Podcast SEO Guide: Rank Higher on Google
Did you know podcasts are now one of the fastest-growing forms of media?
And podcasting is one of the most effective tactics you could incorporate into your content strategy if you're running a small business — and it's also a lot of fun!
Even if you're not the most outspoken person, it's one of the coolest, most laid-back approaches to growing your business and getting your services in front of the right people — as long as you have something valuable to share with your listeners.
As an SEO consultant, I've worked with a lot of coaches and creatives who were looking to expand their reach with podcasting and other marketing efforts.
After being in the SEO space since 2016, I can tell you that most business owners don't see the true value of marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) for podcasts and implementing it into their content marketing ecosystem. When done correctly, you can see a significant jump in traffic from Google resulting in more listeners and improving their business as a whole.
Wondering how it all works?
This guide will help you master the art of making your podcasts shine on Google, but first, let's tackle a common misconception about podcast SEO.
Does SEO even matter for podcasts?
SEO absolutely does matter for podcasts if you want your episodes to be discovered by a wider audience! Audience growth is often dependent on how well your content ranks on search engines.
By using strategic keywords, transcriptions, and optimized titles, you're opening the door to more potential listeners alongside your regular followers.
Investing time in SEO means enhancing your podcast's online presence and tapping into a reservoir of listeners who might not have found you otherwise. Working with algorithms and leveraging the right SEO techniques, like transcribing shows and using targeted keywords, helps switch your podcast from “hidden gem” to a “must-listen” in no time.
Let's dig in a bit more into the specifics of podcast SEO best practices that you can easily incorporate into your marketing strategy.
Why You Should Ditch Your Show Notes
There are many specific reasons to ditch your podcast show notes, but here are some quick reasons why…
1. Only providing the audio content and an episode description doesn't allow people who would rather read the content access what's inside your episode.
Some people would rather listen, some only want to read.
It's best to give access to your content in different mediums.
2. Show notes don't help with SEO value.
SEO is important for getting your podcast content seen by people searching for those topics on Google. Since show notes are usually only 200-300 words, it's rare that they rank on search engines.
Adding quality blog posts to your website boosts your SEO by providing Google with quality content that it can read, store, and examine.
With the help of AI and many other tools, you can transform your audio content into a long form post on your website (not a direct transcription), which is a strategic way to get more eyes on your podcast content
3. Long form content keeps visitors on your website longer therefore improving your bounce rate.
Show notes don't provide much value and as I stated, not everyone wants to listen to podcasts from their computer (I know I don't).
If someone finds your website from Instagram or Pinterest and wants to consume the information that you cover on a podcast episode, they might be bummed to find that there wasn't more context about the episode.
Not to mention that longer form content allows you to link to more helpful pages on your website - such as other blog posts, podcast episodes, and important “money pages" that help to drive sales. This also helps bounce rate!
Not taking these 3 aspects into account are a massively missed opportunity I see among so many business owners who have podcasts.
If you've had a podcast for a few years, you have here hundreds or thousands of hours of content that is basically hidden from search engines.
Why let it go to waste when you can attract more listeners by ranking on Google who could convert into leads and sales?!
This is a topic that I'm super passionate about, which is why I have a specific lesson on podcast SEO inside my SEO course for Squarespace, Showit, and Wordpress users.
Keyword Research for Podcasts
First order of business is understanding what your audience is searching for through keyword research.
If you're not familiar with SEO, a keyword is simply a word or string of words that people are typing into the search bar.
This process of keyword research helps us discover the search terms potential listeners are using, which we can then incorporate into our podcast content and metadata.
Fortunately, we have access to various keyword research tools like Ubersuggest and Keywords Everywhere that can assist us in identifying the right keywords.
Next, think about your podcast's main topics and come up with keywords related to those topics — terms that we believe our audience would most likely search.
Pro tip: Explore long-tail keywords (a keyword made up of 3 words or more) as they're often less competitive.
Remember, it's not just about search volume and keyword difficulty (a metric of how competitive the keyword is); relevance is key. By focusing on what our listeners are genuinely interested in, we can attract a dedicated and engaged audience through search engines like Google.
This strategic approach will significantly boost your podcast SEO and make your content more discoverable to the people who matter most to you.
Make a list of all your keywords and store them in a spreadsheet.
Pro tip: Each keyword correlates with a specific episode - you don't want to use the same keyword for 2 different episodes.
Identify a primary keyword (typically higher search volume and the main topic of the episode) and secondary keywords that align with the primary keyword for each post.
Optimize Podcast Titles
Your podcast title serves as the first glimpse into your content, so be thoughtful here and keep SEO in mind at all times.
Incorporating the primary keyword into your title helps search engines understand the focus of your episodes and allows you to rank higher in search results.
A clear, compelling, and keyword-rich title can significantly enhance your visibility so that potential listeners click and engage.
A concise title captures attention immediately — another goldmine for podcast SEO.
Long-winded titles may bury the key focus, making it harder for search engines to highlight your podcast effectively.
To maximize searchability, limit titles to around 60 characters.
This ensures your main topic remains visible in search results, making it easier for potential listeners to find. Keep it clear, focused, and in alignment with your primary keyword.
Simple yet effective is the goal.
It's okay if your podcast episode (the one that shows up in Apple podcasts or Spotify) is more conversational and your SEO title for Google has more structure and is straightforward.
Here's an example for a social media strategist with the keyword “instagram story tips”:
Apple podcasts/Spotify title: My Instagram Stories Skyrocketed When I Changed This One Key Aspect
SEO Title: My Top X Instagram Story Tips to Boost Engagement and Sales
Most website builders give you the option of having 2 different titles like this.
And the perfect time to utilize these options is for your podcast!
Transcribe Your Audio for SEO
Your voice may sound like butter on the mic, but unfortunately that content is hidden on search engines.
Google needs to see the proof in the pudding — aka the words on the page — in order to crawl your website, which is why transcribing your podcast episodes is a game-changer for boosting visibility and search engine rankings.
Transcriptions also improve your podcast's accessibility and expand your reach to a wider audience.
Choose Accurate Tools
Selecting the transcription right tools is paramount and many of them offer free trials.
These tools range from basic speech-to-text applications to advanced software leveraging artificial intelligence. Ideally, we should lean towards tools that offer high transcription precision and require minimal editing efforts.
Be mindful to choose tools that not only fit your budget but also your content creation workflow. You could always check out their user reviews and case studies to determine whether or not they suit your needs.
After all, our goal is to optimize our content efficiently, right?
Some popular tools include:
The right tools empower you to produce top-quality transcriptions that help your podcasts stay competitive, accessible, and rank well on Google.
Transforming Show Notes into a Long Form Blog Post
Creating detailed blog posts from your audio content is essential for boosting your podcast SEO.
Like I mentioned above, it's time to ditch the show notes!
And in this section, I'm going to show you how :)
When done right, this kind of content serves as a bridge between your audio content and search engines, offering rich, keyword-optimized text that can attract new listeners.
Scared to get rid of the same show notes method that everyone is using for their podcast?
Rest assured, there are big name entrepreneurs and podcasters who have ditched their show notes.
My absolute favorite example so far is Jenna Kutcher's podcast - here's an example of a blog post style format.
I'm excited to dive deeper into how to enhance the SEO value of your podcast episodes while also improving the overall user experience.
Once you've got your episode audio transcribed, it's time to get it ready for Google!
Clean Up Your Transcripts
Since you want your blog post to read like a blog post, you want to remove any references in the transcript that read in an awkward way.
Here are some quick tips:
Remove filler words i.e. “um," “uh,” “so,” etc. (hopefully AI tools can help with this)
Remove any timely references i.e. “on today's show," “next week,” etc.
Remove any references to offers or promotions that are not evergreen
Add Subheadings to Highlight the Key Elements of Your Episode
First, identify the key points from each episode. What are the main takeaways that will catch your audience's eye?
These will become your Heading 2 (or H2) tags.
Highlighting the most valuable parts ensures your content is easily scannable, which boosts engagement and searchability.
For instance, if your episode covers how entrepreneurs can strengthen their business mindset - each tip should be a standalone heading.
Then the additional content can go below that in paragraph text.
Additional tips to spruce up your content's readability:
Use bullets, bolding, and/or italics
Keep paragraphs to 1-2 sentences
Incorporate Heading 3 tags if you want to break up your Heading 2 sections in more detail and provide further organization of that content
Sprinkle Your Primary Keywords in the Transcript Content
So, how can you make the most of your podcast's SEO with transcription?
ou do this with strategic keyword placement.
Using primary keywords effectively in your podcast content is incredibly important for ranking higher.
In addition to the primary keyword being included in the podcast SEO title, you also want to include it in these places:
First sentence or paragraph. Including the keyword towards the top of your post is important since it reiterates to Google what the main content of your post is about.
Throughout the content. This is where people get carried away. The best rule of thumb is to include your keyword every 200-250 words. So for a standard 1,000 word blog post, you would include your keyword 4-5 times. Including it more than that can come across spammy, which is a big “no-no” (see spammy examples here).
In a Heading 2 tag. Only do this if it can be included naturally. Don't force it.
In your conclusion. This is where you can naturally weave your keywords in as you summarize your post.
Strategically placing these keywords helps Google further associate your content with that keyword and enhancing the chances of your content appearing in search queries.
Remember, balance is key; make sure your keywords are prominent and relevant without the overstuffing.
Incorporate Your Secondary Keywords
After you've added in your primary keyword, now you can add in the secondary keywords.
Don't overthink this.
If you can only include 2-4 secondary keywords once or twice, that will suffice.
Time Saving Hack During Recording Process
Before you hit record, already have your primary keyword and secondary keywords mapped out.
That way, you can insert them into your script or outline ahead of time.
As you're speaking, it'll be easier to weave in your target keyword naturally throughout the conversation so you can make every word count in your transcripts. They key here is to be subtle but still incorporating it wherever feels relevant.
This will make the blog post optimizing process easier for you.
This might take some getting used to so don't worry about getting it perfect. Your main focus should be on producing engaging, valuable, and meaningful content that resonates with and retains your listeners. And you can always incorporate the keywords in after the audio has been transcribed.
Tips for Guest Interviews
For many of you reading this, you'll have guests on your podcast.
I recommend including no more than 1 quoted sentence per section of your post. The rest of the content should be the information they provided in a paraphrased way.
This allows you to feature direct quotes from your guests that you feel are really powerful, yet again, the rest of the content still reads as a blog post.
Again, Jenna Kutcher does a great job at this.
Add a Freebie or Lead Magnet
It's great to get new audiences from Google, but you have to think beyond that…
How can you convert them into a lead, customer or client?
By enticing them to sign up for your free offers i.e. your freebie or lead magnet.
Each post should have at least one link to a freebie. What I've found works best is to create a graphic that you can insert into the middle of your blog post that links out to the opt in page.
This graphic should tease what the freebie is by including the title and some kind of visual - whether it's screenshots or a mockup of some sort.
You'll see that I include one in this post!
Having this strategic lead capture allows you to grow your email list, which is where you can create a more personal relationship with them and make more sales.
Add Relevant Links
Add any relevant links directly in the content itself.
Then you can add any other links worth mentioning at the bottom of your blog post.
Here are common links you'll want to add:
Previous episodes that relate to your new episode
Articles or external resources you've sourced in your content
Freebie or lead magnet
Your “money pages” - services or sales pages that promote your paid offers
Book recommendations you've mentioned
Your guests' websites or social media handles
These links not only provide added value to your listeners but also signal to search engines that your content is backed by research. It's a great way to add credibility to your brand.
Remember to use descriptive anchor text for your links. This further optimizes the content by providing context about the linked page.
Interlinking your podcast episodes can keep listeners engaged with your content for longer periods, boosting your site’s overall SEO performance.
So, go ahead—make every link count and watch your podcast rise in the search rankings!
Writing Effective Meta Descriptions
Providing a detailed meta description of each podcast episode is a must.
Make sure to keep the meta descriptions clear, concise, and compelling to drive more clicks and listens from Google.
Meta descriptions should read as a full sentence or two, and be less than 155 characters. Anything more will truncate in the Google search results.
A well-crafted description does more than just improve SEO; it gives listeners a preview of what's in store and a reason to click play and listen to the entire episode.
Other Methods of Promoting your Podcast
You can always consider other forms of podcast episode promotion besides SEO — in fact, it's encouraged!
Consistently promoting your podcast across several platforms ensures that even new listeners have a chance to discover older episodes and stay tuned in.
You can go the extra mile and plan promotional campaigns that include special guest appearances, behind-the-scenes content on your social media accounts, and interactive sessions with listeners so your podcast and brand remain in the spotlight.
Here's how.
Leverage Social Media
Social media is undoubtedly one of the most popular promotional tools you can have in your back pocket (literally), so definitely take advantage of this for your podcast!
You can do this effectively by sharing episodes, snippets, and behind-the-scenes content to encourage listener interaction.
Use hashtags, tags, and partnerships to broaden your reach even further; collaboration with influencers can also amplify your efforts.
Remember, “engagement” beats “broadcast” when it comes to building a loyal following.
Social media scheduling apps can help keep your promotional efforts consistent and timely. Sharing sneak peeks or memorable quotes from episodes are fantastic ways to maintain excitement and anticipation among our audience.
Keep Episode Clips Short.
Nowadays, social media thrives on bite-sized content and short clips are perfect for this. These clips can serve as teasers for listeners to tune into the full episode.
Share them on your Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or whichever platform your business thrives on the most, to capture attention and direct traffic to your podcast.
Not only do clips help in grabbing listener interest, but they also provide excellent opportunities for keyword optimization. Use captions and descriptions with relevant keywords to enhance discoverability.
Clips can be viewed as appetizers — once people have a taste, they'll come back for the main course.
Engage with Listeners.
Creating meaningful connections with your audience establishes trust and loyalty — full stop.
When listeners feel like they're part of your show, they’re more likely to become repeat listeners and share your content with others.
Encourage them to join the conversation by asking for their opinions, holding Q&A segments, or even inviting some on-air for live interactions and interviews.
Make it easy to engage with you — sort of like they're talking to an old friend ;). It's fun for all parties involved.
Also, don't forget to respond to whatever questions, concerns, or even words of encouragement they have. Responding shows you value their input — it’s a win-win.
This two-way communication forms strong, genuine bonds and fosters a sense of community. It also provides you with invaluable feedback to continually improve and adapt your content.
Trust me, your audience will remember you for this!
Analyzing Podcast SEO Metrics
Alright, so you've optimized your podcast, but now you're probably wondering, “what are my stats”?
As an SEO consultant for creative small business owners, I get this question a lot. This is where analytics come into play.
Analytics help identify what episodes have fully optimized blog posts and which ones need further work.
You should 100% be utilizing Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which are both free tools. Google Analytics shows you traffic and demographic data, whereas Google Search Console shows you the episodes that are getting the most clicks from Google.
By understanding what podcast episodes are getting the most clicks and what keywords you're ranking for, you can fine-tune your content and marketing efforts. Regularly reviewing these insights empowers you to make the best decisions, driven completely by data.
Furthermore, using analytics in conjunction with the SEO strategies I've mentioned means you can more accurately target your audience.
Looking for 1:1 support to get your podcast content ranking high on Google so you can grow your email list on autopilot and be visible to your ideal audience 24/7?
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