Did you know that there are over 5 million podcasts on Spotify alone?
In the bustling world of digital audio, making your podcast stand out is more crucial than ever. This is where the power of ‘SEO for podcasts’ comes into play.
In this article, we will share with you just how to make that happen with SEO for Podcasts.
In this article, we’ll dive into the essentials of SEO, tailored specifically for podcasters. From choosing the right keywords to leveraging your podcast episodes for enhanced web visibility, we’ve got you covered.
Table of Contents
Why SEO for Podcasts is so important.
Millions of people are tuning in to podcasts. Standing out is not just about great content, but also about being found.
SEO for podcasts is the beacon that guides your potential listeners through the huge list of available shows. By optimizing your podcast for search engines, you’re essentially putting your podcast in the spotlight for people looking for it.
This Search Engine Optimization ensures that when someone searches for content you’re providing, your podcast appears as a top result, significantly increasing the chances of new listeners discovering and engaging with your show.
The importance of SEO in podcasting is highlighted by an Edison Research study, which shows that web searches are a key way listeners discover new podcasts. This includes searches on platforms like Google, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Optimizing your podcast for search engines is crucial in making it visible to a vast audience actively seeking new content.
SEO for Podcasts
What To Do To Optimize Your Podcast
SEO for podcasts is the secret sauce that can make your podcast pop up in searches and grab more listeners. By not optimizing your podcast for SEO you are doing yourself and others a disservice. People who may love your podcast might never get to hear it because you never cared about implementing these simple SEO strategies. Follow these methods to optimize your podcast to give it the boost it deserves and make sure it lands in front of the right listeners.
1. Pick Podcast Keywords For Every Episode
When planning your podcast episodes start with keyword research.
A. This will help you come up with topic ideas.
B. You will have a better understanding of what information people actually want to know, and
C. When you include the keywords in your title and episode description you increase the chances of being found. People might not know of your podcast yet but searching for a particular topic you have talked about will bring them to you.
With SEO for podcasts, you can have people finding your podcast that have never even heard of you.
2. Optimize Podcast Title and Description:
Question. Have you done keyword research for your podcast as a whole? If you didn’t answer yes, stop what you are doing and do some keyword research!!!
We know that web search is the key way listeners discover new podcasts. So do keyword research and choose a keyword that best describes who your podcast serves. SEO for podcasts is such an underrated marketing technique, take the time to do this and let people find your podcast without ads or having to post on social media.
Look at the image below ‘Funny Podcast for women’ has 390 searches per month and a keyword difficulty of 15 (meaning it is easy to rank for). If you have a podcast that is funny and targets women, you can put that exact keyword in your podcast title, description, podcast website and anywhere else you can so that when these women are looking for a funny podcast to listen to your podcast pops up.
3. Optimize your Website:
Make a nice-looking website for your podcast. Check out this amazing website for the podcast Daring Made, this is the level I’m talking about. Having an SEO-optimized website for your podcast has significant advantages.
1. It enhances discoverability on search engines. With proper SEO practices, your podcast website can rank in search engines, making it easier for new listeners to find your podcast. Unlike being confined to podcast directories, a website gives you the control to optimize content, target specific keywords, and attract organic traffic.
2. Showcase and sell branded merchandise. Whether it’s t-shirts, mugs, or stickers adorned with your podcast logo or catchphrases, your website can host a shop that turns your brand into a tangible experience for fans. This not only helps in monetizing your content but also in building a community around your podcast.
3. Your podcast website can be a gateway for listeners to explore and purchase the business services you offer. Whether you’re a consultant, coach, or provide a specific service, your website can detail these offerings and how they can benefit your audience. It provides a seamless way for listeners to transition from engaging with your content to engaging with your business on a professional level.
4. Email Marketing Opportunities. Encourage visitors to sign up for newsletters on your website. This becomes a powerful tool for direct communication with your audience, allowing you to promote new episodes, merchandise, services, and any special offers directly to their inboxes.
4. Repurpose Your Podcast Content
To maximize your podcast’s SEO potential, repurposing your content into a blog post is a great strategy. Here’s how to do it effectively:
Transcribe your Podcast:
A lot of people transcribe their podcast episode and add it to their website. If you’re short on time to write an accompanying blog post to the podcast, this strategy is a good start. It gives you a text version of your content that search engines can index but doesn’t provide the best user experience.
Create a Keyword-Rich Blog Post:
A better approach is to write a blog post based on your podcast. Use relevant keywords and pull interesting quotes from your episode. This not only appeals to search engines but also provides value to your readers. We go into more detail on how to write a blog post from your podcast below.
Recording for Video Content:
Consider visually recording your podcast sessions. This footage can be used to create engaging video content, which can then be shared on platforms like YouTube.
Learn from the Best – Gary Vee’s Strategy:
Internet marketer and motivational speaker Gary Vee is a great example to follow. He often breaks down his longer podcast interviews into shorter clips, ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes. These highlights are more shareable and consumable on social media, increasing the chances of going viral. You can use AI tools such as Vidyo.ai for this.
How To Turn Your Podcast Into a Blog
Start with Keyword Research
1. What is a Keyword?
Keywords are the specific words or phrases that people type into search engines when they’re looking for information. Just like a librarian uses the subject of a book to help you find it, Google uses keywords to figure out what a webpage is about. This helps Google show your webpage to the right people who are searching for those words.
2. Tips for Choosing the Best Keywords:
When choosing keywords for your podcast blog, it’s important to align them naturally with your episode’s content. To find the right keywords, use tools like Google Keyword Planner, or Ubersuggest looking for words or phrases that are popular but not overly used in other podcasts. Give each episode its own special keyword, treating it like a unique story.
This approach helps align your podcast content with what your audience is searching for, enhancing discoverability and relevance
For tips on how to do keyword research using Semrush check out this article.
Transcribe your podcast
Use direct quotes from your podcast recording. Use AI technology to save you time and transcribe your podcast episode for you.
Here are some top-notch tools that can help you with transcription:
- Otter.ai: This tool is fantastic for automatic transcription. It’s user-friendly and quite accurate, making it a great choice for quickly turning your spoken words into written content. Learn more about Otter.ai.
- Podcastle: A unique tool that offers not just transcription services but also features for turning text into natural-sounding audio. It’s an excellent option for podcasters looking to repurpose content in creative ways. Explore Podcastle here.
- Descript: This is more than just a transcription service; it’s an all-in-one audio editing and transcription platform. It allows you to edit your podcast as easily as editing a doc, and its transcription features are top-notch. Discover more about Descript.
Write your Article
When writing the blog section for your podcast, it’s crucial to include certain elements that make for a good, engaging article:
- Engaging Introduction: Capture the reader’s attention from the start. Introduce the podcast episode’s theme and how it connects to the reader.
- Keyword Integration: Use your selected keyword effectively. It should appear naturally in the introduction, headings, and throughout the article.
- Quality Content: The article should provide value, be informative, and resonate with your audience. Use clear, concise language.
- Pull Quotes: Incorporate memorable or impactful quotes from your podcast. This adds authenticity and can highlight key moments or insights.
- Strong Structure: Organize the article with clear headings, subheadings, and short paragraphs. This enhances readability and engagement. Utilize the heading structure of H2 and H3 headings.
- Embed your Podcast Episode: Make sure to include an embed of your podcast in the blog episode to make it as easy as possible for the reader to start listening to your blog post. For WordPress Blog users you can add the Spotify block directly by, clicking on the + Block Inserter icon and searching for “Spotify”. Click it to add the block to the post or page.
- Conclusion: Wrap up with a summary or a call to action, encouraging readers to listen to the full podcast episode or engage further with your content.
- SEO Best Practices: In addition to keyword use, ensure the article follows SEO best practices. Start with a compelling title that includes your keyword and is within 60 characters, ensuring it’s clearly visible in search engine results. Also, craft a meta description that encapsulates the essence of your article in under 160 characters, embedding your keyword naturally. Adding descriptive alt text to images not only aids accessibility but also helps search engines understand and index your image content effectively. Lastly, weaving internal links to other relevant pages or blog posts on your website fosters a network of information that can keep readers engaged and improve your site’s SEO structure. Of course, use the parameters shown by SEO plugins Yoast or Rankmath. These plugins give clear instructions on what you should be doing to optimize your article for SEO.
- Visual Appeal: Include relevant images or infographics to break up text and add visual interest.
SEO for podcasts is key to getting your content in front of the right audience. Remember, it’s not just about creating great content, but also about making sure it’s found by those who will value it the most.
Need help with SEO for Podcasts?
Don’t let all your hard work creating a podcast go unheard. At Creative SEO Coach, we specialise in SEO for Podcasts. Check out our Showit SEO Services to see how we can assist you.
