How to Add FAQ Schema to Your Website

FAQ schema (FAQPage JSON-LD) is the single highest-impact GEO implementation for most websites. It tells AI systems exactly what questions you answer and how.

?Why it matters

FAQ schema, or FAQPage JSON-LD, is structured data that tells AI systems exactly which questions your page answers and what the answers are. It is the single highest-impact GEO implementation for most websites because AI systems are designed to surface direct answers to questions — and FAQ schema provides those answers in the exact format AI systems prefer.

✓What you'll need

  • •Access to your website's HTML or CMS
  • •A list of 5–10 questions your customers commonly ask
  • •Brief, accurate answers to each question

Step-by-step walkthrough

1

Create your FAQ question set

Write 5–10 questions that your customers actually ask. Focus on questions that reveal your expertise: "How long does an HVAC installation take?", "What is the difference between a heat pump and a furnace?", "Do you service [City]?" Use real language your customers use, not technical jargon.

2

Write your answers

Keep answers to 50–150 words each. Be direct — start with the answer, then provide context. AI systems pull the direct answer from the first sentence.

3

Add a visible FAQ section to your page

Add the FAQ questions and answers as visible content on your page (accordion or simple Q&A format). The visible FAQ and the schema must match — do not add schema for questions that are not visible on the page.

4

Add FAQPage JSON-LD schema

Add this JSON-LD to your page's <head> tag or as a <script> block: { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Your question here?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Your answer here." } } ] }

5

Test your schema

Paste your page URL into Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results). Confirm "FAQ" appears as a detected item with no errors.

6

Monitor for AI citations

After 2–4 weeks, use Northcast's AI Citation Spot-Check to see if your FAQ content is being cited by AI systems. Your Northcast audit GEO score will improve as AI systems begin indexing your structured FAQ.

★Pro tips

  • TIP:Include GEO-relevant questions like "Do you serve [City]?" and "What makes you different from [Competitor type]?" — these directly feed local AI recommendations.
  • TIP:Update your FAQ quarterly — AI systems weight fresh, current content higher than outdated content.
  • TIP:The FAQ visible on the page and the FAQ schema must be identical. Discrepancies between visible content and schema reduce trust signals.

!Common mistakes

  • ✕Adding FAQ schema for content not visible on the page — Google considers this spam and may penalize the page.
  • ✕Writing FAQ answers that are too long — AI systems extract the first sentence. Make it count.
  • ✕Using FAQs that only promote your business ("Why are you the best?") rather than answering real customer questions.

Built for local performance.

Run your Northcast audit to see how these adjustments affect your Authority Index and AI search recommendations.

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