FAQs aren’t just helpful for users – they’re now essential for AI-powered search visibility for professional service firms and their thought leaders.
In a nutshell, they are the new bridge between potential clients and your website content.
FAQs help your firm’s content show up in AI overviews (generative search) and the individual AI tools themselves (Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT). This is because people are putting more questions into search engines; they are trying to get things done – and quickly. They’ll either figure it out themselves by using tools like YouTube or TikTok for a quick tutorial OR they’ll learn about it through an advisor at your CPA firm.
So, you have to have FAQs on your site, starting with your most popular service pages.
To get started:
- Go through the website’s general inquiry “info@” inbox (or ask your admin to send you a list of recent contact form submissions)
a. General inquiry = real pain points - See if there are any pains that subject matter experts can address through FAQs on your website
- Answer FAQs in social posts and/or in a YouTube video series
a. YouTube = mostly How Tos or Why questions
b. YouTube will also give you a list of trending searches and related searches if your firm already has some historical data on the platform - Check out Google Trends for common queries related to your firm’s key industries
- Lastly, do some keyword research. Look for longtail keywords you can address in any upcoming web content; revamp an industry services page or update a popular blog by adding related FAQs there.
a. Bonus: for voice search, use conversational queries people actually ask
Bottom line: FAQs are now part of a basic website hygiene routine so your firm stays relevant and keeps up with the competition…even while algorithms change (Google just finished rolling out their December update.)
Which of these FAQ sources are you already using? Let us know!
