How to create FAQs that power AI-driven local search

There is no such thing as “too much information” in AI search. The more information you provide, the less likely your business will be replaced by third-party sources – or left out entirely.

With the rise of AI search, we know that users want answers, and they want them fast. Google Maps has it Know before you go again Ask Maps about this place (not confusing Ask for MapsThe new “AI mode” of conversation in Google Maps), both AI features that allow users to easily find information about a place without visiting their website or social media.

The Merchant Center has added a new feature, Business Agent, which allows buyers to chat with brands. Business Agent provides business product and website information to answer user questions.

The best way sites can prepare for the continued rollout of features like this is to ensure that FAQ content based on customer research (not just general SEO research) is in mind.

Why FAQs answer the power of Google’s AI features

Ask Maps about this place offers preloaded questions and allows users to ask their own. If it can’t answer, it replies, “There isn’t enough information about this site to answer your question, but you can try asking another question.”

It’s a basic Q&A feature right now, but we can reasonably expect this to be more conversational in the future. With the Q&A feature being withdrawn from GBP, this is a replacement. If there’s no information available for the AI ​​to draw from, you’re leaving users in the dark.

This doesn’t mean you have to have Q&As on every page or even host them all People Are Asking Again query from the SEO tool and use it as it is. It’s not very strategic, and those questions may just reflect search volume.

So what about queries that don’t have national search volume? Or questions that are more specific to the region or area and its considerations? Think of Victorian homes or certain city insurance policies.

To create an FAQ strategy that can provide useful information for both AI and human aspects, you’ll need two things:

• Think outside the box of the common FAQs you’ll see in every business and SEO tool.
• Be consistent in how you answer these questions across all platforms (website, social media, and third-party review sites like Yelp).

Dive deep: Local SEO sprints: A 90-day plan for service businesses to 2026

Research the relevant questions

Many businesses write FAQs based on whatever tool tells them what customers want to know (usually based on national, not local, data). The best way to start is to re-examine your FAQ content.

Where does it live? How many FAQ areas are answered? Consider all the places your audience is and where they might ask questions or engage with your content.

Look through:

• Dedicated FAQ pages.
• Service/Product pages.
• About Us pages.
• GBP Q&As.
• Ask the community on Yelp.
• Other third party review sites.
• Social media content.
• Social media comments.
• Customer service call records.
• Updates.

You should also open Google Maps and check if there is an Ask Maps about this feature for yourself or your competitors’ GBPs. Pay attention to the questions Ask Maps about this place recommend, and write down any that have not been answered.

Dig deeper: If your location level is off, your map pin may be the reason

Social media

You can work with the client’s social media team to ask what questions they get most often. Social media managers will have a lot of insight into the types of questions they answer in comments or DMs. If you can work with them and get this information, do it.

And you can simply visit the customer’s social media accounts and review their content. You’ll want to look at the specific questions people are asking in the comments, and think about the types of questions people might be asking based on the content you’re posting.

NakedMD is a medspa chain across the US that regularly posts content on TikTok. They posted a before and after lip injection video.

Another comment was someone asking if they offer dissolution services, and when you visit their site and search for “dissolver,” nothing comes up. They also didn’t respond to the comments, but based on looking at other people’s TikToks about their experiences at NakedMD, they can melt the filler.

Unfortunately, I only found out that they scattered the filler on TikTok’s negative reviews of their services. This is an opportunity to make sure they create content about this on the website and social media. It will allow NakedMD to control the narrative around the completion of the filling versus notifying its customers that they may only know that they have done it when customers are unhappy with the results.

Another example of FAQ content from social media is a post that can leave users confused or wanting to know more. This TikTok asked employees to choose Xeomin or Dysport – that’s all. All employees chose Xeomin, but it was not tracked why. Content like this provides another opportunity to ensure that the following questions are answered.

Start with customer social media accounts for FAQ opportunities. Also, check your competitor’s social media accounts and regular Reddit posts about your client’s products or services.

Dive Deeper: How to Apply ‘They Ask, You Answer’ to SEO and AI visibility

Customer service call logs and reviews

Call logs and reviews are your direct line to how customers feel about the client:

• With the transcripts, you will be able to read and hear the questions that customers ask.
• With reviews, you get to learn exactly what the people who hear the most about your client’s services or products think.

Both of these datasets provide insights into customer pain points and priorities. Use both the strengths and weaknesses identified in the articles and reviews to create FAQ content.

Let’s say you notice reviewers mentioning the words “emergency,” “midnight,” and “Sunday” frequently. Customers are happy that a home service provider is available for their emergencies, regardless of the day or time. Make sure that the content of the site is relevant to what the users are saying. Maybe include “24/7 emergency service, 7 days a week” as an H2 on the home page, and use it as a sales pitch on the service pages. If there’s ever been any question about your client’s service hours, putting it on the pages is a clear way to answer that.

While that’s a simple example, it’s still an easy way to think about how you can use this data to answer potential questions without having to write in actual FAQ format.

Google extracts your on-site content to provide AI-driven answers. While the FAQ format may be best for some questions, it is not the only format that will work.

Consistency on all platforms

While reviewing existing FAQs, ensure consistency across platforms. If a client answers a question one way on a website and another way on Yelp, how can one tell what the real answer is? Inconsistent answers confuse people and LLMs.

As Jason Barnard recently wrote, AI platforms generate answers by sampling from a probability distribution that is influenced by the model’s knowledge, its confidence in that knowledge, and the information returned during the query.

When an AI system encounters the same information from all reliable sources, it has more confidence in it. On the other hand, if he receives conflicting information or receives an answer from only one place, his confidence decreases.

Be sure to include an FAQ review process in your workflow. Regularly review and flag information related to hours, price ranges, availability, and service offerings for regular updates. These areas tend to change very quickly, and having outdated information can seriously damage customer trust.

Dig deeper: The Proximity Paradox: Overcoming the Distance Bias in Local SEO

It’s just one piece of the AI ​​readiness puzzle

While having an FAQ strategy in place is nothing new, its importance and approach has changed. With the rise of AI features such as Ask for Maps about this placeput more emphasis on structured, consistent, and graphical service or product and pricing information.

Review FAQs wherever they may be and test for consistency across all digital touchpoints. This will help you prepare for the upcoming changes to Google Maps and the Google Business Profile as a whole.