Literal translation, dynamic equivalence, and what AI has changed – and hasn’t

A friend sent me an odd translation from a Czech tavern menu. Google Lens had turned one dish – španělský ptáček – into “Spanish bird”.

There was a time when I advised clients firmly, even a little overzealously, against using FAQs.

And I wasn’t alone. Whole schools of UX, content design and information architecture saw them as the dusty attic of the web: a place you shoved things you didn’t know what else to do with. They were rarely based on questions anyone actually asked. They weren’t structured. They weren’t updated. And they weren’t helpful.

Gerry McGovern has a neat way of putting it: users have no idea whether their question is “frequently asked” or not – to them, it’s simply the question they need answering right now.

In other words: if your FAQ exists to soothe your internal stakeholders rather than to help your users, it’s not an FAQ at all. It’s filler.

“If your FAQs page is a jumble of semi-relevant questions, I advise against it.”

I used to argue that if your content was clear, you shouldn’t need FAQs. Explain things well the first time, in the right place, and the problem disappears. And you know what? All of those criticisms still stand today. If your FAQs page is the same jumble of poorly written, semi-relevant, company-centric questions from a decade ago, I still advise against it.

But this isn’t the web of 2015. And we’re not dealing with the same search behaviours we once were.

Something important has shifted.

The AI-shaped revival of FAQs

People don’t only “browse” any more. Increasingly they ask. They type full questions into Google, Bing, Perplexity, ChatGPT and other AI tools that behave more like conversational agents than traditional search engines.

More importantly, users are getting comfortable with zero-click searches: queries answered directly in the search results or in an AI summary, without ever opening the source website.

This is a mixed blessing. Zero-click results are brilliant for the person asking the question, because they get the information straight away. But for you, the website owner, it may not be so great – you might be helping them without ever seeing them land on your site.

But whether they click through or not, if you provide clear, useful answers to questions people genuinely ask, you build recognition and trust over time. And that trust often does convert eventually.

LLMs in particular thrive on structured, well-formed, concise question–answer pairs. They understand them. They return them to users. And, increasingly, they reward them.

So yes, the dinosaurs may be lumbering back into the daylight. But they’re evolving.

What bad FAQs look like

The trouble is that many existing FAQs are still shaped like fossils. Here are a few anonymised examples, drawn from very real patterns I see on client sites, plus some composites of frequent offenders.

❌ Example 1: “What is your mission?”

Nobody has ever typed this into a search bar. Nobody has emailed a company to ask. It offers no practical value to a user trying to understand a product, choose a service or solve a problem. It belongs on an About page, if anywhere.

Why it doesn’t work:

It’s an internal comfort blanket masquerading as user help.

❌ Example 2: “Can I contact you?”

Answer: Yes. Use our contact form.

This both states the obvious and hides the useful information. If someone has reached this question, they probably want contact details, opening hours, phone numbers or support channels. “Yes” is not helpful.

Why it doesn’t work:

It adds friction instead of removing it.

❌ Example 3: “What are your payment options?”

Answer: We accept credit cards and PayPal.

Better. Clear, concise, relevant. But incomplete. Users will still want to know exactly which cards, whether they can use Apple Pay or Google Pay, whether invoices are possible, whether recurring payments are supported, and so on.

Why it’s only halfway there:

It answers a real question but not fully.

✔ Example 4: “Can I change my booking date after purchase?”

Answer: Yes, you can change your date up to 48 hours before your booking. Log into your account, select ‘Manage bookings’ and choose a new available slot. If you need help, contact our support team on [number].

Why it works:

Real question, real value, clear steps, no fluff.

✔ Example 5: “Is your software compatible with Windows 11?”

Answer: Yes. Version 4.2 and above are fully compatible with Windows 11. Earlier versions may require an update. To check your version, go to Settings → About.

Why it works:

It answers precisely what the user needs, anticipates a follow-up question and gives next steps.

Structure: the part almost everyone gets wrong

Very few organisations give thought to how FAQs are arranged. Most pages are simply a chronological dump of last year’s internal conversations. Others are alphabetical, which feels tidy but is almost never useful for users.

A good FAQs page should follow a logical structure shaped around user intent, not organisational convenience. Think in clusters:

• Before purchase: pricing, process, features, compatibility
• After purchase: delivery, setup, returns
• Troubleshooting: errors, updates, known issues
• Policies: guarantees, privacy, accessibility
• Edge cases: exceptions and less common but still real queries

This helps users scan, find and feel understood. It also helps AI tools retrieve relevant blocks in context, rather than pulling random fragments.

If you have many FAQs, consider multiple pages or collapsible sections with clear headings. The goal is not to impress with volume but to make the right answers easy to reach.

Duplication, linking and content hygiene

Should an FAQ repeat information that already exists elsewhere on the site? Sometimes – but carefully.

Here’s the rule of thumb:

• If the information is core and belongs in the main content, keep it primarily there and summarise it in the FAQ with a link to the full explanation.
• If the FAQ is genuinely the best place to house the full answer, then provide it there in full.
• Don’t scatter multiple versions of the same answer across different FAQs or pages. Out-of-sync duplication is one of the quickest ways to lose credibility.

Good practice looks like this:

FAQ answer:

Yes. We offer a 30-day return period for all online purchases. In short, items must be unused and in original packaging. For the full policy, see our Returns and refunds page.

Short. Accurate. Linked. Maintainable.

AI tools handle this well, and humans appreciate the clarity.

FAQs don’t solve bad content

This point is worth making clearly: FAQs are not a sticking plaster. If your main content is vague, inconsistent or unclear, fix that first. FAQs should amplify clarity, not compensate for its absence.

What they can do, in the AI era, is complement your main content by presenting information in a format people now actively search for.

But only when done well.

Effective FAQs add value

FAQs used to feel like a symptom of lazy content strategy. And sometimes they still are. But today, when people increasingly type questions rather than keywords, and when large language models prioritise well-structured Q&A content, a good FAQ section is no longer a relic. It’s a strategic asset.

If you’ve been ignoring yours for years, or avoiding them entirely, now is the moment to revisit the idea. Not by copying the sins of the past, but by designing something tight, logical, user-driven and genuinely helpful.

Help people well, and they remember.

Help them consistently, and they trust you.

Help them better than your competitors, and they choose you.

How I can help

If you suspect your FAQs are more fossil than forward-thinking, I can help. I offer a focused, cost-effective review and audit of the FAQs on your website, with clear recommendations to turn them into something genuinely useful and fit for the AI era. It’s a practical way to make your content work harder for you and deliver a better return.