People Also Ask (PAA) — Definition & Meaning
What is People Also Ask (PAA)?
People Also Ask is Google's expandable question box on the SERP, showing 4 related questions with click-to-reveal answers. Each expanded question loads 2-4 more, so a single PAA box can surface 20+ questions. Winning a PAA slot drives clicks even from position 30+.
Key points
- PAA answers are extracted from pages already ranking — but not always from the top 10. Long-tail answers with strong schema can win from page 3+.
- Format the answer as a 40-60 word paragraph under an H2/H3 that mirrors the exact question wording.
- FAQPage schema is the single fastest PAA win — a valid FAQ block often earns a slot within days.
- PAA is dynamic — expanding one question can reshape the whole box, so tracking rank means tracking the full question tree, not one slot.
- PAA impressions in GSC show up under Search Appearance → "FAQ rich results" and "People also ask".
Example
A page ranking #22 for "how does keyword difficulty work" can still win a PAA slot answering "how is keyword difficulty calculated" — a related but distinct question the top-10 pages don't answer as directly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my content into People Also Ask?
Add FAQPage schema, format answers as 40-60 word paragraphs directly under H2/H3 question headings, and rank at least in the top 30 for the parent query.
Do People Also Ask boxes hurt my CTR?
For informational queries, sometimes — but winning a PAA slot lifts brand visibility even if the click stays inside the box. For commercial queries, PAA rarely triggers.
How many People Also Ask questions appear per SERP?
Start with 4, but each expansion loads 2-4 more. A single deeply-expanded PAA can surface 20-40 questions across sessions.