Write a how-to article: "[How to do X]". [N] steps with product links. Include HowTo schema.
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Write a how-to article: "How to layer skincare products in the right order". Structure: intro, 8 numbered steps with images, common mistakes section, FAQ. Add HowTo schema and link to relevant products in each step.
- HowTo schema for rich snippets in Google.
- Numbered steps with imagery, expected outcomes, and product links.
- Common-mistakes section addresses the queries shoppers Google after.
- Direct-answer prose for AI search citation.
What you're trying to do
How-to articles are SEO and AEO gold. They rank for high-volume informational queries ('how to layer skincare', 'how to wash linen'), get the HowTo rich snippet, and are routinely cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity for procedural answers. They also reduce returns because customers actually use products correctly.
Things to watch out for
- Step clarity — Fudge writes one action per step, not paragraphs of advice.
- HowTo schema — Fudge handles this: added automatically; visible in Google Search Console after indexing.
- Imagery — Fudge prompts for step images; falls back to text-only with image placeholders.
- Mobile flow — Fudge handles this: steps stack vertically with clear separators.
How Fudge does it
Fudge writes the article into a blog draft, researching the topic using your brand context (products, voice, customer data, review themes) and structuring it for SEO and AEO. Everything starts in draft — review, edit any section, and publish when you're ready. No content goes live without your approval.
Why how-to articles still win in 2026
How-to content is the most durable SEO asset you can publish. Procedural queries don’t go away when seasons change — “how to layer skincare”, “how to clean a leather bag”, “how to wash linen” — they generate predictable traffic month after month, year after year. And with HowTo schema, you become eligible for Google’s rich result treatment and signal to AI search engines that you have step-by-step content ready to cite.
When to write one
Three conditions make a how-to article worth writing:
- There’s an obvious shopper need (“how do I use this?”) that your product touches.
- There’s existing search volume — check Google Search Console or run a content gap analysis to confirm.
- You can demonstrate first-hand expertise. Generic “how to layer skincare” is a commodity; “how to layer skincare for sensitive Mediterranean climates” is differentiated.
Skip the how-to if it’s a topic where every brand already publishes the same article. Find the angle where your specific knowledge adds value.
What makes one great
- HowTo schema markup — Fudge adds this automatically. It’s table stakes for rich result eligibility.
- 5–10 numbered steps — fewer feels incomplete; more loses readers. Fudge calibrates step count to the complexity of the task.
- An image per step — even simple line illustrations. Visual scaffolding holds attention for procedural content.
- A “common mistakes” section — distinguishes great how-tos from generic ones. Most articles only tell you what to do; great ones tell you what not to do, and why.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common failure is generic procedural advice that any brand could publish. “Apply moisturizer in the morning” is filler. “Apply moisturizer within 60 seconds of toner while skin is still damp” is specific advice that demonstrates expertise.
The second mistake is missing the product link at the natural step. If step 4 is “use a hydrating serum”, that’s where the contextual product link belongs — not at the bottom of the article in a generic “shop our skincare” CTA.
Pair how-to articles with an ingredient deep-dive for shoppers who finish the how-to and want to understand the underlying science.