Search engines are evolving to include more SERP features — Google local results, maps, images, and shopping results are examples of this progress. And a recent addition to this evolution is the People Also Ask (PAA), or People Also Search for (PASF).
This is a new SEO strategy intended to target users of particular search terms unique to your website. And specifically, offer them additional search results adjacent to the search term.
The most critical part of PAA is understanding the concepts behind it. This blog will help you understand what “People Also Ask” is and how it can help your SEO efforts.
What Exactly Is ‘People Also Ask’?
The idea behind this feature is to offer additional information for terms people may be searching for but do not find relevant enough to include in their original search query.
You can easily see this feature on Google as you scroll down in the search engine results. These are typically related questions that users commonly ask concerning the search query entered.
For example, when we type ‘rank organically on Google,’ the PAA section displays additional questions like ‘How do you rank high organically?’ , ‘How do I increase Google organic traffic?’ and much more. As the user continues clicking on these PAA questions, the search engine will start displaying more relevant questions based on the user’s behavior.
PAA or PASF is another method used by search engines to provide more detailed information to users. It’s a strategy that site owners can use to help users get their answers faster.
PASF or PAA as part of your SEO strategy will allow you to attract more traffic from people who aren’t looking for you directly. It’s an opportunity that should be taken advantage of as much as possible.
How Do I Rank for PAA or PASK?
There are a few ways of identifying the PAA or PASK questions for your business website. Here is the simple and effective method that our keyword specialists at our Fort Worth SEO company use to optimize the existing content for PAA.
1. Find “People Also Ask” Keywords
The first step is to find the PAA keywords that you can rank for.
At YellowFin Digital, our Fort Worth SEO experts use Ahrefs’s Site Explorer for this purpose.
You can type in the keyword that your landing page is ranking for in Site Explorer and use the option ‘Keywords with PAA’. That will allow you to get all the PAA keywords in the search results.
2. Find Questions for These Keywords
Once you have all the keywords for your landing page that have the chance of getting in the PAA, it’s time to find out exactly what those questions are.
You can then use any keyword tool to find the list of possible questions for these keywords and analyze them.
Look for the common questions closest to your landing page target keyword.
Alternatively, you can enter the keyword your landing page is ranking for in Google and observe the PAA questions. This will give you a good idea of the questions you can target.
Please note that it’s easier to get on the PAA only when your page is already ranking in the top 10 for that keyword.
3. Create Content That Answers These Questions
With the list of short questions that can get you in the PAA section, next comes content analysis.
First, look at the page’s content and see if these questions are being answered.
If yes, you may need to make minor tweaks and include the question within the page.
If not, you should create a new question and answer that fits in organically with the page’s content.
Leave out any fluff in your answers. Be sure to use long-tail keywords throughout each answer. If you can, please include videos with the answers. You want people to see what they are clicking through from the PAA section.
You can try to add the answers in the form of bullet points. However, always look for the most optimal format that will increase the reading experience. This will improve your chances of getting into the PAA.
4. Optimize Your Landing Page
Adding relevant Q&A isn’t enough. You need to make sure that Google picks up your questions and gets you ranked in the PAA.
It’s essential to ensure that your landing page is completely optimized for design, content readability, keywords, loading speed, and various other factors.
Similarly, you can target other PAA questions and include them organically within your website, and increase your chances of visibility.
Wrapping Up
SEO specialists often overlook sections of ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘People Also Search For,’ but these are some of the most important ranking factors you can use to your advantage.
And this is your best chance to make the most of it.
If you’re planning to create more site pages, make sure to check for the PAA and include them naturally within your content flow and get your page simultaneously ranked in the top SERPs as well as in the PAA.
If you want to get some relevant data on the possible PAA questions you can rank for, reach out to our SEO company at Fort Worth. We offer SEO services complete with PAA keywords and questions to help you create landing page content. Contact us today for more information.
