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People Also Ask

PAA · related questions

Definition

People Also Ask is Google’s expanding cluster of questions on a results page. Each answer is a short extract, often from a different URL than the blue links. It is an AEO surface: one paragraph, one question.

The cluster expands as users click. Your page can appear for a PAA question you never listed as a “target keyword.”

How it works

Write real questions as headings only when the page answers them immediately below. Keep answers short then expand. Do not build a hidden FAQ of every PAA phrase in the niche.

Worked example

A parking-ticket guide includes “How long do I have to contest in Chicago?” as a heading with a 40-word answer and a statute link. That block shows in PAA. A 2,000-word essay without headings does not.

How it differs

A featured snippet is usually one box for the main query. PAA is a stack of related questions. AI Overviews synthesize. All three can zero-click the user.

Common errors

Scraping PAA and spinning pages. Schema FAQ for questions not on the page. Measuring only rank-1, ignoring PAA extracts.

Sources