troubleshooting tips.

Then monitor performance.

Use Search Console to check the rich results report. Don’t forget to check Google Analytics to track organic traffic coming to those FAQ-rich results if you implemented UTM tracking on any links within the answers.

For more, check out our article on six structured data tools to try.

Writing Helpful FAQ Content

Let’s take a step back: Creating helpful FAQ content on your site is one of the first steps in a good FAQ process.

Here are five tips:

1. Identify all relevant questions. Map out people’s most common questions about your product, service or industry. These questions should reflect real queries and the answers should address pain points effectively. Get in touch with other customer-facing teams at the company to get more ideas.
2. Take cues from the search results. See the “people also ask” and “related questions” sections of Google’s search results for target keywords. You can also use a handy tool like Answer the Public. Include those questions and answers in the FAQ section of the webpage.
3. Provide clear and concise answers. Provide concise answers to each question, using clear and straightforward language. Avoid excessive technical jargon or complex explanations that may confuse users.
4. Structured FAQs well. Logically structure the FAQ content, using headings tags (like H2s) to organize the questions. This enhances readability and makes it easier for search engines to parse your content.
5. Ensure information is up to date. Make sure FAQs are accurate and up to date. Regularly review and update your FAQ content to reflect any changes in your offerings or industry.

Now you are done. Utilize these tips to successfully use FAQ schema and provide users with what they seek in search results.

Want hands-on assistance with FAQ schema implementation for your government or health website? Our experts are standing by!

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FAQ: How can I use FAQ schema to improve search result listings for my government or health website?

If you want to strengthen your search result listings for your government or health website, the first step is to get a handle on FAQ schema implementation. In short, FAQ schema is a structured data type that helps search engines better understand the content of your page.

You can use FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) schema to give short, direct answers to routine questions. It’s a visibility-boosting tactic that can greatly amplify traffic from organic sources.

After adding FAQ schema to pertinent website pages, the big search engines like Google and Bing may show your questions and answers on their search result pages. Your schema accomplishes the search engines’ goal of delivering fast answers to searchers’ queries, enriching the user experience.

And that’s not all – this search engine exposure helps to cement your brand as a trusted, reputable resource. Plus, since users will be able to find the information they need quickly, they are much more likely to engage with your content and ultimately convert.

Not just any FAQ schema will get you the results you’re looking for. You need FAQ schema specifically targeted to your government or health website. First, find some questions that your audience regularly asks. Then, deliver targeted, helpful answers to those queries.

Make sure that the questions fulfill these two requirements: (1) targeted enough to quell users’ curiosity, and (2) general enough to address several topics. Doing so will ensure that your content is beneficial and relevant to your users.

Click-through-rate (CTR) improvements are a monumental advantage of using FAQ schema. After proving to users that your website is a go-to resource for direct information, they are less likely to go to other websites. They’ll visit yours.

In addition to that, rich results distinguish your site from others, and that means more clicks and attention. This is critical for companies operating in the government or healthcare field, where credibility and accuracy are key.

FAQ schema can also result in a lower bounce rate. When you provide answers to routine questions right in the SERPs, you inadvertently pre-qualify interested users and screen out others. So, users that click on your site URL in the search results are likely interested in the in-depth insights from your site. As a result, they’re less likely to click off of your site (bounce) right away. This means more engagement and better website performance.

Like SEO in general, FAQ schema isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it type of thing. Over time, you should be updating your FAQ content to mirror the latest topic-specific information and industry developments. Freshening it up here and there helps your site retain its trustworthiness and ensures that internet searchers and website visitors are getting top-quality, accurate information.

When it comes to FAQ schema implementation, you need to be strategic. To find the best possible questions to address, you’ll need to evaluate your visitors’ and searchers’ behavior. Your website’s performance metrics can also be helpful in this regard. Data gleaned from your site metrics can be used to optimize your FAQ.

Don’t make the mistake of neglecting user experience. Take the time to ensure that your FAQs are easy to comprehend and skim. They should use descriptive headings and provide succinct answers without rambling. That way, your readers won’t struggle to find the info they’re looking for.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Do some research into common questions. You’re looking for the most frequently asked questions specific to your niche, whether it be government or health.
2. Write up your answers. To be well-received, these answers should be digestible, factual and concise.
3. Generate your schema markup. For the best results, use JSON-LD format for your markup code.
4. Validate your markup for good measure. The next step is to validate with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
5. Add your schema to pertinent pages. Insert your schema markup into your FAQ pages’ HTML code.
6. Find out how your pages are performing. Gauge how your pages are going with Google Search Console or similar tools.
7. Keep your content updated. To reap all the benefits of FAQ schema, go back and update your content for relevance.
8. Note how your users are behaving. Monitor metrics related to user engagement and behavior. Use any insights to rework your FAQ content here and there.
9. Review your search engine rankings. Your ranking in search engines is a direct indicator of the impact of your FAQ schema.
10. Solicit feedback from your readers. Your goal is to deliver helpful, useful content. Solicit your readers’ feedback and use it to make your FAQs even more beneficial for them.
11. Get up to date on SEO trends. Read up on SEO best practices and inject them into your FAQs to increase effectiveness.
12. Optimize your FAQ for mobile. All of your FAQ content should be mobile-friendly, enabling people to have a good user experience on all devices.
13. Use FAQ Structured Data Testing Tools. Test your FAQ schema on a consistent basis with structured data testing tools.
14. Do some rich results testing. To get a preview of what your FAQs will look like on search engine websites, use the Rich Results Test on Google Search Console.
15. Check your bounce rate. A high bounce rate is a sign that you may need to consider improvements to your FAQ schema.
16. Be ready to adjust. Look at your website data and adjust your FAQs as needed.
17. Take a proactive approach to compliance. As a health or government business, compliance is so important. Make sure your content conforms to legal regulations.
18. Incorporate FAQ Schema into your CMS platform (optional). If you have a CMS as part of your workflow, integrate your FAQ schema into it for ease of management.
19. Ensure accessibility. Broaden your reach and foster inclusion by making your FAQs accessible to everyone – people with disabilities included.
20. Audit regularly. Draft and stick to an FAQ auditing and testing schedule to catch issues that could hinder success.
21. Boost your loading speed. Slow loading FAQ pages can hurt your pages’ overall appeal, reducing user experience and negatively affecting your rankings. Seek out ways to increase your pages’ loading speed to avoid these issues.

Taking a calculated approach to FAQ schema can dramatically boost your search engine result listings, increasing traffic and engagement for your government and health website. By sticking to the roadmap outlined above and continually evaluating, tweaking and optimizing based on available data and feedback, you can achieve considerable success.

Bruce Clay is founder and president of Bruce Clay Inc., a global digital marketing firm providing search engine optimization, pay-per-click, social media marketing, SEO-friendly web architecture, and SEO tools and education. Connect with him on LinkedIn or through the BruceClay.com website.

See Bruce's author page for links to connect on social media.