People Also Ask: How It Works and How to Rank in Google's Question Box

What is People Also Ask?

People Also Ask is a Google search feature that shows a list of questions related to the search you just made. Each question expands to reveal a short answer taken from a web page, with a link to that page. The box usually appears within the first few results and loads more questions as you click.

SEOs shorten the name to PAA, so "PAA SEO" means the work of getting your pages into the box. Google has shown it on desktop and mobile since around 2015. It now appears on a large share of searches, from simple facts to buying decisions.

The box has three parts that matter for SEO. The question, which is a real search phrase people use. The answer, which is a snippet of text, a list, or a table lifted from a page. And the source link, which sends the searcher to that page. Winning the source link is what ranking in PAA means.

Where do the answers come from?

The answers come from normal web pages that Google has indexed. Google picks a passage that answers the question and shows it with a link to the page. This works the same way as a featured snippet, the answer box at the very top of some results pages. Google's own documentation on featured snippets explains that they are chosen automatically from pages that answer the query well.

• The source page usually ranks well for the question itself. It does not need to rank for the original search. A page at position 30 for "running shoes" can hold the answer for "how often should I replace running shoes". It only needs to rank in the top few for that question.
• The answer is the passage, not the page. Google pulls a specific paragraph, list, or table. The rest of the page can be about something wider.
• The box is built for the query, and it keeps changing. Google adds questions based on what you click. Two people can see different questions for the same search.

Why Google shows the box, and what it means for you

Google shows the box because most searches are the start of a longer task, not the end. Someone who searches "how to repot a plant" will next wonder what soil to use and how often to water. The PAA box guesses those next questions and answers them without another search.

For you, that has two effects. One is a cost. The box sits above some organic results and answers questions on the page, so it can take clicks from the pages below it. The other is a gift. Google is telling you, in public, what your audience asks next. That is research most companies would pay for, and it is free.

The questions use the words people really type, which makes them good headings. Our guide on how to find long-tail keywords covers why those exact phrases matter.

People Also Ask SEO: turning the questions into keyword research

Treat People Also Ask questions as keyword ideas with a known intent. Sort them by what the searcher wants, and the right content type follows.

Collect the questions for your main keyword, then for each question in the box, and keep going two or three levels deep. You will end up with 30 to 100 questions grouped around your topic. Those become FAQ sections, H2s in your main article, and ideas for new pages. If you do the same with related terms from autocomplete, you have a full content plan for the topic.

How to rank in People Also Ask, step by step

There is no special markup that puts you in the box. Google picks the best passage on a page that already ranks for the question. The steps below make your page that page.

1. 1

   Collect the questions for your topic

   Search your main keyword and expand the PAA box several times. Write down every question. Then use the free Google Suggest tool to pull autocomplete phrases that start with "how", "why", "what", and "can". Many of those show up as PAA questions too.

2. 2

   Pick questions you can answer better than the current source

   Search each question and open the page holding the answer. If the answer is vague, out of date, or buried in a long paragraph, you have a real shot. If it is a clear, correct 50 word answer from a strong site, move on to the next question.

3. 3

   Use the question as a heading, word for word

   Put the question in an H2 or H3 exactly as it appears in the box. Google matches passages to questions, and a heading that matches makes the match obvious. Do not rewrite it to sound smarter.

4. 4

   Answer in the first sentence, in 40 to 60 words

   Right under the heading, write one paragraph that answers the question fully. Lead with the answer, then add one or two sentences of context. This length fits the box and fits most featured snippets. Our guide on featured snippets goes deeper on the format.

5. 5

   Match the format the question wants

   For "how to" questions use a numbered list. For "how much" questions put the number first. For comparisons use a small table. Google lifts lists and tables straight into the box when they are clean HTML.

6. 6

   Rank for the question itself

   The page needs to be in roughly the top 5 for the question before Google will pull its passage. Cover the whole topic well, get internal links pointing at the page, and keep it up to date. A thin FAQ page rarely gets there. A strong guide with a well built FAQ section does.

7. 7

   Add FAQ structured data if it fits, without expecting a rich result

   Since August 2023, Google only shows FAQ rich results for well known health and government sites. Adding FAQ schema still helps machines read your questions and answers, so it is worth doing. Just do not expect the expanded FAQ display in normal search.

8. 8

   Track the questions and check who holds the box

   Add each question to your rank tracker as its own keyword. Watch your position and the SERP features on the page. When you move into the top 5 for a question, the PAA answer often follows within days. If a competitor takes the box, look at their passage and tighten yours.

Before you publish, run each question through this quick check.

• The question appears word for word in a heading
• The first sentence under the heading answers it
• The answer paragraph is 40 to 60 words
• Lists and tables use clean HTML, not images
• The page covers the wider topic, not only the questions
• Each question is tracked as its own keyword

PAA tools: what the free and paid options do

A people also ask keyword research tool saves you from clicking boxes by hand. Most do one of two jobs. Some scrape the PAA box itself and follow the questions several levels deep. Others pull autocomplete question phrases, which overlap heavily with PAA. Here is the honest picture.

• AlsoAsked maps PAA questions as a tree, showing which question leads to which. Free searches are limited.
• AnswerThePublic collects autocomplete phrases sorted by question word. It is a source of questions rather than a live PAA scraper.
• Browser extensions extract PAA questions from a live results page. Free, but one search at a time.
• Zutrix Google Suggest tool pulls autocomplete suggestions in bulk with volume, competition, and trend data. Free, and a good first pass.

Whatever you use, check the real results page for your most important questions. Tools show you what the box looked like when they scraped it. When you move from questions to drafts, our content editor builds a brief from the pages that already rank and scores your draft as you cover each question.

Common PAA problems and questions

Why can I not open the PAA box on Google?

The box loads its answers with JavaScript after the page appears. If a question will not expand, the usual causes are a browser extension that blocks scripts, a slow connection, or a Google test that changed the layout. Try a private window with extensions off. On some searches Google simply does not show the box, and there is no setting to force it.

Is the PAA box good or bad for my traffic?

Both, depending on the query. When your page holds the answer, you get a second placement on page one and often a click. When a competitor holds it, you can lose clicks even at position 3. The fix is the same either way: answer the questions on your page and win the box yourself.

How is PAA different from a featured snippet?

A featured snippet answers the search you typed, at the top of the page. PAA answers related questions you did not type. Both pull passages from pages the same way, so a page written to win one is well placed to win the other.