What are People Also Ask (PAA) Boxes?
People Also Ask (PAA) boxes are a Google feature that shows a list of related questions based on a user's search. Click on a question, and you’ll get a brief answer sourced from a webpage, along with a clickable link to the source.
Here’s what makes PAA boxes stand out:
- Dynamic updates: Clicking a question generates even more related questions on the spot.
- Prime real estate: They usually show up right below the featured snippet or among the top results.
- Organic visibility: Answers come from Google’s indexed pages, giving websites a natural boost in exposure.
Why Do PAA Boxes Matter for SEO?
PAA boxes are now a big part of search results, and they’re packed with opportunities for SaaS businesses to stand out. Let’s dive into why they’re a game-changer
1. Increased Visibility
Appearing in a PAA box can place your content prominently on the SERP, even if your page doesn’t rank in the top organic results.
Mind you, we won’t exactly call a PAA box a goldmine for clicks or traffic.
In fact, only around 3% of searchers actually interact with it according to Backlinko.
But we still think it’s worth the effort for several reasons:
- First, Google can feature one PAA Q&A for different parent keywords.
If you capture 3% of the interactions across multiple searches, it adds up, doesn’t it?
- Also, in most cases, optimizing for PAA helps you optimize for featured snippets indirectly.
That’s because most PAA questions are featured snippet opportunities waiting to be tapped.
For example, we rank on PAA for this query
Guess what? We also have a featured snippet for that same question!
And you know feature snippets are prime real estate for impressions and clicks. On another note, if you’re looking for a surefire strategy to rank your SaaS for featured snippets, we have a SaaS featured snippet guide that covers that in detail.
2. Drives Organic Traffic
PAA answers link back to the source webpage, encouraging users to click through for more information. This can significantly boost organic traffic.
3. Establishes Authority
Being featured in PAA boxes positions your content as a trusted resource, enhancing your brand’s credibility in your niche.
4. Supports Voice Search
Many voice search responses are derived from PAA boxes, making it an essential feature to target for voice SEO strategies.
5. Maximizes SERP Real Estate
PAA boxes allow businesses to occupy valuable space on the SERP, increasing the likelihood of capturing user attention.
How Do PAA Boxes Work?
Google uses advanced algorithms to identify questions users are likely to ask after their initial query. These questions are dynamically generated and are often based on:
- Search Intent: The underlying purpose of the user’s query.
- Relevance: The connection between the user’s query and the related questions.u
- Content Quality: Google selects content that provides concise and accurate answers.
When users click on a PAA question, additional related questions are generated, creating a chain of potential queries. This interactivity enhances the user experience by offering immediate answers without requiring additional searches.
How we rank for the "People Also Ask" box for many questions
So, are you ready to see the SEO strategies we use to rank for PAA? Let’s dive in…
1. Find Eligible Questions
People Also Ask (PAA) features depend so much on SEO rankings.
If you already rank in the top 10 for a parent keyword…
…you have a great chance of showing up in PAA questions related to that keyword.
We call these “high chance” PAA questions Eligible Questions
Here’s how you can find them:
Firstly, compile a list of keywords where you rank in the top 10.
You can do this with Google Search Console (GSC).
- Click on Search Results.
- And Export your search data.
You’ll get a sheet containing all the queries you target and their positions.
Sort the position column from A-Z to order the queries from position #1 to the last.
Copy those that fall within positions 1-10.
What’s next?
Use a PAA scraping tool to uncover PAA questions relating to those keywords.
We love Ahrefs for this—but LinkGraph is another good option though.
Go to Keyword Explorer on Ahrefs, paste the keywords, and search.
Then you can export all the keyword data into a sheet. And make sure you check “include top 10 positions for …”
Once you’ve done that, you’ll get a sheet containing all data related to the keywords you searched for…
…including related PAA questions:
So, with the right game plan, you’re eligible to secure a PAA spot for all these questions.
2. Find recurring questions
Dig into your Ahrefs PAA questions data to find questions that appear multiple times.
If a question appears more than once, it means it's featured in the PAA box of several parent keywords.
Remember how we talked about interactions “adding up”?
Yes, these questions are your quickest route to that goal.
But if you can't find any, don’t worry about that.
Just move onto the next step.
Now, search for your parent keywords on Google.
Then, check the "People Also Ask" (PAA) section to find your target questions and their current answers.
You might already be featured there without realizing it!
But if not, you need to pay attention to the next step.
3. Provide better answers to the questions
How can you do this?
Analyze the existing answer for its format and traits.
Then use that insight to create a better response.
By format, we mean it could be:
- List
- Paragraph
- Table
- Video
Ideally, you should copy the format of the currently featured answer.
And traits include
- Word count
- Quality of the answer
- Readability
How can you optimize the traits?
- Keep the answer’s word count around a reasonable range.
- Provide an answer with a better quality—you can even cite reputable sources if possible
- And most importantly, keep your answer clear, relevant, and easy to read.
The final question is, where should you place the question and answer?
This should be somewhere in the content targeting the parent keyword.
You can either create a subsection for them or throw them in your FAQ section—anyone works.
Now, all you need to do is watch and wait.
If you need help pinning this down, we have a list of SaaS SEO agencies that can help.
Challenges and Limitations of PAA Boxes
While PAA boxes offer numerous benefits, they also present unique challenges:
1. Zero-Click Searches
PAA boxes often answer user queries directly on the SERP, reducing the likelihood of clicks to the source website.
2. Dynamic Nature
The questions in PAA boxes can change based on user behavior, making it difficult to maintain consistent visibility.
3. Increased Competition
As PAA becomes a priority for many businesses, competition for these spots is intensifying.
4. Content Accuracy Risk
If Google selects outdated or inaccurate content from your site, it could harm your credibility.
FAQs About PAA Boxes
1. What are PAA boxes in SEO?
PAA boxes are interactive search features on Google that display related questions and answers to a user query. They enhance visibility and drive organic traffic by linking back to the source webpage.
2. How does Google select content for PAA boxes?
Google selects content based on relevance, quality, and user intent. Structured content with clear, concise answers is more likely to be featured.
3. What are the benefits of ranking in PAA?
Ranking in PAA increases visibility, drives traffic, establishes authority, and supports voice search. It also allows businesses to occupy more SERP real estate.
4. How do PAA boxes impact zero-click searches?
PAA boxes can contribute to zero-click searches by answering queries directly on the SERP, reducing the need for users to click through to the source.
5. How can I optimize my content for PAA?
Use question-based headings, concise answers, keyword research, structured data markup, and FAQs to increase your chances of ranking in PAA boxes.
6. How do PAA boxes differ from featured snippets?
While both are dynamic search features, PAA boxes display multiple related questions, whereas featured snippets provide a single, prominent answer.
