In this episode, we are exploring the world of podcast SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and its importance in expanding your reach and the success of your show. We're looking at what is podcast SEO and why it's important, the basics of general SEO concepts, applying some tactics at both the show and episode level, advanced SEO strategies and some common mistakes to avoid. 

Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or starting your journey, understanding and implementing podcast SEO strategies can make a difference to your discoverability and growing your audience. However, always top of mind - create your content for people first, algorithms second.

 

Links:

Episode 36 Podcast Analytics: How to Understand and Use Your Data to Grow Your Show

Episode 34 The Importance of Audio Quality & Tips to Enhance your Podcast

Connect with Lyndal Harris:

Book a free Discovery Call with Lyndal

Connect with Lyndal on Instagram @podcastva

Connect with Lyndal on LinkedIn

Follow Podcast VA on Facebook

Join the Australian Podcasters Collaborative Facebook Community

Visit Podcast VA Website

Podcasting Tips & Tricks is a show designed to share quick, actionable tips and tricks for launching and growing a successful podcast and is aimed at both new and seasoned podcasters. We'll cover a range of topics from launching, equipment and software, audience growth, marketing, monetising, industry news, trends and lots more.

Podcast awareness and listenership are growing year-on-year so it's no surprise that it is still growing in 2024. And now is a great time for small business owners and entrepreneurs to launch a podcast to raise brand awareness and position their expertise whilst building authority and trust.

I'm Lyndal Harris, Podcast Consultant and founder of Podcast VA where my team and I simplify the podcasting journey. I'm Lyndal Harris, Podcast Consultant and founder of Podcast VA where my team and I simplify the podcasting journey. We offer a variety of done-for-support services, online and in-person training, as well as strategy sessions and health checks. At Podcast VA, we have launched hundreds of podcasts for both Australian and international clients, who collectively captivate millions of listeners worldwide. And quite a number of these shows have hit number 1 in the charts! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Register your interest

Click below to register your interest in joining online networking events for Australian podcasters

Speaker: 00:00:14

Hello, and welcome back

to another episode.

2

: 00:00:17

I am your host, Lyndall Harris.

3

: 00:00:18

And this podcast is brought to

you by Podcast VA, where we help

4

: 00:00:22

simplify your podcasting journey.

5

: 00:00:25

Today, we are talking about podcast SEO or

search engine optimization for podcasts.

6

: 00:00:33

, understanding the basics of SEO

is a really important factor

7

: 00:00:37

that can help with your reach

and the success of your podcast.

8

: 00:00:41

So this episode is for you, whether

you are a seasoned podcaster or you're

9

: 00:00:45

just starting out on your journey,

and you want to learn a little bit

10

: 00:00:48

more about how to implement podcast

SEO strategies that can make a

11

: 00:00:53

difference in growing your audience.

12

: 00:00:56

We're going to look at what exactly

is podcast SEO and why it's important.

13

: 00:01:02

We're also going to take a step back

and talk a little bit more about general

14

: 00:01:05

SEO and search engine optimization,

15

: 00:01:09

how you can apply podcast SEO

tactics to your show with some simple

16

: 00:01:14

strategies as well as some of the

more advanced techniques as well.

17

: 00:01:19

And then we're going to wrap up

with some common mistakes to avoid

18

: 00:01:22

when it comes to your podcast SEO.

19

: 00:01:26

So what exactly is podcast SEO?

20

: 00:01:30

Basically it's steps to

optimize your podcast.

21

: 00:01:33

So it's more discoverable to potential

listeners through search engines like

22

: 00:01:38

Google and podcast directories like

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

23

: 00:01:44

And it involves strategies that'll help

your podcast show up in these search

24

: 00:01:48

results when someone is looking for that

content related to your topic or niche.

25

: 00:01:54

And you might be wondering,

well, why is that important?

26

: 00:01:57

, most listeners will search for new

podcasts using keywords or phrases.

27

: 00:02:03

And a lot of people are searching

in the podcast apps, as well

28

: 00:02:07

as on Google or search engines.

29

: 00:02:10

And if your podcast is optimized

for these phrases, it obviously

30

: 00:02:14

increases your chances of increased

traffic, more subscribers, and

31

: 00:02:19

ultimately reaching a wider audience.

32

: 00:02:22

And remember that there are millions

of podcasts available on the different

33

: 00:02:26

directories now, so discoverability

is more important than ever.

34

: 00:02:31

And some of these strategies are

really simple steps that you

35

: 00:02:34

can build into your production

workflow, that will become.

36

: 00:02:38

Second nature and others are some more

advanced steps that you can take to

37

: 00:02:43

really spend some time working on the

podcast strategies to grow your show.

38

: 00:02:49

Before we get into the specifics of

the podcast SEO strategies, I just want

39

: 00:02:54

to take a step back for a minute and

get a picture of what SEO or search

40

: 00:02:59

engine optimization really means,

especially for those of you that might

41

: 00:03:03

not be familiar with this concept.

42

: 00:03:06

Basically, SEO involves a series of

actions that are aimed to improve

43

: 00:03:12

your visibility of your website

or your content in search engines.

44

: 00:03:17

And the goal there is to really get

yourself up high on the search results.

45

: 00:03:22

Because if you think about the way

you use search engines, do you ever

46

: 00:03:25

click over to page three or four?

47

: 00:03:28

So really your SEO strategies are

about getting yourself up higher

48

: 00:03:33

in the search results for what

people are actually looking for.

49

: 00:03:37

And the magic of SEO really is in using

the specific keywords or phrases that

50

: 00:03:44

people are using and then optimizing your

content so that the search engines find

51

: 00:03:50

that when someone puts a query into it.

52

: 00:03:53

So that's some general information

about SEO, but if we translate

53

: 00:03:57

that now into podcasting,

54

: 00:04:00

podcast SEO uses the same

principles, but tailors them

55

: 00:04:05

more around your audio content.

56

: 00:04:07

And really targets the podcast directories

or platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

57

: 00:04:11

YouTube, and the other directories.

58

: 00:04:15

So these platforms actually have their own

unique algorithms that work differently

59

: 00:04:20

to the search engines and how they will

rank and display podcasts for people

60

: 00:04:25

who are searching for new content.

61

: 00:04:29

I know for me, when I think about SEO

for my website, I get a little bit

62

: 00:04:33

nervous wondering if I've got everything

set up and I'm doing things properly.

63

: 00:04:38

so I'm going to break down what some

of these elements are into simple

64

: 00:04:41

steps so that you can start applying

podcast SEO to your show straight away.

65

: 00:04:48

You can do SEO at the show level,

, your podcast name, the description

66

: 00:04:52

of your show and the tags, but

then you can also apply podcast SEO

67

: 00:04:57

strategies at the episode level.

68

: 00:04:59

And that's what you can be doing every

single time you publish an episode

69

: 00:05:04

to make sure that it is optimized.

70

: 00:05:06

So firstly, we look at your episode

titles and your episode titles are

71

: 00:05:12

crucial when it comes to that podcast SEO.

72

: 00:05:15

And sometimes that can feel a little

bit tricky because you want to make

73

: 00:05:18

sure that your keywords are in it, but

you also do want to make sure that it's

74

: 00:05:22

catchy and people want to listen to it.

75

: 00:05:24

You've just got to try and find that

balance to make sure your keywords

76

: 00:05:28

are in there and that it's something

that will hook your listeners in.

77

: 00:05:32

The next thing you can think about

are your episode descriptions.

78

: 00:05:35

So you're not just telling potential

listeners what to expect, but you're

79

: 00:05:39

also weaving in relevant keywords,

but you want it to sound natural.

80

: 00:05:44

You don't want to sound like you're

keyword stuffing the description because

81

: 00:05:49

it will come across that way and it won't

be a good balance of SEO and readability.

82

: 00:05:55

Remember your descriptions want

to entice and inform real people,

83

: 00:06:00

not cater for an algorithm.

84

: 00:06:04

The next thing that can make

a difference is the metadata.

85

: 00:06:08

Now the metadata is actually , the

information that comes along with

86

: 00:06:11

your episodes, and a lot of it

is added in the hosting platform.

87

: 00:06:15

If you haven't added the ID

three tags or the metadata.

88

: 00:06:19

In your editing platform.

89

: 00:06:21

So often when you add it in the editing

process, you're adding ID three tags,

90

: 00:06:26

which actually sit with the audio file.

91

: 00:06:29

And when you're putting it through the

hosting platform, it's still picking

92

: 00:06:34

up your episode name, the podcast

name, the category, the year that

93

: 00:06:38

it was released, the author field.

94

: 00:06:40

So all of those fields make up

the metadata, and this includes

95

: 00:06:46

the tags and the categories.

96

: 00:06:48

So you want to make sure that

you're including really good keyword

97

: 00:06:53

rich tags on your episodes, as

well as weaving those into your

98

: 00:06:57

titles and into the descriptions.

99

: 00:07:01

And lastly is providing

transcripts for your episodes

100

: 00:07:05

is really beneficial for SEO.

101

: 00:07:08

So you've got the advantage of

making it more accessible for people

102

: 00:07:11

to consume your content, but it

also is a goldmine because you're

103

: 00:07:17

integrating your keywords throughout

your content when you're speaking.

104

: 00:07:21

And that of course enhances

your show's discoverability.

105

: 00:07:25

Implementing these elements really

doesn't have to be a massive task

106

: 00:07:30

or chore, but it will make a big

difference with making it easier for

107

: 00:07:34

new listeners to find your podcast.

108

: 00:07:38

So there's some of the more basic

SEO strategies that we can cover.

109

: 00:07:42

And now we're going to talk about some

of the more advanced tactics that you

110

: 00:07:47

might want to look at to elevate your SEO.

111

: 00:07:49

Your SEO even further.

112

: 00:07:51

And these particular strategies can be

really good for getting that extra edge

113

: 00:07:57

because a lot of podcasters might be

already doing the basic SEO tasks, but not

114

: 00:08:03

necessarily these more advanced tactics.

115

: 00:08:07

So the first thing we're going to talk

about is keyword research and really

116

: 00:08:11

knowing what your potential listeners are

typing into that search bar so that you

117

: 00:08:17

can then create content and optimize it.

118

: 00:08:19

for exactly what they are looking for.

119

: 00:08:22

So you might know keyword planner tools.

120

: 00:08:25

There's Google, Moz.

121

: 00:08:27

There's a whole lot of different ones

that you can use for that, and they can

122

: 00:08:31

provide insights into the popularity or

the competition of specific keywords.

123

: 00:08:38

So you can see that once you have that

information and then tailoring your

124

: 00:08:43

episode titles, descriptions, and content

around what people are searching for can

125

: 00:08:49

dramatically increase your visibility.

126

: 00:08:54

Link building is another one.

127

: 00:08:56

This tactic involves getting

reputable websites or podcasts

128

: 00:09:02

to link back to your podcast.

129

: 00:09:04

Because each backlink then acts

like proof to the search engines and

130

: 00:09:11

to the podcast directories, and it

boosts your credibility and ranking.

131

: 00:09:16

So guesting on other podcasts,

collaborations, being featured

132

: 00:09:20

in relevant blog posts or articles

can be a great way for you to

133

: 00:09:25

Increase your number of backlinks

that then helps with your SEO.

134

: 00:09:31

Podcast hosting platforms and analytics.

135

: 00:09:35

Now, sometimes your hosting platform

will have built in SEO features.

136

: 00:09:40

Not all of them do, but it's definitely

worth having a look in your platform to

137

: 00:09:45

see if that is a feature that they offer.

138

: 00:09:48

But not only that, you can look at your

analytics and obviously track what's

139

: 00:09:53

working and adjust your strategy.

140

: 00:09:56

So I know I can look at my podcast

hosting analytics and see if more people

141

: 00:10:01

are interested in my episodes that talk

about launching a podcast, or whether

142

: 00:10:06

it's the more seasoned podcasters,

depending on the topic of the episodes.

143

: 00:10:11

And after a while, you'll see a pattern

and you can adjust that strategy.

144

: 00:10:17

And of course, consistency and frequency

is a big one . Now I know I had a

145

: 00:10:23

massive hiatus on my podcast, but.

146

: 00:10:26

Releasing those regular episodes really

keeps your current audience engaged,

147

: 00:10:32

but it does give you more opportunity

to be indexed by the search engines.

148

: 00:10:37

So setting a realistic

schedule that you can maintain.

149

: 00:10:41

If you think that a weekly podcast is too

much, then go to a fortnightly podcast.

150

: 00:10:47

I don't often recommend a monthly

podcast because it doesn't get enough

151

: 00:10:52

traction, but at the end of the day,

if you put out a monthly podcast,

152

: 00:10:56

it's still better than nothing.

153

: 00:10:58

So really think about that schedule

that'll work for you and then be

154

: 00:11:02

really consistent because it signals

to your listeners as well as the

155

: 00:11:07

search engines that your podcast

is active and that it's a valuable

156

: 00:11:12

resource that people are tuning into.

157

: 00:11:16

Using these advanced tactics isn't

just about attracting more listeners.

158

: 00:11:21

It's actually about finding the right

listeners who will truly engage and

159

: 00:11:25

love and appreciate your content.

160

: 00:11:28

So take some time.

161

: 00:11:29

You don't have to do it every time

you release an episode, but every

162

: 00:11:32

now and then put some time aside to

explore these more advanced strategies,

163

: 00:11:37

see what works well with you and

your podcasting style and start

164

: 00:11:41

implementing them in your growth plan.

165

: 00:11:45

And lastly, we are going to talk

about some common mistakes so

166

: 00:11:49

that you can avoid them and keep

your show on the right path.

167

: 00:11:55

Firstly, keyword stuffing.

168

: 00:11:58

While it is so important to use relevant

keywords in your titles, descriptions,

169

: 00:12:03

transcripts, everywhere that you can,

there is that fine line of optimizing.

170

: 00:12:09

And keyword stuffing and overloading

your content with too many keywords

171

: 00:12:15

will not only turn your listeners off,

but it'll trigger the search engines

172

: 00:12:19

in their algorithm and you don't want

them to mark your content as spam.

173

: 00:12:24

So the key is to use them

naturally and in the right context.

174

: 00:12:29

And remember that you are creating your

content for people, not algorithms.

175

: 00:12:34

So you're creating for people first.

176

: 00:12:36

Search engines and algorithms second.

177

: 00:12:40

The second mistake is people

ignoring their analytics.

178

: 00:12:45

Not keeping tabs on your podcast

analytics is a really big

179

: 00:12:49

missed opportunity for growth.

180

: 00:12:51

So analytics can provide that insight

into what episodes are performing,

181

: 00:12:56

where your traffic's coming from, how

your listeners engaged and using that

182

: 00:13:01

data to refine your SEO strategies.

183

: 00:13:04

and make more informed decision

about your podcast can be really key.

184

: 00:13:08

And I do have a previous

episode about podcast analytics.

185

: 00:13:12

So make sure you go back and

listen to that and I'll pop a

186

: 00:13:15

link for that in the show notes.

187

: 00:13:18

Not optimising

188

: 00:13:21

In today's world, you absolutely have

to be optimised for mobile devices.

189

: 00:13:27

A significant number of podcast listeners

are listening through a mobile device.

190

: 00:13:32

So neglecting that mobile

optimization can really hurt your

191

: 00:13:37

podcast as far as accessibility,

as well as listener experience.

192

: 00:13:42

So ensure that your podcast website

and audio player are mobile friendly,

193

: 00:13:47

and keep in mind how your metadata

displays on various podcast platforms.

194

: 00:13:52

Apps and different platforms.

195

: 00:13:55

And last but not least,

poor audio quality.

196

: 00:14:00

Can actually negatively

impact your SEO efforts.

197

: 00:14:04

If listeners are struggling to hear or

understand your podcast, because the

198

: 00:14:07

audio is really bad, they're less likely

to engage or share your content and that

199

: 00:14:13

in turn will affect your search rankings.

200

: 00:14:16

So making sure you have

good audio quality.

201

: 00:14:19

I also have a previous episode about the

audio quality of your show, and I'll drop

202

: 00:14:25

a link for that in the show notes as well.

203

: 00:14:29

So avoiding some of those common mistakes

will not only enhance your podcast's

204

: 00:14:34

SEO, but more importantly, improve

the overall listening experience.

205

: 00:14:39

And then.

206

: 00:14:40

That in turn leads to more

retention for your show.

207

: 00:14:44

So remember, SEO is the tool to help your

podcast growth, the essential ingredient

208

: 00:14:51

is in the quality and value of the content

you provide and your listeners experience.

209

: 00:14:57

That's

210

: 00:14:58

it for this week's episode.

211

: 00:14:59

If you have any questions on podcast

SEO, or you have an experience of

212

: 00:15:04

where you started to use it and saw

a difference, I would love to hear

213

: 00:15:08

about that in the Australian Podcasters

Collaborative Facebook group, or

214

: 00:15:13

reach out to me via social media.

215

: 00:15:15

And as always, if you've got any

feedback or there are any topics

216

: 00:15:19

that you would like me to cover,

please reach out and let me know.

217

: 00:15:23

Because I would love to hear from

you If you're enjoying the new

218

: 00:15:30

season of Podcasting Tips and Tricks,

I would be really grateful if you

219

: 00:15:34

would take the time to leave me a

rating and review in your podcast app.