Did you know Google indexes podcasts? Find out how you can make your podcast appear higher in the search rankings.
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the quality of traffic to your website from the search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic and uses keywords to sort which websites will be shown for your given search.
So what about podcasts? Can SEO drive more traffic to your podcast?
Including keywords in your podcast, both in the recording and in the description, will boost the chances it will be discovered by individuals searching for similar content.
In 2019, Google announced podcasts would be indexed, meaning they would now appear in search results. Advancements in AI and language processing made it possible to translate verbalized keywords into ranking search results. It’s now more important than ever to utilize SEO—there are thousands of websites for search engines to crawl, and without it, your podcast will likely go unnoticed unless you already have a following.
Podcasting has exploded in popularity. According to a Forbes article from February 2021, 125 million people are expected to listen to an episode each month by 2022. If this is true, there will be 25 percent growth from 2020.
The popularity of podcasts lies in their convenience. Audiences can listen while doing anything; driving, cooking, cleaning, the list goes on and on. There are so many different types of podcasts now that there’s one for everyone, and many people find them to be informative and entertaining in a way that sets them apart from traditional news sources.
But podcasts aren’t just attracting your everyday listener—they are also becoming an increasingly popular way for entrepreneurs to launch their brands. Since they require minimal time commitment, podcasts are a great way to spread information about a brand and showcase knowledge. Not to mention, make money. Podcasters can make money through two primary sources of income: advertisements during the show and affiliate sales.
RAD CEO and Founder Josh Irons recently teamed up with Managing Director of First Steps Financial Alisa McCabe to start a new podcasting service, Smart Boss Media. Their service is designed to help business owners create memorable podcasts and amplify their message to a wider audience. Smart Boss Media will take over the technical and promotional aspects of podcasting to give entrepreneurs the ability to focus on being behind the mic—it’s ‘Podcasting in a Box for Bosses.’
Whether you already have a podcast or you are just starting out, these steps will help you gain the visibility you need to grow your audience:
- Identify your demographic
Who is your audience? How do they tune in? Where do they watch or listen to podcasts? You need to figure out what platform your podcast should be on before you start recording. - Create a website or add your podcast to an existing website
Although you don’t need a website to start your podcast, having one will benefit your search engine rankings. Websites make it easier for search engines to find your episodes and increase traffic to them.
A website can be useful in other ways as well. You could include background about yourself, start an email list for loyal listeners, and even add fun bonus content for fans of the podcast. - Written content for each episode
Adding keywords to the title, description, notes, and transcript will help Google and other search engines ‘read’ through your podcast. You will also want to add a new page for each episode so there are more opportunities for traffic, listeners, and a larger audience.
The keywords you use need to go in the right places:- Title of the episode
- Subheadings
- URL of the post
- Image file names
- Image ALT attributes
- Beginning and end-of-the-page content
- Keywords throughout your content.
- Link your podcast on social media
To have a successful podcast, you need to promote it on social media.
Having a large number of shares and comments on your social media platforms will help your podcast get noticed organically and increase traffic to your website. Google will see an increase in traffic and promote your podcast more in relevant search results. - Use metadata and tags
The meta description is an essential space for providing additional details about your podcast; it explains what your episode is about. This is helpful for both your audience and the algorithm. Tags help your SEO by sorting your podcast into a category or genre. You can add multiple relevant tags at a time. When you are doing this, think back to who your audience is and what they would be searching for. - Podcast transcripts
Audio transcripts provide a number of benefits for your podcast. Not only do they provide accessibility for people with hearing impairments, but they also improve comprehension for bilingual visitors. Many people love to watch movies and shows with subtitles because they can follow along better with the storyline. Transcriptions will also help with search engine optimization because they provide a significant increase in organic search traffic. According to a case study conducted by This American Life, a weekly public radio show broadcast, there was a 3.89 percent increase in inbound links directly from the transcript pages.
Ready to start a podcast and broadcast your message and your business to potential clients and promoters? Reach out to RAD today to chat about how podcasting can fit into your marketing plan!