How we write encyclopedia guides

What is a desk-research guide?

A desk-research guide explains how something works from published sources. For mattresses that means construction, sizes and labels. It does not mean a night of sleep testing. We say that on the page so nobody mistakes us for a review lab.

Where do the facts come from?

Official UK rules such as furniture fire safety and BS 7177. National Bed Federation size names in centimetres. Manufacturers’ published specs, used to explain mechanics, not to rank products. Companies House for directory status. If we cannot source a number, we omit it.

What does every guide contain?

• A 40–60 word answer at the top (the BLUF).
• Question-shaped headings where the page decides something.
• UK sizes in centimetres, not only names.
• A published date and a last-updated date that move only when the text changes.
• A Markdown twin at the same URL with .md added.
• At-a-glance facts and dated sources where we have a real official URL.

How do we map words people search?

We put the main search phrase in the title, the first answer sentence, and a question heading. Related phrases stay on the same page. A 3ft bed, a UK Single and 90 × 190 cm are one fact. They do not each get a thin URL.

Google’s 2026 AI search guide says answer-engine and generative-engine work for Search is still SEO. We follow that. We do not spin a page for every synonym. We do not treat llms.txt as a Google ranking trick. Hubs list the phrases people type and point at the deep guide.

Who should skip BedGuide guides?

Skip them if you want a ranked “best mattress” list, a price, or a diagnosis. We will not write those. Use a shop, a price comparison, or a clinician instead. See the full editorial policy.