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How Glossaries and FAQs Can Improve Search Engine Rankings
By Ross Dunn (c) 2007

A large part of my time at StepForth as a search engine
optimization consultant is spent conducting competitor
research on behalf of our clientele. This service is focused on
deconstructing the marketing campaigns of each competitor while
identifying the tactics that appear to have fundamentally
contributed to their search engine success. As you might imagine
I come across many intriguing techniques that work and many that
don't. In this article I will account for a couple of techniques
that appear to be overlooked by many but have proven time and
time again to work; the creation of an on-site glossary and
frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.

Create a Glossary

I imagine we have both shared one frustration with the Internet
at one time or another and that is jargon... and too much of it.
Acronyms, and bafflegab seem to be unintentionally utilized on
websites all over the web (I am guilty too, I admit it) and I
often wish there was a simple way to find a definition within a
website rather than visiting an online dictionary. In some cases
I find a website where the owners have smartly linked a
potentially confusing term to an off-site definition which is
kind to the user but a waste of a great optimization
opportunity. Whenever an occasion arises where a link to a
definition would be worthwhile it makes far more sense to link
to that content within your own website so that you can gain
credibility in the eyes of a major search engine like Google.

You see, Google's algorithm is essentially a credibility
calculator; it considers a whole host of elements on your
website and pointing to your website to determine where it
should be ranked. The algorithm considers countless elements
including the uniqueness and relevance of each page's content to
the number of links pointing to your site from other credible
and relevant websites. In this case, a small boost in
credibility can be gained by first having the added relevant
content inherent to a glossary and second by linking a
word/phrase from a page to its definition within your glossary.

For example, if your website (i.e. www.xyzname.com) sold a wide
variety of wood working tools and furniture building plans
online it would be to your benefit to provide a fairly
comprehensive glossary of woodworking terms on your website.
Once the glossary is complete you can then occasionally link to
the associated terms from within the written content on your
website.

Okay, I see that the content within a glossary is relevant but I
am not clear on why these links help?

A search engine algorithm tries to ascertain credibility in much
the same manner humans do; we just take our innate calculations
for granted. So consider how you would feel if you were on the
woodworking site reading a tutorial on building a rocking chair
and whenever a confusing term appeared you were provided with a
link to a glossary on the site kindly defining the term. This
small convenience would probably inflate your opinion of the
usefulness of the website and in-turn the credibility of the
website would be less in doubt. Search engine algorithms
assimilate these helpful links in much the same manner so by
helping your visitors you are also helping your website.

Wait! There is another bonus to having a glossary:

As an added benefit glossary pages also have a great chance at
obtaining rankings for their associated definitions precisely
because they have links from relevant text pointing to them. As
a result, a woodworking glossary might become an entry page for
curious surfers or even a page where other woodworking sites
link to for a definition.

In short, glossaries are simply a win-win tactic for nearly any
website. In fact, as I write this I can't think of a single
website that would not benefit from a glossary.

Create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page

Now that you have read why an on-site glossary is important
perhaps the concept of adding a Frequently Asked Questions
section to your website is a no-brainer or perhaps not. Either
way if you don't have a FAQ page then get your hide in gear and
create one ASAP.

Like a glossary a Frequently Asked Questions page is a perfect
place to build the credibility of your website and put to rest
the fearful/concerning questions that often arise in relation to
your products/services. If you need some ideas of what questions
a prospective customer might ask, try calling a few clients and
ask them what they looked for before ultimately choosing your
company. In addition, try placing a submission form on your
contact page where prospects can ask you a question directly –
just be sure to respond with haste. Then place the question and
your response on the appropriate FAQ page.

Yet another bonus from having an FAQ

It is very common for the average surfer to search the web using
questions. If your FAQ uses the wording that you think your
prospects will use when searching, you will have a good chance at
acquiring some extra high quality traffic. Do some research
using a keyword analysis tool and try to find the best wording
for each FAQ.

Tips for Building an Optimized Glossary or FAQ

Now I imagine that every expert in the SEO field has a different
preference for designing the 'ultimate' glossary or FAQ but
there are definitely some important tips to keep in mind for
both:

   1. Keep the pages relatively short. For example, I do not
   recommend having the entire glossary or FAQ on a single page
   unless they are relatively small. Ideally I would limit the
   number of questions or definitions to 10 or 15 on each page.

   2. When building a FAQ try to devote each FAQ page to a
   singular topic. For example, on a woodworking site the FAQ
   for one page might be on the installation of a wood floor and
   another page would be devoted to questions on laminate floor
   installation.

   3. When formatting the content for both the glossary and the
   FAQ try to link to related content within your website. This
   way if any visitors or search engines enter the site via one
   of these pages they can find great related reading material
   in a single click.

   4. Make sure that a "back" button or a button that takes the
   user to the glossary or FAQ main navigation is available after
   each definition/answer. This will make it easier for visitors
   to navigate each resource or find their way back to their
   original reading material.

   5. Add content to both resources whenever possible. It is
   often very simple to add a new definition or question and
   over time each resource will become more and more valuable to
   your users and ultimately contribute more to your website's
   success.

   6. Ensure that the FAQ and Glossary pages are included in
   your XML sitemap so that search engines can regularly index
   them for fresh content [see Google XML Sitemaps – The Basics
  (http://news.stepforth.com/2006-news/Google-XML-Sitemaps.shtml)].
   That said, I advise setting the suggested re-index rate
   monthly unless the resources will be updated more often than
   that. After all, these pages are supposed to help but not
   take away from the core content of your website.

Your Competitors Are Doing It or They Will

If your website lacks a glossary or a FAQ I can only hope that
this article convinced you to make it a priority. These tools
are noted as contributing factors to the success of competitors
throughout many of my analysis contracts and simply put they are
too simple to add for anyone to be without them. Even if you
have to hire your search engine friendly (http://news.stepforth.com/
blog/2006/08/is-your-website-search-engine-friendly.php) web
designer to add these resources the ends will justify the means.
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Ross Dunn is the founder and CEO of StepForth Web Marketing Inc.
(http://www.stepforth.com/). Based in Victoria, BC, Canada,
StepForth has provided professional search engine placement and
management services since 1997. Ross is a search engine
optimization and placement expert with over 9 years of marketing
experience and is a Certified Internet Marketing and Business
Strategist (CIMBS). Blending his experience in the art of web
design and search engine optimization, Ross offers a unique and
informed perspective on obtaining top search engine placements.
Ross can be reached at ross@stepforth.com
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