Podcasts are never a good opportunity for “winging it.” Instead, the best and most polished podcasts are planned well in advance, taking the time to get every detail right.
If you’ve spent any time researching ways to create the most compelling podcast content, you’ve probably heard about keyword research and content planning but were confused about how to make it work for you.
At Podpage, we’re all about finding ways to make successful podcasting accessible to everyone, so we’ve put together a guide for how to use keyword research to create a content calendar that helps you get the most out of your podcast.
Why This Step Is Important
Content planning is more than just a way to overcome “podcaster’s block.” It’s a vital part of creating high-quality content that listeners can’t wait to download.
Planning your podcast content in advance gives you plenty of time to book guests, write scripts, and research your topic. Even if your podcast is more “conversational” and less “educational,” having some idea of what you’re going to talk about will keep your podcast fresh and your listeners engaged.
This is also the ideal time to think about SEO for your podcast. SEO (or search engine optimization) helps get your podcast in front of the eyes that are actually interested in what you have to say.
However, SEO isn’t a single step in the process of posting your podcast; it needs to be considered right from the beginning. Here’s an overview of how to plan out your podcast editorial calendar with SEO in mind.
1. Brainstorm Ideas
Start by taking a deep dive into your niche to come up with topics that listeners would be interested in. (This is why it’s so crucial to define your target audience!) At this point, no idea is a bad idea, as long as it fits into your podcast category.
If you’re coming up blank, ask ChatGPT for some words and phrases related to your niche. This can sometimes spark some ideas. You can also look at things your competitors are covering. Look for trending or popular topics but don’t just copy what others are doing. Put your own unique spin on them.
Still stuck? Check out our article, “50 Podcast Topic Ideas” for more help.
If you’ve been podcasting for a while, don’t forget to search past episodes to make sure you haven’t covered this topic already. (Podpage’s Episode Search feature makes this easy!)
2. Keyword Research
Now that you have some topic ideas, it’s time to find a keyword for each episode.
A keyword is a word or phrase users type into a search engine to find what they’re looking for (hopefully, your content). However, finding the right keyword can be tricky.
Use a keyword research tool such as Semrush or Ahrefs to gather important data about how much traffic a keyword gets as well as how hard it will be to rank for that keyword. Ideally, you want your keyword to get a good amount of traffic without too much competition.
“Perfect” keywords (i.e. those with high traffic and low difficulty) aren’t always easy to find for every single topic, so don’t worry if you can’t find one. Just pick the best one you can.
Once you have a good keyword for that topic, make a note of it, as you’ll want to incorporate it into your episode title, episode description, show notes, and blog posts.
3. Create a Podcast Editorial Calendar
It’s a good idea to have a podcast editorial calendar to help you plan out topics and decide which episode will be posted and when. Planning in advance ensures that you have plenty of time to cover the topic well.
A good spreadsheet can keep you organized so you can see your entire year at a glance. Google Docs is free, easy to use, and stores all your information on the Cloud so you can work from any device.
Then, think about when you’re going to post each episode and work backwards from there. Some podcasters start by planning seasonally so their episodes coincide with certain holidays. Others might simply need extra time to find and book a guest.
Think about how long it takes you to record and edit each podcast episode as well. You don’t want to be scrambling to get it done at the last minute.
4. Optimize Your Content
After you’ve recorded your podcast, you want to optimize the episode page on your Podpage site to make sure search engines can find it. This is a crucial step at increasing podcast website traffic!
You can use Podpage’s Search Optimization Tools as a checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the bases. The Advanced SEO Analysis tab uses an easy-to-understand color code to quickly notify you about areas of improvement.
5. Track Analytics
Think your work is done once you’ve posted your content? Think again!
You should take time to revisit your episodes after they’ve been live for a few months. Which sites are getting traffic and engagement? Which are languishing in obscurity? This is all information that you can use to improve your podcast moving forward.
If you haven’t already, set up Google Analytics and add the tag to your Podpage website so you can view your podcast analytics and track traffic to your site in one spot.
Conclusion
Creating a strong editorial calendar requires foresight and planning, but it’s necessary if you want your podcast to succeed.
And by infusing every step of the process with SEO tips, you’ll give each episode the best chance of increasing your audience and growing your platform.
With Podpage, you’ll not only have an easy-to-manage podcast website, you’ll have access to our most helpful features that make podcasting an absolute breeze.
