If you’ve ever found yourself searching for something on Google, then chances are that you’ve already encountered People Also Search For (PASF), even if you’re not aware of it. PASF is a list of related keywords and key phrases that appear after an initial search is conducted. While this can be helpful for users’ everyday lives, it also has many different benefits from an SEO perspective.
What is ‘People Also Search For’?
Google’s People Also Search For is a search feature that aims to help users find what they’re looking for by refining their searches and providing relevant follow-up search queries. The PASF suggestions come from Google’s search database as well as the search patterns of those who have searched similar topics, which can provide valuable insights into the search behaviors of users.
In this example, a user searched How to SEO on Google and found a few organic search results, which can easily be identified by their blue text. You’ll be able to find the People Also Search For section below the two organic search results, which will show the user other related search queries to help the user find what they’re looking for and narrow down the search. The queries included under this section are things that other users have also searched in the past.
How Does ‘People Also Search For’ Work?
Google presents users with the most relevant websites and results based on their queries. However, some users leave these top-ranking websites unsatisfied, and that’s where PASF comes in. When a user visits a website but immediately returns to the search results, Google assumes that the user wasn’t able to find anything useful with the initial search results.
When this happens, Google will then present the user with the PASF window directly under the search result that the user just visited as a way to help them narrow down the search query and help them find what they’re looking for.
How Can People Also Search For Help to Improve Your SEO Strategy?
As mentioned before, Google’s PASF feature offers a wide range of benefits that can help you improve your SEO strategy. Here are some ways that Google’s PASF can help improve your SEO strategy:
Find Relevant Topic Ideas
Google’s PASF is based on the search engine’s vast database, as well as data and patterns derived from users’ search histories and behaviors. In the context of SEO, you’ll be able to leverage these keywords and phrases to find relevant topic ideas that interest your target audience, increasing your chances of improving your website’s SEO performance.
Fill in Content Gaps
Aside from finding new and engaging topics, PASF can also be used to evaluate your existing content and determine whether or not there are gaps that need to be filled. Since PASF provides queries related to a certain topic, you can use this feature to evaluate whether there are topics or subtopics that you have yet to cover on your website. In doing this, you’ll be able to offer your readers much more comprehensive coverage of certain topics.
Prioritize Topics and Ideas
If you’re looking to publish your content based on the popularity of the topic, then taking a look at Google’s PASF feature can be the first step. The little panel will show other related queries that users have been searching for, so you’ll be able to evaluate the search volume and popularity of each key phrase with the help of a keyword research tool.
With this data, you’ll be able to figure out which ones perform better than others and prioritize the creation and publication of this content.
Update Existing Content
It’s important to constantly update and refresh your published content to ensure that it continues performing well on search engines, and PASF can help you with that. PASF presents you with a selection of related keywords and phrases that users search about a certain topic, so you can use them to gather ideas on how to expand or improve your existing content and keep it relevant.
Improve User Experience
Users search and click on websites to find useful and valuable information regarding a certain topic. By making the most of Google’s PASF and integrating these queries into your content—whether by covering them in subtopics or elaborating on them in an FAQ section—you’ll be able to deliver much more information to your readers while also hitting several different keywords, which can help boost your search engine results page ranking.
Boost On-Page SEO
You can also use PASF keywords to improve your website’s on-page SEO. Aside from integrating these phrases into your content, you can also add them to your major header tags, which will help optimize your content and help search engines better understand the topic you're covering, improving your chances of ranking.
The Takeaway
Google’s People Also Search For feature is a great SEO tool that can help you better understand the topics that your target audience is searching for, as well as what interests them. By making the most of this feature and using it to improve the quality of your content, you’ll be able to deliver a much more positive user experience and ultimately improve your chances of landing a favorable position in SERPs.
In case you find yourself not knowing where to start, our team of SEO professionals will be more than ready to lend you a helping hand to optimize your website and unlock the SEO potential of your business. To learn more about how we can work with you to achieve your goals, visit our website at https://www.cardinaldigital.com/services/seo.
