Start from real questions
Collect questions from calls, emails, chat messages, reviews and your own staff. Pay attention to objections, such as whether you charge for estimates or how long a job takes. Those are the questions that stand between a visit and a call.
Skip questions that exist only to carry a keyword. If no customer would ask it, leave it out.
Answer in the first sentence
Give the direct answer first, then the detail. If the question is whether you work weekends, begin with Yes, on Saturdays by appointment, then explain how to book. Visitors skim, and search features often pull the opening lines.
Keep most answers between two and five sentences. A complicated answer deserves its own page, linked from the FAQ.
Where to place the questions
Put FAQs on the page where the doubt arises. Questions about pricing belong on the pricing or service page, not buried on a general FAQ page. A single big FAQ page can still help as a hub, but the relevant questions should also appear in context.
Use clear headings or an accordion that is easy to use on phones. Make sure the text is in the page's HTML so search engines can read it.
Markup and expectations
Structured data for FAQs exists, but Google has limited the display of FAQ rich results in recent years, so do not build a plan around them. Write for readers first. If you add markup, make sure it matches the visible text exactly, and consult your developer.
Never mark up content that is not on the page.
Keep it honest and current
Avoid promises you cannot keep. Where an answer depends on a law or rule, state that it can change and point to the proper authority. Date-sensitive details such as holiday hours or fee schedules need a review schedule.
Review the section every quarter. Remove questions that nobody asks and add new ones from recent calls.
Track whether callers still ask the same questions after you publish. If they do, the answer may be hard to find or unclear, and that is worth fixing.
Before and after example
Before: Why choose us for plumbing? We offer quality plumbing services at great prices. Contact us today for all your plumbing needs. This answers nothing and sounds like an advertisement.
After: Do you charge to give an estimate? For most repairs, no. We look at the problem on site, explain the options and give a written price before starting work. For large projects like repiping, we may schedule a longer visit and will tell you in advance.
The second version responds to the worry, states a clear policy, and admits an exception. It is also more believable. Read each of your answers aloud, and if it could apply to any company in any trade, rewrite it with details only you can provide.
Ask the person who actually does the work to review each answer. Front-line staff know the exceptions that managers forget, and a single accurate exception makes an answer far more believable than a smooth one.
Common questions
How many questions should a page have?
Usually five to eight good ones. More is fine if they are all real and useful.
Should I copy competitors' FAQs?
No. Use them for ideas only, and write answers that reflect how your business actually works.
This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking.