Maximizing Your Podcast SEO: 6 Tactics for Improving Clicks, Listenership, and Subscribers
Updated: Mar 21
Improving your podcast SEO can significantly improve your podcast clicks, listenership, and subscribers.
So what is SEO?
SEO stands for 'search engine optimization.' Your goal with SEO is to ensure the words you use online help you get found on search engines - like Google!
How do search engines work?
Search engines work by navigating billions of web pages online. These search engines use tools (creepily called 'spiders' and 'crawlers') to 'crawl' throughout the web. They then follow links to find new pages.
Once they find a new page, they index it, analyzing, organizing, and storing it to be searched more efficiently.
Once a webpage is indexed, the webpages are ranked based on a specific user query. Every brand's goal is to rank higher than competitors in the searches their target listener would search for.
For example, let's say you're a yoga studio owner in San Francisco, California. Your goal is to be ranked #1 in the google search for keyword or keyphrase searches such as "yoga studio san Francisco" or "yoga San Francisco."
How can SEO help my podcast?
For a podcast, there are a multitude of SEO opportunities. But you have to do some legwork to make it happen.
Here's why.
As of now, search engines do not index audio. Meaning search engines do not "listen" to your audio content. Unfortunately, this means search engines, on their own, can't help people find your podcast.
Which is why writing about your podcast is so important. Everything you write about your podcast should be SEO-driven.
Search engines and listening platforms.
It's not just online search engines that index your podcast. Listening platforms do so, as well. Therefore, investing in SEO efforts helps rank your podcast higher in listening platforms, as well.
Here are six ways to rank your podcast higher:
1. Select an optimized podcast name.
Since the average podcast name is 29 characters or less (which is what we recommend!), you want to be sure your podcast name is well thought out. So get specific on a podcast name, and choose words that aren't too broad.
For example, let's say you are a nutritionist and want to create a podcast about nutrition. We don't recommend you use the title The Nutrition Podcast. You don't want to pick a topic too broad that is exceptionally competitive.
Instead, get more specific. Who is your target listener? If it's for vegans who want to find inspiration to live more vegan, name it something along the lines of Plant-Based Inspired Life.
Still looking for your podcast niche? We can help! Click here to discover your podcast niche today.
2. Make a dedicated podcast website.
Ideally, this website is something that you own. Yes, you do usually create a webpage through your podcast host.
But there's a huge benefit to owning your website, as well. Firstly, your podcast owns more real estate when you have both web pages.
But also, you can personalize your own podcast website a lot more. You can also add more content than a standard podcast host's webpage would have for your podcast.
3. Use ubersuggest by Neil Patel.
Here you can find trending topics that are currently being searched for. Ultimately this will help you choose topic ideas for podcast episodes that potential listeners are searching for.
4. Optimize your episode title.
Your episode title should be rich with keywords your target listener is searching for. Examples might be "vegan diet" or "plant-based recipes." You can use a platform like Google Keyword Planner to find well-searched keywords but also low in competition. It's key to being found!
5. Optimize show notes.
Show notes are the descriptions that appear under each episode and are also indexed by listening platforms. Many podcasters throw this step away, not realizing the potent power of your show notes. Like your episode title, you should choose the right keywords and phrases that speak to your target audience.
And if you've started a dedicated website for your podcast, consider adding a version of your show notes to your webpage as a blog article. Include a transcription of the entire episode, meaning your full episode is essentially indexed.
Your show notes have a longer shelf life than you may realize! So re-purpose them not only for your blog but also for your social content. Talk to us today about our copywriting show notes services.
6. Interview guests with large platforms.
One of the fastest ways to grow your audience is by using the power of existing platforms. So try to interview guests that have a larger platform than yours.
This works in two ways: first, the guests will (hopefully) share your episode on their platforms. Secondly, when a listener searches for podcast episodes featuring the guest, your episode will appear, and new listeners to tune in.
If you're interested in Brave Moon Podcasts helping you optimize your SEO, chat with us today! We can help you write show notes, transcribe your podcast, and more.