For business owners, creating relevant and engaging content is crucial for driving traffic, generating leads, and building brand authority.
However, identifying the right keywords and topics can often seem like a daunting task, especially with the high costs associated with keyword research tools.
Fortunately, there’s a powerful and cost-effective resource at your fingertips: Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ (PAA) feature.
What is ‘People Also Ask’?
‘People Also Ask’ is a dynamic feature on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) that displays a list of related questions users frequently search for in connection with your query.
These questions appear within an expandable box in the SERPs and provide information on what users are curious about surrounding the topic you’re currently exploring.
For example, if you search for “benefits of organic food,” the PAA section might include questions like:
- “What are the advantages of eating organic food?”
- “Is organic food healthier than non-organic?”
- “What are the environmental benefits of organic farming?”
These questions are continually updated based on real user queries, making them a valuable resource for understanding your audience’s interests and their pain points.
How You Can Utilise ‘People Also Ask’ for Content Creation
If you’re new to digital content creation and marketing your business ‘People Also Ask’ is a great (and free) tool that can help you perform several marketing research functions at a basic level, but with great results.
Let’s take a look at how this feature can be applied to your content creation processes:
1. Identify Relevant Keywords and Topics
By exploring the PAA section, you can discover a variety of keywords and topics that are relevant to your industry. This is particularly useful for business owners who want to create content without investing in expensive keyword research tools.
For instance, if you’re running a health and wellness blog, typing in a broad query like “healthy living tips” and examining the PAA questions can help you identify specific subtopics to address, such as:
- “What are the best healthy living tips for busy professionals?”
- “How can I maintain a healthy lifestyle on a budget?”
These questions give you a clear direction for creating content that addresses specific user interests and needs.
2. Generate Content Ideas
Each question in the PAA section can be turned into a blog post, video, or other content forms.
By answering these questions comprehensively, you can position yourself as an authority in your field and attract more organic traffic.
For example, a business owner in the fitness industry might find PAA questions like “How can beginners start a workout routine?” and “What are the benefits of high-intensity interval training?”
These questions provide ready-made content ideas that are highly relevant to potential readers.
3. Understand User Intent
The PAA section provides insights into the specific information users are seeking. This helps you create content that aligns with their intent, whether they’re looking for detailed explanations, quick tips, or step-by-step guides.
For example, if you notice questions like “How do I improve my SEO ranking?” and “What are the best practices for on-page SEO?” you can tailor your content to provide detailed, actionable advice that directly addresses these queries.
4. Enhance Your SEO Strategy
While the PAA feature might not offer the same level of precision as dedicated keyword research tools, it serves as a valuable starting point for optimising your content.
By integrating PAA-sourced questions and keywords into your content, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in SERPs.
For instance, including phrases like “best practices for on-page SEO” in your blog post titles, headers, and throughout the content can help search engines understand the relevance of your content to user queries, boosting your SEO efforts.
How to Make the Most of ‘People Also Ask’
Follow these actionable steps to get the most out of ‘People Also Ask’ in your content creation:
Conducting Research
Start by typing in a broad keyword related to your business into Google Search.
As you browse through the results, pay close attention to the PAA box that appears.
Click on several questions to see how they expand and generate even more related questions (the more boxes you expand, the more questions will be added to the PAA result).
This process will help you uncover a wide array of topics that your target audience is interested in.
For example, if you own a landscaping business, you might start with a search query like “garden landscaping tips.” The PAA box might reveal questions such as:
- “How to plan landscape gardening?”
- “How do you landscape a low maintenance garden?”
- “How to hard landscape your garden?”
- “How can I make my garden look better
These questions can guide you in creating blog posts, video tutorials, or even social media content that addresses these specific queries.
Organising Your Findings
As you gather questions from the PAA section, organise them into categories based on common themes.
This will help you structure your content strategy more effectively and ensure you’re covering a diverse range of topics within your niche.
For instance, if you’re a nutritionist, you might categorise questions under themes like “weight loss,” “meal planning,” “healthy recipes,” and “nutritional myths.”
This approach not only helps you create a comprehensive content plan but also ensures that you’re addressing a variety of user interests.
Creating High-Quality Content
Once you have a list of questions, it’s time to create content that provides thorough and valuable answers.
Here are a few tips to ensure your content stands out:
- Provide detailed and comprehensive answers to each question. Include relevant data, examples, and actionable tips to add value to your content.
- Consider using different content formats to keep your audience engaged. For example, you can create blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, and slide presentations to present your answers.
- Optimise your content for search engines by including relevant keywords, using proper headers, and ensuring your content is easily readable. This will improve your chances of ranking higher in SERPs.
- Use high-quality images, videos, and graphics to enhance your content. Visual elements can make your content more engaging and easier to digest.
- Keep your content up-to-date by regularly revisiting and refreshing it. This shows search engines and your audience that your information is current and reliable.
Additional Tips for Using People Also Ask
Combine PAA with Other Free Tools
While PAA is a fantastic starting point, combining it with other free tools can enhance your research. Tools like Google Trends, Answer the Public, and SemRush’s free versions can provide additional insights into popular searches and emerging trends.
For example, Google Trends can show you the search interest over time for specific queries, helping you identify seasonal trends and plan your content calendar accordingly. Answer the Public visualises search questions and suggested autocomplete searches in a fun and interactive way, giving you a broader range of content ideas.
Monitor Competitor Content
Keep an eye on your competitors’ content to see how they’re addressing questions similar to those in the PAA section.
This can give you inspiration for your content and help you identify gaps that you can fill with unique perspectives or more detailed information.
If a competitor has a blog post addressing “How to start a home garden,” you might notice they haven’t covered specific aspects like soil preparation or pest control in detail.
You can create a more comprehensive guide that covers these additional points, offering more value to your audience.
Engage with Your Audience
Encourage your audience to ask questions and provide feedback on your content. This can give you direct insights into what they’re interested in and what additional information they need.
Use platforms like social media, email newsletters, and comment sections on your blog to gather these questions.
For example, you might create a social media post asking your followers, “What are your biggest challenges with starting a home garden?” Their responses can provide a wealth of new content ideas that are highly relevant to your audience.
Cost-Effective and Insightful: A Great Starting Point
While the ‘People Also Ask’ feature may not replace the comprehensive data provided by paid keyword research tools, it offers a highly effective and budget-friendly alternative for business owners looking to kickstart their content strategy.
It’s an excellent way to gain insights into what your audience is searching for, generate content ideas, and enhance your SEO efforts without significant financial investment.
Leveraging Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ feature can help you tap into a goldmine of information that can drive your content creation efforts. By understanding and answering the questions your audience is asking, you can create valuable, relevant, and engaging content that positions your business as a trusted authority in your industry.
So, next time you’re planning your content calendar, take a moment to explore the PAA section. You might just find the inspiration you need to create content that resonates with your audience and propels your business forward.
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