There have never been more ways to connect with audiences on the web, but there has also never been...
With organic search queries driving nearly a quarter of all website visits across the internet, tapping into the user’s mindset is vital for business today. An effective marketing campaign must capture organic traffic—you can't survive on paid advertising alone. Such a strategy does more than strain your budget—your brand could flounder as soon as you pull out of a paid campaign, and nobody wants that.
Building brilliant marketing campaigns means focusing on website content writing tips to help you capture real search traffic from motivated users. Home pages, blogs, and pillar pages all contribute, but the humble FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) page still plays a role. How can you address frequently asked questions and turn them into an opportunity to reach your audience? The answer begins with avoiding the pitfalls of poorly compiled FAQs.
What Makes a FAQ Page Worth Someone's Time?
A cluttered FAQ page with the most basic knowledge stuffed with calls-to-action won't yield the results you want. So what are some of the fundamental website content-writing tips to keep in mind?
- Questions and answers should cover main ideas and address common issues, pain points, or items of confusion.
- Concise and easily digestible answers. If someone opens a FAQ page, they may have only one question. Don't make them wait—give them a quick solution that doesn't take long to read.
- Create intuitive navigation with big headlines that make skimming questions simple.
- Inclusion where it counts. In other words, think about more than a standalone FAQ page. Could your product and service pages also benefit?
Once you know about the bones of good FAQs, you can start fleshing them out. Where do you start?
Finding Real Questions Your Users Have
Don't assume you know what questions your users will have without any data. Writing up a FAQ off the top of your head is a recipe for irrelevance. Instead, consult information from inside and outside the business. What kinds of questions does your customer service team receive? Check question-and-answer websites such as Quora and explore topics related to the products or services you offer. See what people talk about and formulate your own Q&A for your site.
Quick Tips for Writing Effective FAQ Answers
Developing a sense of what people want and need to know is just the first step—now you have to answer them. Sounds easy, right? It can be, but only if you know how to write a FAQ that engages rather than bores. Try factoring these tips into your approach:
- Do your SEO research in advance. A few relevant keywords sprinkled organically into your FAQ content can help you capture bonus search traffic.
- Give an immediate answer to "yes or no" questions, then follow up with details. Don't make readers hunt for the easiest solutions.
- Limit yourself to the most important questions. A 10-answer FAQ that delivers value is better than a page with 100 answers and little to learn.
- Don't recap your entire brand story, product or service benefits, or other information in your answers. Stick to the facts.
Can You Leverage FAQ Content on Other Platforms?
Yes, absolutely. 75% of users already conduct brand research on social media, and FAQs can help you tap into this vast market space. Consider that each main question you identify could be a relevant conversation starter on social media. Could you expand those questions into full blog posts? Do a deeper dive into the subject and find something unique to say.
Share this additional FAQ-based content on your social media pages and use them to drive engagement and interactions with your followers. When you develop additional blog content based on the most frequently asked questions, bringing more traffic to your page is within reach.
Explore How to Better Serve Your Readers Today
When you understand what your users need to know, you can provide quick answers in an accessible format. Given how many users skim content today, a unique FAQ section at the end of lengthy posts can be helpful, too. Shortened attention spans and the endless firehose of fresh online content means it's easy to miss main ideas—so make sure your readers have more than one opportunity to learn.
By incorporating fresh website content writing tips into your strategy, you can start building pages that do more than merely answer questions. With a strong sense of your user's FAQs, you can innovate fresh long-form content to educate, inform, and ultimately reveal the value your brand offers the reader. What questions do you need to answer for the public today?
