I added FAQ schema to 12 pages expecting AI citations. Got nothing. Here's what I learned.
What I Tried
I read somewhere that FAQ schema helps AI find and cite your content. So I:
- Added FAQ schema to 12 how-to blog posts
- Included 3-5 questions per page
- Used JSON-LD format (Google's recommended)
- Validated with Rich Results Test
What Happened
- Google shows FAQs in search — ✓ This worked
- AI still ignores me — ✗ ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity: nothing
- Zero citations — ✗ Expected but still disappointing
Why I Think It Failed
- FAQ schema is for search results, not AI — Google's documentation is about traditional search, not AI answers
- My content isn't authoritative enough — AI might only cite established sources
- Not enough signals — Just schema isn't enough; need more trust signals
What I'm Doing Instead
- Focusing on content depth — longer, more comprehensive answers
- Adding expert citations — linking to research, studies
- Building more backlinks — still working on this
- Testing different content formats — lists, comparisons, tools
📉 Experiment Result: Failed
FAQ schema didn't help with AI citations. It helps with Google search results but that's not the same thing.
Next experiment: content length study (short vs long for AI).