The 6 Best People Also Ask Tools in 2025 (Optimize for PAA Boxes)

Google’s People Also Ask (PAA) feature is nothing new: it first appeared in 2015 and has been helping to expand our search queries ever since.

Still, surprisingly few SEOs, bloggers, and business owners pay much attention to this SERP real estate.

And that’s fine, because while they ignore Google telling them exactly which topics to write about, you’re about to learn how to dominate PAA questions the simple way (as opposed to the copy-and-paste-until-your-wrist-hurts way).

The best people also ask tool is Answer Socrates because it extracts up to 60 PAA questions, and displays them in an easy-to-digest diagram.

It also has lots of other helpful keyword research tools to help you understand exactly what people are searching for and how to plan your content.

But there are several other good PAA generators you might want to try, depending on your wider SEO strategy.

If you’re tired of clicking through people also ask boxes manually – or you’ve never really explored them at all for your content – it’s time to get started with one of these tools.

Best People Also Ask Tools: Quick Overview

Tool	Best For	Free Plan	Starting Price	Additional Features
Answer Socrates	Comprehensive question discovery & visual maps	3 searches/day with full features	$9/month	-Recursive search -Keyword clustering -Trending topics -Statistics generator -Keyword metrics
AlsoAsked	Bulk PAA search	3 searches/day (no CSV exports)	$15/month	N/A
RightBlogger	AI-generated question ideas + content	Limited keyword data + some written content	$29.99/month	-Content writing -AI image generator -Article optimization
AnswerThePublic	Multi-platform keyword research	3 searches/day (partial results)	$11/month	-Search listening alerts -Keyword metrics -Multi-platform data
Allintitle	SERP analysis	10 search tokens (one-time use)	$49/month	-SERP overview & tracking -Content writing -Keyword metrics
Ahrefs	All-in-one SEO	Free webmaster tools	$129/month	-Backlink insights -Site audits -Rank tracking -Competitor analysis

1. Answer Socrates: Best for Comprehensive Question Discovery

Answer Socrates is the best people also ask tool because you can run 3 free searches per day and download the full results as a PNG (image) or CSV (spreadsheet). Most other PAA tools either charge you for access or restrict the results for free users.

Answer Socrates scans Google and generates a diagram to show you the 4 main questions displayed for your main topic, and up to 16 ‘child’ questions for each of those.

You can click on any of these questions to use it as the main topic for a new search.

Important side note: Although they are called ‘child’ questions, these do not necessarily represent the parent/child relationships you should use in your content strategy. The ‘child’ question can be a new variation of the ‘parent’ question, or it can be quite tangential to the main topic.

If you’re using these questions to add FAQs to your content, be sure to download the CSV file as well. This shows you the answers Google is displaying to each question, as well as the URL it is linking to. This information will help you write better answers to rank in PAA boxes. 

But Answer Socrates’ PAA Extractor is only just scratching the surface of question discovery.

Run the same query through its main search feature, and you’ll find hundreds (often thousands) of real questions that people are asking about the topic. My search for ‘social media marketing’ generated 1153 questions that I can use to create engaging, helpful content.

All of the questions are sorted by type (can, how, why, etc.) with separate tabs for comparisons (vs, like, similar, better) and prepositions (for, near, with), making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

You have the option to show keyword metrics (search volume, CPC, and competition) – helpful if you want to be more intentional about targeting low competition, high-volume keywords.

After this, you can run a recursive search to discover the next layer of questions that people ask AFTER searching for your main topic.

And once you have all these questions compiled, use the keyword clustering feature to group them so you know which keywords belong in the same piece of content. This feature saves me HOURS of tedious work every time I have a new topic to write about.

Pricing

Answer Socrates has a super generous free plan that includes 3 searches per day – you can use this allowance for regular or PAA searches. You also get 1 recursive search per day, and 1,500 clustering credits per month.

If you need more than this, paid plans start from just $9/month.

Pros

• PAA Extractor with 3 free daily searches
• Download people also ask questions as a visual map PNG or a CSV
• Additional deep question keyword research with keyword metrics
• Advanced keyword clustering saves hours of manual work
• Fast, clean interface

Cons

• No SERP analysis for ranking difficulty
• Limited to Google data (no Bing, social media, etc.)
• Large number of question keywords can be overwhelming for beginners

If your content strategy relies on understanding what people actually ask – not just what keywords they search – this is your tool. 

It’s particularly valuable for content marketers, bloggers, and SEO specialists who need to scale content production without sacrificing relevance. The free tier makes it risk-free to test, and the paid plans are priced for humans, not just enterprise budgets.

2. AlsoAsked: Best for Bulk PAA Search

If you’re only interested in PAA data and you’d benefit from being able to search in bulk, AlsoAsked could be the tool for you.

It has a much smaller feature set than Answer Socrates, but if you’re happy to pay $29/month you get some handy extras like bulk search and deep search (which gives you a third level of results in a single search).

With the Pro $59/month plan, you also get API access.

If you’re not interested in these features, though, and you just want a cheap PAA tool, AlsoAsked will give you the same results as Answer Socrates but make it harder for you to use the data.

You can run 3 free searches a day, and the results should be exactly the same as with Answer Socrates, because both tools scrape live data from Google.

AlsoAsked presents your results in the same mind-map style of diagram, and I’ll admit that the interface is a little prettier than Answer Socrates.

But the big downside is that AlsoAsked charges $29/month to download your results in csv format. With the free and $15/month plans, you only get PNG exports.

For me, having results that I can copy and paste into content briefs is non-negotiable. That’s why I’d only recommend using AlsoAsked if you’re going to benefit from the bulk search feature.

Otherwise, you’re much better off with Answer Socrates or another AlsoAsked alternative.

Pricing

AlsoAsked’s Basic plan starts at $15/month for 100 search credits, but that’s 100 searches with no CSV export capability. You need the Lite plan at $29/month to get CSV exports, along with bulk search and deep search capability and 300 credits. 

Pros

• Clean visual interface
• Intuitive tree structure shows question relationships clearly
• City-level search
• Free PNG exports

Cons

• CSV exports only available at $29/month
• Pricing is steep compared to feature set
• Nothing beyond PAA questions

3. RightBlogger: Best for AI-Generated Question Ideas

RightBlogger’s People Also Ask Tool is more of a general question tool because it doesn’t actually scrape Google to find the exact PAA questions displayed for your query. 

Instead, it uses AI to generate questions related to your topic based more on Google Suggest than PAA.

In this sense, it’s more like Answer Socrates’ main keyword search tool (but with fewer results and features).

What does make RightBlogger different is that as well as your question ideas, you get some guidance on how to write about your topic – including high-potential content ideas, opportunities, and challenges.

This is helpful for anyone new to blogging (and, if I’m honest, for us old-timers who still need inspiration sometimes).

Pricing

RightBlogger’s PAA tool is free to use with limited results. But it’s part of a much wider blogging toolkit (article generation, keyword research, SEO reporting) available for $29/month. If you need all these extra features for content writing, it’s a decent package for the price.

Pros

• 40+ content tools in one platform
• Smooth workflow integration between tools
• Good value as a blogging toolkit

Cons

• “PAA tool” gives AI-generated questions, not real search data (less reliable for SEO)
• Limited results with free plan
• Overkill if you only need question research

4. AnswerThePublic: Best for Multi-Platform Keyword Research

AnswerThePublic is one of the OG question research tools. Back when most SEO tools were spreadsheets of numbers, AnswerThePublic made keyword research feel visual and intuitive with its signature “wheel” display.

When it comes to PAA question research, though, AnswerThePublic looks much the same as Answer Socrates and AlsoAsked, with a branching diagram showing how one question leads to another.

I did notice that AnswerThePublic picked up fewer questions for exactly the same search; 6 for each question, compared to 12 for AlsoAsked and 15 for Answer Socrates.

Like AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic only gives PNG downloads to free users. It costs $11/month to upgrade and get CSV exports as well.

If your main objective is to scrape PAA questions, Answer Socrates offers deeper results than AnswerThePublic, with the same allowance of 3 free searches per day.

But if you want to look beyond Google for your keyword discovery – to other platforms like Bing, TikTok, and Amazon – AnswerThePublic is an affordable way to get insights for these platforms along with Google search data.

Pricing

The Individual plan at $11/month is affordable yet useful for solopreneurs and bloggers. You get 100 daily searches, CPC and search volume data, 25 daily CSV exports, and one search listening alert.

Pros

• Affordable entry point
• Iconic wheel visualization aids brainstorming
• Simple interface
• Pulls from Google, Bing, and social media platforms

Cons

• Free plan hides results and blocks CSV exports
• Displays fewer PAA results than other tools
• Lacks advanced features (no clustering, recursive search, PAA extraction)
• Visual interface doesn’t suit everyone

5. Allintitle: Best for Multi-Search Engine PAA Data

Allintitle stands out by doing something most PAA tools don’t: it pulls People Also Ask questions from Google, Bing, and Yahoo (because yes, they also have this feature in their SERPs). 

If you’re optimizing for search engines beyond Google, this multi-platform approach gives you insights that competitors using Google-only tools will miss.

The tool offers two visualization modes: a tree-like diagram similar to the others above and a rich table view for straightforward data analysis. I like the fact that you can expand and collapse table rows to quickly browse the data.

You can set specific geo-locations and languages for each search, and critically, Allintitle provides keyword metrics (search volume, CPC, competition data) for each PAA question it finds. Most PAA tools give you raw questions without context; Allintitle tells you which questions are actually worth targeting.

Pricing

The downside to Allintitle versus other PAA tools is the pricing. You get 10 searches to test the platform, but after that, you’re onto their $49/month plan.

That $49 gives you not just PAA research but also keyword research, SERP tracking, content assistant tools, and a niche tracker, making it more of an all-in-one solution than a specialized PAA tool.

Pros

• Extracts PAA data from Google, Bing, and Yahoo
• Provides keyword metrics (volume, CPC, competition) for PAA questions
• Two visualization modes (tree diagram and table view)
• Geo-location and language-specific targeting

Cons

• Only 10 free searches before requiring paid plan
• $49/month pricing is competitive for an SEO tool but expensive for PAA-only needs
• Learning curve for leveraging full platform features

6. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer: Best All-in-One SEO Tool

Ahrefs is not a dedicated PAA tool, but if you already have a subscription, it’s worth knowing that you can extract PAA data (and other questions) from it.

In Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, enter your main search term to view the SERP. Locate the People also ask row (if present) and expand it to view the questions being displayed.

Ahrefs only shows the top 4 results here. You’ll need to run new searches for each of them if you want to dig deeper, so it’s not a very efficient way of extracting the data. 

A free PAA tool like Answer Socrates makes it easy to extract up to 60 PAA questions relating to your topic in one CSV.

What Ahrefs is much better at is finding general questions containing or related to your term. In this case, it found 1,353 questions matching the ‘social media marketing’. However, it doesn’t have a feature to find questions about related topics – something Answer Socrates does with its Recursive Search tool. 

Pricing

Ahrefs Lite starts at $129/month, so it’s certainly not worth investing in just for the question keyword data. But it is one of the best all-in-one SEO tools around, and if you already have a subscription, you should make the most of the question discovery.

If you specifically need to extract deeper levels of PAA questions, use one of the other tools I’ve recommended here.

Pros

• Integrated with best-in-class SEO suite
• Includes keyword difficulty and traffic estimates
• Validated data from massive keyword database
• Additional question discovery tools

Cons

• Difficult to extract PAA questions specifically
• Only worth it if you need a full SEO toolkit
• Doesn’t have a ‘related questions’ feature like Answer Socrates’ Recursive Search

How to Optimize for People Also Ask Boxes

So you’ve chosen a PAA tool… what now?

Getting your content into PAA boxes isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not just a case of adding some FAQs and hoping for the best.

Here are my tips for using PAA data effectively in your content:

1. Understand PAA Box Triggers

Google doesn’t show PAA boxes for every query. They appear most frequently for informational searches where users are trying to understand a topic, solve a problem, or compare options. 

Product queries, navigational searches, and highly specific long-tail searches often don’t trigger PAA boxes at all.

Before investing effort into PAA optimization, verify that your target keywords actually show PAA boxes. Search them manually or use tools like Answer Socrates’ PAA extractor to confirm.

2. Check What’s Currently Ranking

PAA boxes favor certain content types. How-to guides, listicles, comparison posts, and definition-style content perform well, whereas opinion pieces and promotional content rarely make the cut. 

PAA answers can take the form of paragraphs, lists, videos, and even tables. Google is also experimenting with AI-generated answers in this area.

Use Answer Socrates’ PAA Extractor and download a CSV of your results. This lets you see exactly what is currently ranking for each question.

3. Structure Content to Target PAA Features

The most effective approach I’ve found is creating dedicated sections for each question you’re targeting. 

Use the exact question as your H2 or H3 heading, then provide a direct, concise answer in the first 40-60 words of that section. Try to repeat the main elements of the question in your answer. For example:

Q: What’s the best X for Y?

A: The best X for Y is Z because…

Q: How much does X cost?

A: X costs between … and … per month, depending on …

Using this format gives the best possible chance of search engines and LLMs understanding your content and recognizing your answer as useful.

Also use bullet lists and tables to present the information where applicable, especially if this is what’s currently ranking for the question you’re targeting.

4. Use Question-Based Headings Effectively

Structure your content with questions as headings, but don’t make every heading a question. That looks unnatural and reads poorly.

Target questions that appear in PAA boxes for related searches, not just any question you can think of.

Any miscellaneous questions that don’t fit in your main content can be added in an FAQs section at the end.

5. Consider Schema Markup

FAQ schema and Q&A schema can boost your PAA visibility, but they’re not magic bullets. I’ve seen content appear in PAA boxes without any schema, and I’ve seen perfectly structured schema that Google ignores. Schema is a helpful signal, not a guarantee.

That said, it’s worth implementing. Use FAQ schema when you have a list of questions and answers. Use Q&A schema when you have user-submitted questions with community answers. Make sure your structured data matches the actual content on the page – Google will penalize mismatches.

The easiest implementation is through plugins if you’re on WordPress (Yoast and Rank Math both handle FAQ schema). For custom builds, use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the code. Test everything in Google’s Rich Results Test tool before deploying.

Check our full People Also Ask ranking guide for more detailed information.

Final Verdict: Choosing the Best PAA Tool for Question Keyword Research

Search is changing faster than most SEOs want to admit, but people will always have questions, so there’s no reason to stop optimizing for them. 

Here’s a quick recap of my top People Also Ask keyword research tools:

• Answer Socrates – Best overall for PAA & question research: Use Answer Socrates to find up to 60 PAA questions per search, with fully downloadable results. But also make use of its broader keyword research and clustering features for comprehensive content planning.
• SearchResponse – Best for multi-platform PAA data: Scrape PAA questions from Bing and Yahoo, as well as Google.
• RightBlogger – Best for AI-generated questions + content: A complete blogging toolkit that suggests questions and helps you write content around them.

Ready to put all of this into practice?

Pick one article that needs a refresh. Run the target keyword through Answer Socrates’ free plan. Look at the questions you discover and ask yourself honestly: Did your article answer those questions? Did you even know people were asking them?

Most of the time, you’ll find gaps. Questions you didn’t address. Angles you didn’t consider. Take these as an opportunities to update your content to make it more helpful for readers and, hopefully, more likely to feature in PAA boxes.

FAQs

What is a People Also Ask tool?

A People Also Ask tool discovers and extracts questions that appear in Google’s PAA boxes for your target keywords, helping you identify what users are actually searching for and create content that matches their intent.

Are People Also Ask tools worth it for SEO?

Yes, PAA tools help you discover specific question-based content opportunities that competitors often miss, leading to faster rankings and more targeted traffic that converts better than broad keyword targeting alone.

Can I get PAA data for free?

Yes, tools like Answer Socrates, AlsoAsked, and AnswerThePublic can all be used for PAA question discovery. They all allow 3 free searches per day. But only Answer Socrates lets you download data in CSV format on its free plan, which is why it’s my top choice.

How often should I check People Also Ask questions?

Check PAA questions weekly for your core topics and monthly for broader content planning, if you have the resources. Questions change as search trends evolve, so regular monitoring helps you stay ahead of shifts in user intent.

Do People Also Ask boxes improve rankings?

PAA boxes don’t directly improve rankings, but targeting PAA questions helps you create more comprehensive content that matches search intent better, which Google rewards with improved visibility and SERP features.

What’s the difference between PAA tools and keyword research tools?

PAA tools focus specifically on discovering question-based queries from Google’s PAA boxes, while keyword research tools provide broader search volume and competition data but typically offer limited question discovery capabilities.