When I see questions like “Will AI destroy the software industry?”, I find myself thinking about a smaller corner of business websites, one much closer to an order: the FAQ.
If answers become easy to get, what is truly scarce may be the details within those answers that aren't pretty but can help people make a choice.
I lean toward a somewhat uncomfortable view: Some FAQs don't help businesses get found because they avoid giving people anything to compare from beginning to end.
Customers Ask About Prices, You Answer with Brand Values
Imagine someone describing their needs to AI: “Taichung, end-of-tenancy cleaning, available on Saturday, limited budget, want to know in advance what costs extra.”
Company A's FAQ says: “We provide professional quotes based on on-site conditions and are committed to quality service. Please contact us.”
Company B says: “Vacant and furnished properties are quoted separately; grease removal, mold removal, and rubbish disposal require separate confirmation; Saturday bookings are available, subject to staffing confirmation. Send photos for a preliminary estimate, and we will confirm any additional charges before adding work on-site.”
Don't rush to guess which one AI would choose. Suppose you were finding a provider for a friend. Which company would make it easier for you to explain your recommendation?
A has enthusiasm for service. B has information you can use to make a judgment.
Being cited means a passage can support an answer; being recommended involves whether a business is suitable for a particular need. The two cannot simply be equated. A clearly written FAQ does not guarantee citations or orders, either. But if a page doesn't even explain the conditions under which a service applies, it creates another obstacle for anyone trying to explain “why this is a good fit” on your behalf.
The Most Useful Answers May Turn Customers Away
Marketing often has an implicit goal: don't filter people out too early. Keep pricing flexible, leave the restrictions for salespeople to explain, and get the lead first.
There is a rationale behind this approach. Custom services are difficult to price in a single sentence, and overly rigid conditions can cost you projects that might otherwise have worked out.
But in the context of AI search, a contradiction emerges: you want to have a conversation first, while the searcher wants to rule out unsuitable options first.
For example, a photographer who takes corporate portraits might state in an FAQ: “This package is suitable for individual résumé photos and executive portraits; bulk product photography with background removal is quoted separately; rush jobs require confirmation of availability.” This wording isn't sexy. It may even actively let some inquiries slip away.
But someone who has only two days left to submit a résumé needs availability and delivery terms, not another reading of “telling stories through the lens.”
I would regard this kind of FAQ as a public statement of the boundaries of the work you take on. It gives professionals a chance to be understood accurately while also revealing the needs they cannot meet.
Impressive Citation Counts Don't Necessarily Mean Impressive Business
Suppose a cleaning company's “How to Remove Bathroom Limescale” page is frequently cited, but the visitors it brings in are all looking for free methods; another page only answers questions about service areas, estimates, and additional charges, receives less exposure, but brings in inquiries closer to actual sales.
The former has value for content exposure; the latter may be closer to business. What matters is what people ask about, how well their needs fit, and whether those inquiries turn into sales. Citation counts alone make it difficult to know what the marketing has actually advanced.
So the hardest part of revising an FAQ may not be how many popular questions you add, but whether you are willing to make public the conditions that salespeople habitually save for the phone call.
On Friday evening, a business owner pauses at “How are fees calculated?” in the website's admin panel. After the cursor, the original text reads, “Please call for details.” He adds a sentence: “Carrying items on stairs costs extra. Please provide the floor number and whether there is an elevator in advance.” After reading it, the salesperson says this might mean a few fewer phone calls. The owner looks at tomorrow's order, whose carrying conditions have yet to be confirmed, and does not immediately click Publish.