Question Keywords and People Also Ask: How to Find and Use Them
Updated
Question keywords are searches written as questions. Google's People Also Ask box lists related ones, and together they give you the headings and FAQs your page needs.
Open the question keyword generator
What is a question keyword?
A question keyword is a search written as a question, such as "how does google autocomplete work" or "what is a long tail keyword". People type them when they want an explanation, so they fit guides, FAQs and videos well. They are a type of long-tail keyword with very clear intent.
What is People Also Ask?
People Also Ask is a box on Google's results page that lists related questions. Click one and it expands into a short answer with a link to the source page, and more questions appear as you open them. It shows what Google considers closely related to your search.
Where do question keywords come from?
- Autocomplete: adding what, how, why, can or is to a seed makes engines suggest real questions. See how Google autocomplete works.
- People Also Ask: the related questions inside Google's results.
- Related searches: the suggestions at the bottom of the results page.
- Forums and comments: the exact words people use when they are stuck.
How to find question keywords for free
- Enter your topic in the question keyword generator, turn on Question keywords and run the search.
- Search your topic on Google and open the People Also Ask box to collect its questions by hand.
- Scroll to the related searches at the bottom of the results page and note the new phrases.
- Remove duplicates and group the questions by meaning.
LongTailLab collects autocomplete questions. It does not read the People Also Ask box, so use both sources.
How to turn questions into headings and FAQs
- One main question per page. Use it as the title and H1, and keep a single search intent per page.
- Related questions as H2 and H3. Each heading is one question that you answer under it.
- Answer first. Start with a direct answer of one to three sentences, then explain. Short, clear answers are easier for search engines to reuse.
- Add an FAQ. Put the small questions at the end of the page. Google now shows FAQ rich results only for a small set of sites, so write the FAQ for readers rather than for the snippet.
Question keywords vs long-tail keywords
All question keywords are long-tail, but not every long-tail keyword is a question. "Best vegan protein powder" is long-tail without being a question. Use questions for explanations and guides, and plain long-tail phrases for products and comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
What is a question keyword?
A question keyword is a search written as a question, usually starting with what, how, why, can or is, for example "how does google autocomplete work".
What is People Also Ask?
People Also Ask is a box on Google's results page that lists related questions. Each one expands into a short answer with a link to its source.
How do I find People Also Ask questions?
Search your topic on Google, open the People Also Ask box and note the questions. More appear as you expand them.
Does LongTailLab pull People Also Ask questions?
No. It collects autocomplete questions from search engines, not the People Also Ask box, so use both sources.
Are question keywords good for SEO?
Yes. They show clear intent. Use each question as a heading, answer it directly under the heading and keep one main question per page.
Related tools and guides
- Long-tail keyword tool: back to the main LongTailLab tool
- Question keyword generator
- All keyword research guides