In the world of podcasts, standing out isn't just about having a captivating voice or an interesting story (although those things do help). It's also about making sure people can actually find your podcast in the vast ocean of the internet.
That's where SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, comes into play.
Imagine SEO as a giant spotlight that guides listeners directly to your episodes, shining brighter than the rest. But how do you turn on this spotlight for each episode page on your website? It's not about flipping a switch; it's about being smart and strategic with your content.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the nitty-gritty of SEO optimization for your podcast. From show notes to meta descriptions and beyond, we've got you covered with simple, straightforward strategies that can make a huge difference. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, these tips will help ensure your episodes aren't just whispers in the digital wind. Let's make your podcast the one that gets heard.
Step One: Create a Podcast Website
Before you can drive traffic to your episode pages, you need somewhere for that web page to live. Fortunately, Podpage makes creating your own podcast website easy and quick.
If you have an existing website—and you want to keep all of your content in one place—you should at least have a separate page to separate your podcast from everything else.
Either way, each podcast episode should have its own page. This will allow the search engine algorithms to see that you've created in-depth content centered around a niche topic or keyword. Now, let's help potential listeners find it!
Step Two: Optimize Your Show's Description
Your show's description will show up on every platform where you post your podcast, so this is likely the first thing that your audience will see. Be sure to give them an enticing (yet accurate) idea of what to expect, including episode frequency, topics, ideal audience, and why they should listen to you.
This is where you should be using your broadest keyword. For example, if you're a gardener focusing on growing your own food in a budget-friendly way, you may want to target the keyword "budget homesteading" or "how to grow your own food." Note that your keyword is different from the name of your podcast.
Step Three: Submit Your RSS Feed
Submit your podcast's RSS feed to Google Podcast Manager so it can start indexing your content in its database.
While Google will (eventually) find your site on its own, submitting the RSS feed manually will reduce the amount of time this takes.
Step Four: Optimize Each Episode Page
SEO isn't something that you can do once and hope to achieve results. After all, whether or not people can find your podcast through Google has a direct effect on the success of your show.
Instead, SEO needs to be baked in at every step. Even when planning out your podcast editorial calendar, you should be thinking about what keywords to use that will gain the most traffic.
Speaking of keywords, this is a step that requires research. Don't just pick what you would search. Use Google Search Console and other SEO tools to locate what other people are searching.
SEO for a podcast episode page is a lot like doing SEO for a blog post. Instead of a 1,000-word article, you have show notes. Think of show notes as a billboard for each episode. The stuff you do here will tell listeners as well as search engine crawlers why they should listen to you.
Here are the basics of what to include in each episode's show notes:
- Focus Keyword - Make sure your focus keyword shows up a few times, not just in the show notes, but in the episode title, the URL, and at least one header.
- Internal & External Links - Include links to and from other pages within your site as well as links to other reputable sources on the same topic. If you can, you should also get a backlink to your podcast episode page from somewhere else. (Know any other good podcasters?)
- Alt Text - If you have any images on your episode page, update the alt text to describe the image. Include your focus keyword, if you can.
- Meta Description - The meta description is the little snippet of your page that will show up on Google's search engine results page (SERP). This should be engaging to grab the reader's attention!
- Time Stamps - They're more than a convenience for your listeners. Time stamps help boost your site's SEO, as Google sees this as a feature that listeners love.
Step Five: Transcribe Your Podcast
Google is getting better at indexing audio files, but that future is still some ways away. Until then, the best way for those search engine crawlers to determine what your podcast is about is to read about it.
If you have the time, ability, or tools to do so, adding a transcription to your podcast can go a long way toward boosting your SEO. Not to mention, it makes your show more accessible for those who may not be able to listen to an audio file. However, it can be much easier to read by repurposing the information into a blog post.
This means that your content doesn't have to match your podcast word-for-word. As long as it contains the same basic information, you're golden! (Plus, you can get rid of all those awkward "ums" and "ahs".
Step Six: Post To Multiple Platforms
Even if you have a favorite podcast platform, your listeners might have a different one. Cast a wider net by submitting it to multiple platforms!
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember about SEO is that it isn't a one-time magic spell. It's more like gardening. Plant the seeds with your episode titles, nourish the soil with quality content, and make sure each page gets plenty of sunlight by using the right keywords and descriptions. Over time, your efforts will grow.
Don't let the technical bits scare you off! All of Google's algorithm changes are an attempt to do one thing: put valuable content in front of the people who want to see it. Focus on creating an interesting, informative show, and you've already dont most of the work.
Your podcast has something unique to offer, and there's an audience out there eager to listen. By fine-tuning your SEO strategies for each episode page, you're not just boosting your online presence; you're ensuring that your voice reaches the ears it's meant to. So, go ahead, shine that SEO spotlight on your podcast, and watch your audience grow. The stage is set, the mic is on, and it's your time to be heard.
