Google addresses questions about using the FAQ schema markup and whether it should only be used for some questions and not others.
The topic was discussed in a Google Search Central SEO office hour hangout recorded on January 14th.
Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, answers user-submitted questions about how best to use FAQ markup on the web.
The person said they had a page with 15 to 20 FAQs and asked if all questions should be flagged, or if the most important selection questions could be flagged.
Google has strict guidelines when it comes to using FAQ markup and structured data in general, but does it have any kind of all-or-nothing rules?
This is Mueller’s suggestion.
Google FAQ schema markup suggestion
Mueller said it was acceptable to flag some issues, but not others.
Google’s guidelines state that FAQ schema markup can only be used for questions and answers that are visible on the page.
However, nothing in the guide states that it must be used all Q&A is on the page.
This applies to all structured data, not just FAQ schema.
For example, action tags should only be used when there is a set of action instructions visible on the page.
Review tags should only be used when there are visible customer reviews on the page – etc.
Mueller explained:
“When it comes to structured data, we want to see structured data visible on the page, but not everything visible has to be marked up with structured data.
So if you have separate content on your page that you want to provide structured data for, then go ahead and do that. You don’t have to do this for every piece of content on the page.
So if you have 20 FAQs and mark five of them, it’s entirely up to you. If you want, you can even use data-nosnippet to completely prevent some of these other items from appearing in the snippet. “
In his answer, Mueller mentioned a HTML attribute named data-nosnippet, which can be used for specific text to prevent it from appearing in search results.
So just tagging a few Q&As works, and you can even go a step further and prevent specific questions and answers from appearing in search results. None of these strategies will get you in trouble with Google.
Hear Mueller’s full response in the video below:
Featured Image: OpturaDesign/Shutterstock
