Getting your podcast to show up in search engines takes some work and know-how.
Fortunately, we have a few proven SEO tips (how about eight?) that will help your podcast rise up the ranks of Google Search and reach new audiences.
1. Submit Your Podcast to Directories
When you submit your podcast to the largest directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, etc. your podcast is accessible to millions of new listeners. And because Google values online mentions, this will help your podcast increase visibility in Google Search
Find podcast directories, as well as blog directories, for submitting your podcast.
Here’s a list of the most popular podcast directories to help you get started!
2. Create a Website for Your Podcast
A website for your podcast allows you to create more content and context surrounding the podcast. And this is discoverable by search engines. Publish a new blog post for each episode.
Google will recognize your fresh content, and this will help to boost your ranking.
You can use your website to build an email list with a newsletter and keep your listeners up-to-date.
3. Include Transcripts on your Website
Transcripts will often automatically include your keywords and topics, so that can immediately help search engines discover your content.
Not only that, but transcripts are a great way to give you more depth within your content; some people do better by reading than listening, and many people like to go back and find information again.
✨ Learn how to to transcribe your podcast for free.
4. Get Keyword Savvy
Google uses keywords to understand what a webpage is about, so know which keywords make sense for your content — and use them!
Use these tips when choosing keywords:
- Choose a logical keyword to accompany your episode’s content.
- When possible, choose a keyword with a high search volume and low competition.
- Include your keyword in your podcast’s title, as well as in the body copy a few times, and as an alt title for any images in the post.
- Use a different keyword for each episode.
If you need ideas, sometimes a simple Google Search can help you understand how people are searching for topics related to your podcast and episodes.
Or you can try performing keyword research using free tools to help you understand the most popular keywords that are relevant to your episodes.
5. Ask for Reviews
Positive reviews and high ratings will allow you to rank higher in Google search.
You can hope your die-hard fans will think of reviewing you all on their own, or you can take matters into your own hands — and ask for reviews!
Don’t overwhelm your listeners with the ask, but tell your listeners that if they’re enjoying your content, you’d appreciate a review.
Don’t forget the power of social media in discoverability – this includes YouTube. Did you know that search engines take your posts — and people’s interactions on them — into account when ranking your website?
Active social media accounts that link to your podcast content can help improve your SEO.
How? Social helps amplify and increase awareness for your podcast and episodes.
The more listeners that discover and love you content, the higher the chances that someone will link back to you which will help you rank higher in Google Search. For more tips on utilizing social media to grow your podcast’s listener base, check out the video below! https://youtu.be/mqb-m8VZS3I
Meta descriptions tell your readers (and Google) what the page is about. But since they’re so short, you have to be strategic in how to use them.
Include your keyword at the beginning of the description (when possible), and make your description enticing and clickable.
Explain what the episode is about, and be sure to do it in a way that is both informative and eye-catching.
8. Optimize Your Titles
Your titles need to immediately convey what the episode is about so that your listeners will feel enticed to click on and play your episode.
The more popular your episode is, the higher your podcast can rank. But the title also needs to include your main keyword for your podcast episode so that Google will pay attention to you.
If all the tips seem overwhelming to use at once, focus on one at a time, and you’ll gradually improve your SEO for your podcast. But never sacrifice quality for SEO.
