ONPAGE · SEO GLOSSARY
People Also Ask (PAA)
A SERP feature showing a collapsible box of related questions — appearing on most informational queries — that represents high-value keyword and content opportunities for SEO.
Definition
People Also Ask (PAA) is a Google SERP feature that displays a collapsible box of related questions below (or sometimes above) the organic results. When a user clicks a question, it expands to show an answer sourced from a web page — similar to a featured snippet. PAA boxes appear on the majority of informational queries. The questions are generated by Google based on what other users search for in connection with the original query and what entities and topics Google's knowledge graph associates with the search. PAA is dynamically generated — clicking a question in the PAA box triggers Google to load additional related questions, making the list theoretically infinite. Each PAA question can be thought of as a distinct keyword: it has its own search intent, its own result, and its own optimization target.
Why it matters for SEO
PAA boxes are high-value real estate for several reasons: (1) **Keyword discovery** — PAA questions reveal the specific sub-questions your target audience has around a topic, giving you a ready-made list of content angles, FAQ sections, and supporting pages to create; (2) **Featured-snippet-adjacent visibility** — ranking as the PAA answer for a question gives your page a prominent, above-the-fold position for that question; (3) **AI Overviews sourcing** — Google's AI Overviews (the AI-generated answer summaries at the top of some SERPs) often draw from the same pages that supply PAA answers, making PAA-eligibility a proxy for AI-answer-engine citation potential; (4) **GEO signal** — content with clear question headings and direct, concise answers is more likely to be selected for PAA and for AI answer engine responses. The question-heading ratio check in the AI visibility score (≥20% of headings phrased as questions) is directly tied to this pattern.
How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this
The audit evaluates PAA-eligibility signals on your pages: question-heading ratio (headings phrased as questions), presence of FAQPage JSON-LD schema (the structured data type that directly signals FAQ content to Google), content section length (PAA answers are typically under 300 words — concise, direct answers), and direct-answer sentence structure at the start of sections. The GEO score's "question-heading ratio ≥20%" check is the primary PAA-readiness signal in the audit.
Useful tools and resources
GLOSSARY
Related terms
onpage
Featured Snippet
A special SERP result that displays a direct answer pulled from a webpage above the standard organic listings — also called "position zero."
Read definition →onpage
SERP Features
Non-standard Google SERP elements beyond blue links — including featured snippets, People Also Ask, Knowledge Panels, image packs, video carousels, and local packs.
Read definition →structured data
FAQPage Schema
JSON-LD structured data that marks Q&A pairs on a page so search engines and AI systems can display and cite them directly.
Read definition →onpage
Search Intent
The underlying goal a searcher has when typing a query — informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional — which determines what content type and format will rank.
Read definition →onpage
Keyword Research
The process of identifying the specific queries your target audience uses in search — to guide content creation, page optimisation, and site architecture decisions.
Read definition →See how your site scores on People Also Ask (PAA).
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