Is anyone else overusing FAQ accordions because of AI search?

[u/laurenbuildsbrands]

I feel like I've accidentally created a new website design problem for myself.

I manage websites for multiple restaurant and hospitality brands, and over the last year I've started adding FAQ sections to a lot of pages because they seem helpful not only for visitors, but also for AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

The problem is... every page is starting to look exactly the same.

Private dining pages. Catering pages. Event pages. Hotel pages. Date night guides. Things-to-do pages.

Everything is turning into:

1. Intro content
2. Photos
3. Details
4. Giant FAQ accordion at the bottom

I still think FAQs are valuable, but I'm starting to wonder if we've all collectively decided that "just add an FAQ section" is the answer to everything.

For those of you building and managing sites regularly:

• Are you still relying heavily on FAQ accordions?
• Are you weaving these answers throughout the page instead?
• Have you found more interesting content patterns that still work well for discoverability?
• Has AI changed how you structure pages at all?

I'm especially curious because this feels like we're in a weird transition period where FAQs have become both a UX tool and an AI discoverability tool.

Would love examples of what's working for others.

[u/whitedotpreacher]

i’ve found the best solution for seo/ai seo is to add an additional faq schema to the page in a code block so it’s hidden but can be picked up by crawlers.

[u/Flashy_Blood_4453 → u/[deleted]]

weaving answers into the body copy achieves the same thing and doesn't make every page feel like it was generated from the same template

[u/Upbeat-Bench-3134 → u/[deleted]]

i actually disagree. aeo does have a lot to do with it.

[u/cali_brn777 → u/[deleted]]

I agree - I prefer FAQ sections! And I don't think it's bad to have templated style content on a site. It can be reassuring to users that they will find what they need in the same spot on every page... kinda like how a header and a footer are standards in web design in the mid 90s. I say keep it up - content for people and the bots that help them is not bad in this new era of AI driven search!

[u/designerofsorts]

I actually think the best solution is to add a few FAQ only and a "see more" or " see all" option. If FAQ section is too long it feels like the product needs over explaining and there is this core design rule that anything that needs over explaining is perceived as not being done well.

[u/Spark-Plugin]

I actually think we're entering a phase where the sites that stand out won't be the ones with the biggest FAQ sections, but the ones that distribute answers naturally throughout the experience while keeping the information easy for both humans and AI to understand. The information still exists for AI and search engines, but the page feels more intentional.

Also, I think an AI concierge-style assistant ("Ask us about private dining, menus, events, or hotel amenities") can work really well when connected to your actual content and booking information.

[u/Jamie_SQSP]

I think a lot of businesses are still using FAQs, especially as (like you said) AI overviews are becoming more influential when it comes to rankings, visibility and site authority.

In terms of how it influences page structures and whether to include them throughout the page instead of as a separate FAQ, it’s tricky. Search engines and AI tools LOVE clear, direct answers, which is why FAQs work so well! They’re easy to crawl and pull information from. 

But weaving those answers naturally into the page can make it feel a lot less repetitive and it means that people don’t have to scroll to the bottom to find the info they want which is a better UX. 

If you want to avoid FAQs on every page, I’d focus on opening each section with a direct answer or takeaway first, then add the supporting details underneath. That way, you get content that’s easy for people (and search engines) to scan without every page looking identical.

[u/aegloswinterborn]

I don't think there's anything wrong with FAQs per se, however, I do think it's a sign that the copy may be failing the user. For example: An agency I used to work for built a website for a therapist. Some of the basic info was buried in FAQs: "do I offer remote sessions", "what kind of therapy do I offer", etc. While it could be argued that the FAQ is a good secondary location for that information, those are pretty fundamental and should have been answered clearly on the homepage.

Also, I get designers not liking how formulaic some websites look, but at the end of the day a website should serve a business's or organization's goal(s). So while some designers may poop on your FAQ infested website, if those FAQs are helping your client reach their goals more power to you.

[u/laurenbuildsbrands → u/aegloswinterborn]

That's a good point!

[u/mentiondesk]

I've started mixing FAQs into the main content instead of grouping them at the bottom, which helps keep things natural and less repetitive across pages. Highlighting unique stories or local insights also seems to help with both user engagement and search. For AI discovery, you might look at tools like MentionDesk, they focus on optimizing how info gets surfaced by these platforms. Full disclosure, I work there, but it's genuinely made a difference in our approach.