Podcast SEO 101: How to Rank Higher

40% of podcast listeners use an in-app search bar to find new podcasts. The pattern is evident: if you would like extra attain, you’ll want to optimize your podcast for search.

One technique to get there’s with podcast SEO. Consider it as invisible levers you possibly can pull to spice up your rating and drive extra visitors to your podcast. 

On this submit, we’ll cowl the right way to optimize your podcast for Spotify, YouTube, and search — plus uncover the right way to discover nice subjects to your subsequent episode.

Desk of Contents

How to Optimize a Podcast for Spotify

How to Optimize a Podcast for YouTube

How to Optimize a Podcast for Search

How to Find Topics for a Podcast

The way to Optimize a Podcast for Spotify

Replace your present web page.

Each podcast on Spotify has a present web page. You may consider it as a touchdown web page to your podcast.

In line with Spotify, the aim of a present web page is to give listeners all the pieces they should find out about your podcast, together with:

• Its title
• Its cowl artwork
• Its present description
• A “Comply with” button
• An inventory of not too long ago printed episodes

The present web page is not one thing to hurry via — or depart to gather mud. Guarantee every component is up-to-date, correct, and as compelling as attainable.

Embody sub-topics in your present description.

Present descriptions are usually brief and concise, so you’ll want to make each phrase depend. To get an search engine marketing enhance, incorporate phrases or sub-topics that match what your potential viewers is trying to find. 

For example, the well being and wellness podcast Maintenance Phase consists of sub-topics like “well being fads,” “wellness scams,” and “diet recommendation” in its description. These are search groups that might lead somebody to the podcast. 

Entrance-load key data in your episode description.

Writing an episode description is one other technique to optimize your podcast, however many skip it. This house provides key phrase alternatives, which means you possibly can rank particular person episodes in search.

Just a few years in the past, Google started surfacing YouTube content material in search outcomes. For example, a fast Google search of “The way to have a breakthrough” populates an inventory of related movies — together with a video chapter from the Tony Robbins Podcast:

To point out up in search outcomes, begin by dividing your podcast into totally different sections, often known as video chapters. This creates a construction for Google to know your video.

It is not sufficient so as to add video chapters — you additionally must optimize them. The bottom line is including relevant keywords within the title of every chapter.

Within the video under, the first key phrase is “electronic mail advertising,” however, by leveraging video chapters, it additionally targets the key phrases electronic mail record and electronic mail segmentation.

Apart from the search advantages, video chapters additionally enhance consumer expertise. For example, have you ever ever skimmed a whole video to discover a explicit dialog or subject? By including chapters to your podcast, viewers have a roadmap to skip to the subjects that the majority curiosity them.

Create playlists.

In case your podcast covers a variety of subjects, think about making a playlist for every subject. Why? YouTube populates playlists in its search outcomes, giving your content material one other probability to be seen.

Playlists also can arrange your podcast library and ship viewers down a content material rabbit gap, encouraging them to spend extra time watching associated movies.

For instance, the Jay Shetty Podcast has numerous playlists on its YouTube channel, together with well being ideas, cash habits, and relationship recommendation. If you happen to’re considering one in all these subjects, you would spend hours listening to a single playlist.

Add the goal key phrase to your video’s file identify, title, and outline.

Earlier than hitting “Publish” in your subsequent YouTube video, be sure the next areas are optimized:

• The file identify. It’s best to first point out your major key phrase within the video’s file identify. This is why: YouTube cannot truly “watch” your video to see how related it’s, however it will possibly learn your video’s file identify, which is one (of many) context clues.
• Video title: When attainable, naturally incorporate your goal key phrase within the video title. On high of that, preserve your title clear, compelling, and brief (intention for 60 characters or much less).
• Video description. Entrance-load your video description with essentially the most essential data — reminiscent of a keyword-rich abstract, essential hyperlinks, or a CTA. Remember that YouTube solely shows the primary two or three sentences earlier than viewers must click on “Present extra” to see your complete description.

For example, if in case you have an entrepreneurial podcast like The Side Hustle Show, you may goal key phrases like “facet hustle,” “print on demand,” and “affiliate internet marketing.”

At all times embrace written content material for Google to index.

By no means skip out on writing a title or description for every podcast episode. Sure, it is time-consuming, nevertheless it offers Google one thing to “learn” and perceive in additional element. 

It is also a good suggestion so as to add a transcript to your podcast. Whereas Google’s text-to-speech capabilities are bettering, it is not all the time correct.

By including your personal transcript — both manually or routinely — Google can higher perceive the content material of your episodes. Plus, with the best subject, key phrases, and key phrase placement, you possibly can enhance your podcast’s discoverability and rating.

Create an internet site to your podcast.

Whereas this is not vital — particularly if you’re just starting out — having a devoted web site to your podcast has search engine marketing advantages. An internet site provides extra actual property for key phrases and provides serps extra details about your podcast past simply the title and outline.

You can even create weblog content material that compliments your podcast. This can be a nice technique to cross-promote throughout a number of channels and construct an even bigger following within the course of.

The way to Discover Matters for a Podcast

Whether or not you are just starting a podcast or have been within the recreation for years, it is important to search out good subjects to speak about.

Podcasts cowl a variety of topic issues. Listed below are the three principal sorts:

• Trending subjects — these are subjects that obtain higher-than-average consideration and engagement on social media. 
• Evergreen subjects — these are subjects with constant search demand and curiosity.
• Interviews — these are subjects that relate to an interviewee and/or their space of experience.

The way to Discover Trending Matters

One of the simplest ways to search out trending subjects is by checking what phrases, phrases, or tales are trending on social media. Twitter is a superb place to start out.

You can even leverage key phrase analysis instruments reminiscent of Google Trends, Moz, and Semrush to identify trending key phrases and gauge the recognition of sure subjects.

The way to Discover Evergreen Matters

Right here, the aim is to search out subjects which can be tailor-made to your viewers and obtain a specific function. For example, you could be an actual property investor trying to supply recommendation to new professionals within the discipline. 

This requires doing a deep dive into your viewers. What are their pursuits? Wants? Ache factors? These questions are key when discovering evergreen content material.

As well as, use a keyword research tool (like those listed above) to search out subjects referring to your area of interest, trade, or experience. At all times test to see if demand is constant or fluctuates all year long.

Again to You

As the recognition of podcasts continues to surge, so does the necessity to optimize them for max attain. Following the information above, you possibly can guarantee your podcast content material is correctly optimized for serps.