Podcasts have become an essential resource for expanding your business, brand, marketing efforts, and more. As such a vital tool, they have grown in popularity with millions of podcasts created.
The question is, how do you remain competitive and increase your visibility in this crowded space? The answer lies in podcast SEO. You might have heard of SEO for websites, well they are just as important for the success of podcasts.
What is Podcast SEO and Why Is It Important?
Podcast SEO centers on enhancing the visibility and discoverability of your podcast. This involves ensuring your podcast appears at the top of search engine results such as Google when keywords are searched. With an effective SEO strategy, your podcast will be one of the top suggestions for those keywords.
Podcast SEO is important as it elevates your episodes to the top of Google searches and podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts. This will increase the number of listeners and views, and help you to reach new audiences.
One way to implement a lot of the following strategies is to work with a B2B Podcast Partner that can handle the entire process for you, from finding your ideal client to network with as a podcast guest on your show, to building an audience of your ideal customer niche. They can help you host, manage, and create written SEO, audio, and video content from each episode to help grow your business.
In the following, we have compiled a list of 11 ways to optimize your podcast SEO.
1) Research Keywords
One of the most crucial steps is researching keywords. When someone searches for a word, phrase, or question on Google, this is considered a “keyword.” As you continue to publish your episodes, your podcast will become associated with specific keywords, making it more likely to appear in search results when people look for those words.
The ultimate goal is to become a top result for keywords related to your podcast. For example, if you host a beauty podcast, you would aim to rank near the top when people search for “beauty podcasts.” Of course, this can be tough when you are just starting as this will be a very competitive word in the space.
The best strategy is to target keywords with high search volumes but lower competition. This will make it easier for you to rank and gain exposure when first starting. Once you have gained traction, you can target more competitive keywords to expand your reach. You can use tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner or UberSuggest to find the best keywords to use.
2) Optimize Episode Titles
Your episode titles should be clear and concise while accurately reflecting the contents of your episode. Avoid making them long, complicated, or ambiguous. The episode title should tell your audience exactly what you’ll be talking about while intriguing them to listen. The title should feature keywords making it easily searchable and discoverable on search engines.
3) Podcast Description
Your podcast description tells the listener exactly what your podcast will cover. It provides details about the host, expected topics, guests, and much more. The description is a great place to include keywords for SEO serving as text that Google can index to improve your ranking in search results.
4) Create Transcripts
Google is more adept at interpreting text than audio, making transcripts a valuable tool for improving your podcast’s visibility for relevant keywords. These transcripts will allow search engines to better understand your content. They serve as a central hub for everything related to your episode. This can be used on your podcast website to boost promotional efforts. Additionally, transcripts make your content accessible to hard-of-hearing audiences, helping you reach a broader audience.
5) Publish Blog Posts
While not essential, blog posts can significantly enhance your podcast SEO. As previously mentioned, Google tends to interpret text better than audio. Creating blog posts for your podcast episodes provides more text for Google to index, helping you rank higher for relevant keywords.
Since blog posts make up the majority of listed search results, they can further promote your podcast while increasing your chances of ranking in relevant searches. A blog post will also solidify your expertise in the field ultimately boosting your presence and reputation.
6) Podcast Landing Page
A podcast landing page serves as a central hub for all information relating to your podcast. Listeners can find links to your episodes, transcripts, show notes, descriptions, and more. A well-crafted landing page not only strengthens your brand image but also enhances the discoverability of your show. It acts as another link associated with your podcast that can be ranked on Google, improving your overall SEO.
7) Release Youtube Podcasts
Although podcasts are generally audio-based, video podcasts are rising in popularity. Many listeners appreciate the connection they can make when they visually see the hosts and guests. While producing and editing video content takes more time, it can significantly impact your podcast’s success.
As with audio clips, YouTube podcasts require optimization of titles, descriptions, categories, and more. This will appeal to the preferences of potential listeners and boost your discoverability. A bonus is that YouTube videos tend to appear at the top of Google search results, providing an extra visibility boost.
8) Include Timestamps
Podcast episodes can be lengthy, and listeners tune in because they expect to gain something from them—be it education, answers to questions, or other valuable insights. There is always something that draws the listener in. This is where timestamps come into play.
If a listener tunes into your episode to answer a specific question, they will want to know exactly where to find the answer. Timestamps allow you to segment your podcast making it clear when certain topics are covered.
This is a common practice on YouTube where you can break your video into “Chapters” with titles. You can also put these timestamps into the description of your episodes to make it easier for listeners to search for what they are interested in. This increases engagement and provides an opportunity to incorporate keywords into your chapter titles.
9) Promote on Social Media
Utilizing social media for your podcast promotion will help to increase exposure thus generating more traffic to your show. It offers a platform to showcase your expertise, share podcast clips, feature relevant keywords, and more.
Additionally, social media allows you to engage with your audience, build connections, and collaborate with other influencers or podcasters for cross-promotion.
10) Consistent Publishing
Podcasts typically follow a regular release schedule, which is crucial for setting listener expectations. Consistency helps to establish a loyal listener base while enhancing the credibility of your show. The best way to maintain a consistent schedule is to create a publishing schedule that clearly outlines your planned content and when you intend to publish.
11) Leverage Trends
Keeping up with the latest trends is essential, as they often gain traction rapidly and offer valuable opportunities. Staying active on social media and doing your research is key as it will allow you to identify trends that captivate people’s interest. By being an early adopter, you can leverage these trends in your episodes, enhancing their discoverability and boosting engagement.
Conclusion
Podcast SEO is all about making your show discoverable to new listeners on search engines and podcast directories. As discussed, keywords play a crucial role as they appear throughout your titles, descriptions, transcripts, and much more. The effective use of keywords combined with the 11 tips we have provided above will help your podcast improve its discoverability and reach new heights of success.
Written by Kaitlin Duong
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Jony Studios is a content marketing agency specializing in B2B podcasting and audiobook services. They have worked with many clients, from small businesses to larger organizations such as Penguin Random House, Amazon, University of Waterloo, Freakonomics Radio, and many others.
