SEO for Podcasts: An Expert’s Guide

Reach potential customers or clients with your own SEO podcast strategy. Custom audio content, when done properly, delights listeners. Delighted listeners become interested clients, devoted fans, and enthusiastic champions of their favorite shows.

Sound appealing? I’m an expert on podcasting and content marketing. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your content for podcast listeners.

This site already discussed the best live podcast episodes. Now we’re digging into how to use audio to build your brand.

Not sure about SEO podcasts and corporate branded podcasts? These recorded audio files work in conjunction with a larger content marketing strategy.

They allow listeners to subscribe to specific podcasts and listen at their convenience. Check out the major podcast providers (Apple, Spotify, etc.), or download podcast player apps with engaged listener bases. . . and integrate them with your content marketing strategy. If you want to produce NPR-quality podcasts, your first focus should always be the quality of your content.

After that, there are several ways to optimize your podcast for search engine optimization purposes. Here’s what you need to know about podcast SEO techniques.

Podcast SEO Tips

This guide covers how podcasts impact SEO, the best practices for podcasting, and the tools you’ll need to make sure your podcast gets discovered. There are many different types of podcasts available, so it’s important that you understand what kind of podcast will work best for your business.

The most common type of podcast might be interview-based shows. These one-on-one conversations talk about all sorts of topics, and they can help you position your team as thought leaders in your niche. Panel-discussion podcasts work in a similar way. With a host and several guests, you set your audience up for expert insights from multiple sources. Of course, both types of shows can work for an SEO podcast. Choose one that entertains, informs, or highlights your expertise as a brand.

How Podcasts Impact SEO

In 2018, more than 1 billion podcast episodes found listeners each month. Experts expected 50% growth the following year, and we don’t see these numbers falling anytime soon. Even with layoffs at Spotify, Podcast audiences continue to burn through shows at unprecedented levels. And why wouldn’t they? These ad-supported audio episodes don’t cost listeners anything but their time. If you want to capture some of that sweet, sweet podcast value, you’ll need to optimize your show for new types of search engines.

Done correctly, a corporate podcast contributes to much larger consumer-facing marketing strategies.

Why Use Audio Content for SEO?

Your marketing team already creates valuable content for your customers, right? And, if you haven’t missed the boat on video, you’re likely already making content for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. So why wouldn’t you expand your focus to audio content? This format provides a deeper benefit for content marketers. Once you record an episode, you can transcribe it and duplicate the use for blog posts and videos. That’s three birds with one stone. Nice.

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SEO Podcast Best Practices

Like a good book, corporate podcasts are meant to be read from cover to cover. You’ll get more out of them if you listen to them in order rather than jumping around. So create your concepts the same way you’d write a book. And always remember your target keywords. You can use tools like Ahrefs’ keyword explorer for help on what to cover.

Here’s what else to do for search engine optimization of your podcast episodes.

Include transcripts for each podcast episode

Transcripts are one of the most important elements of podcasts because they provide context and understanding to listeners. They help people understand what you’re talking about and why it matters. Transcripts are also useful for SEO purposes because they allow you to include keywords throughout the transcript itself. You can use keywords in the description, tags, and even the audio file. This should be the foundation of your text-based podcast content. . . including blog posts and show notes.

Pick relevant SEO podcasts keywords for all episode titles

Pick relevant podcast keywords for each podcast episode. This helps make sure your show is found by people searching for specific topics. For example, if you’re discussing how to build a WordPress site, you might want to add “WordPress,” “web design,” and “website building.” These keywords could come up in different places within the show, such as the intro, outro, interview questions, and callouts.

Use those relevant keywords for podcast SEO

Use relevant search terms during podcast episodes. Make sure you use those same keywords in your podcast descriptions, metadata, and even the audio files themselves. If someone searches for your podcast title or the title of individual episodes, chances are they’ll find your show if you’ve included the keyword in the podcast description. This will help drive organic traffic from your target audience.

Your keyword phrase might change from episode to episode, but that’s ok! You’ll find organic search traffic with your podcast transcriptions. Just make sure to use your target keyword in the show. Potential audience interests make good focus keywords. Tweak your SEO podcast strategies around where you find the most traction. 

Book relevant guests for every podcast episode

Book relevant guests for every podcast. Expert guests provide essential benefits for a successful podcast. When picking guests, think about whether they’d fit into your niche and what they know. Also, consider whether they’d be a good fit with your audience and how they may draw potential podcast listeners to your show.

Strong guests will also create their own social media posts, which are quality content and reliable inbound links. Remember, this is the foundation of your community and can lead to organic link-building strategies across various social media accounts. 

Summary of SEO for Podcasts

There are many different ways you can optimize your podcast for SEO purposes. This guide covers everything you need to know about optimizing podcasts for search engines. The most important thing? Always consider your potential listeners. If they’re interested, you should be talking about it!

Podcast SEO Tips

  1. Create SEO Podcasts Content with Quality Guests and Topics
  2. Include Keywords In Titles & Episode Descriptions
  3. Use Tags To Improve Discoverability on Every Podcast App
  4. Create A Good Description For Each Episode
  5. Optimize Images for Search Traffic
  6. Promote Your Podcast On Social Media Channels
  7. Make Sure You Have A Contact Page for the Podcast Host
  8. Schedule Regular Updates to Maintain Search Rankings
  9. Tweak Your Podcast SEO Strategy Based on Performance
  10. Grow Your Audience By Sharing With Other Platforms
  11. Get Started Today!

You’ve heard me talk about podcasting before, but have you ever wondered what exactly goes into making one great episode? And more importantly, how does it affect your ranking? It’s time to start taking advantage of podcasting as a medium for business. With these tips from my experience, you’ll be able to create a successful podcast within no time.

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