The introduction of the FAQ Schema marked a significant, providing website owners an opportunity to get their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) directly into the Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Initially, this was seen as an exciting tool, but as time has passed, it has become a source of frustration for many in the SEO community. The broad and vague guidelines for implementing FAQ schema have made it widely applicable to nearly every page, resulting in its extensive use, sometimes even by sites that didn’t initially include an FAQ section. This has led to an oversaturation of FAQ snippets in search results.
The widespread adoption of the FAQ schema has led to an increasingly cluttered first page of search results. Websites began to add FAQ sections purely for the benefit of getting schema treatment, even when these FAQs didn’t necessarily offer valuable content to users. This increased use of FAQ schema led to a scenario where search results were heavily dominated by such snippets, which caused concern about the quality and relevance of the highlighted content.
To address this issue, Google has introduced a limit on the number of FAQ schema results that can appear on the first page of the SERPs. From now on, a maximum of 3 FAQ results will be displayed per search query on the first page. This adjustment aims to address the overwhelming presence of FAQ snippets and to ensure that search results are more relevant and diverse for users.
This change, which Peter Mindenhall proposed after a question from Andy Simpson, now includes an additional filter for the first page. This adjustment intends to improve the user experience by balancing rich results and the standard organic listings. While this limit applies to the first page, it doesn’t mean that the FAQ schema will disappear entirely—it simply reduces its dominance.
Although FAQ schema can enhance the visibility of your content, it’s essential to understand that FAQ schema doesn’t ensure ranking improvement. Your page needs to rank in the top10results for the FAQ schema to be effective. If your page doesn’t make it to the first page of Google, adding FAQ schema will not help, as it won’t be displayed in the search results.
Even when your page ranks in the top 10, and you use FAQ schema, there may still be fewer than 3 FAQ results shown. This can happen for various reasons:
Relevance Issues: Google may filter out your FAQ if the content doesn’t match the search intent well enough.
Implementation Errors: If your FAQ schema isn’t implemented correctly, Google could ignore it. Common issues could be technical errors or violating Google's implementation guidelines, such as adding overly promotional content.
Technical Problems: Using tools like the Structured Data Testing Tool or Rich Results Test can help you troubleshoot any issues related to schema implementation.
There is little indication that the trend of FAQ schema usage will slow down significantly. However, only 3 FAQ results can be shown for each query, limiting the potential for a completely FAQ-dominated SERP. The implementation of this feature will likely continue to rise, but if your page isn’t ranking in the top 10 for relevant search queries, adding FAQ schema will have little impact.
Moreover, as SEO strategies evolve, using FAQ schema will need to be more strategic and targeted. Simply adding FAQs for the sake of having schema markup might not provide the desired results if the content doesn’t meet user intent or Google’s quality standards.
SEO experts are divided on the effectiveness of FAQ schema. Many are skeptical, particularly as many websites now add FAQ sections to take advantage of the feature. While it may feel like a shortcut to getting more visibility, FAQ schema alone doesn’t ensure results. The main takeaway for webmasters is that top-ranking pages are more likely to benefit from the FAQ schema.
SEO professionals believe creating FAQ schema with schema creator tools & review snippets could eventually reduce its dominance in search results as search engines focus on content quality and user experience. While the FAQ schema will likely still enhance search results, its presence on the first page will be more controlled to prevent it from overshadowing other valuable content. To use FAQ schema effectively, it’s important to follow Google’s guidelines, prioritize high-quality, relevant content, and work on improving organic rankings before expecting significant benefits from FAQ schema in search results."