Guest post by author and SEO expert Andrii Gorh. Podcasts are one of the hottest content types right now. Recent acquisitions by Spotify in podcast media hubs just prove this point. It can be super challenging to create a high-quality podcast, which will gather the attention of millions of listeners, but SEO and search engine discoverability can help. In this blog, Andrii presents some SEO tricks, which might help you grow your podcast to be discovered in different mediums.
7 Methods to Grow Your Podcast
In short, you need to know how to grow your podcast and leverage it for SEO, but also how to rank well on the platforms, where you publish it.
- Catchy episode titles
- Use your website
- Optimize RSS feed
- Use Youtube
- Recycle your content
- Try Pinterest
- Link building with podcasts
1. Catchy episode titles
Start with a well-written title. This is how one can find your episodes on iTunes or Google Play. These marketplaces put a heavy emphasis on keywords, which are in your title.
Of course, also if the title is catchy and engaging - there is much more chance a user will click on it. For Youtube videos it is thumbnails, but for podcasts - it is all in a title. Check out Polymash's own post about 4 Ways to Create Amazing and SEO Savvy Episode Titles.
Certainly, don’t try to clickbait or stuff your podcast title with keywords - you might be punished by the algorithm of podcast search engines.
2. Use your website
If you own a website - use it to earn more traffic to your show notes, and increase your episode downloads at the same time. If your show does not have your own website - I highly recommend creating one on your existing domain, or with your own new domain name. It is the entire idea behind creating a podcast as an inbound content strategy.
A podcast is a fantastic content type, which can attract a lot of organic traffic and backlinks to your site. Don’t waste this opportunity.
To get more organic traffic to your site, you can use a standard SEO playbook: original content, link building, on-page optimization, keyword research, tech setup, etc.
I would really recommend transforming your audio content to text, SEO optimizing it and using it on a blog for show notes entries.
Also, consider expanding your podcast's blog beyond episodes, additional content ideas for your podcast blog could be:
- Some key takeaways from recent episodes;
- Introducing a new series of episodes and explaining why;
- Additional supporting visuals (especially infographics);
- "Best of" recaps and themes;
- Include lead magnets or some downloadables - e.g. checklists, e-books - a great way to collect e-mails;
But, don’t just copy paste your transcript - make it more engaging, readable - so it can produce a long session time on your website. We have an entire workflow to transform your show notes into an SEO asset for your site.
Another reason to have a website - it is an insurance strategy against algorithm changes on podcast networks. Let me explain. If you host your podcast only on third-party mediums - you are completely dependent on their rules. If one day something happens (e.g. Spotify doesn’t want to rank content about pets :) ) - your website would be a supporting channel to distribute your podcast.
3. Optimize RSS feed
RSS feed might sound like an old-school phenomenon, but it is really important for podcasts - this is how your content is distributed to iTunes, Google Play and most other platforms.
So, you need to keep best practices for titles, descriptions, images, category updates as well as your latest copyright information etc.
The best way to have full control of your RSS feed is to use services similar to Libsyn or free Powerpress Wordpress plugin.
4. Use Youtube
Youtube is the second biggest Search Engine in the world after Google. You should obviously use the power of Youtube to bring more traffic to your podcast.
Create a channel and post highlights or full recordings of your podcasts. Maybe they will gather millions of views and subscribers!
Also, there are many services, which can convert your audio podcast to Youtube video.
5. Recycle your content
High-quality content might take a lot of effort and time. It would be a shame to use it only once. Repurpose your content in different forms. For example, from one podcast episode you can make:
- Infographics and visuals
- Slide decks
- Blogs and articles
- Videos
- Downloadables and so on.
With more content, you will definitely increase your reach.
6. Try Pinterest
Pinterest is the fastest growing visual search engine in the world. Personally, I like Pinterest more than Instagram - because it brings evergreen traffic. It means, that even old posts bring traffic to your podcast or site, unlike Instagram or Facebook.
Learn Pinterest tactics, test different pin designs, see what works for you. Ideal pins are those, which bring click-throughs and traffic. Try to solve a problem within a pin text: e.g. “Find out 10 ways to save money in our new podcast episode”.
7. Link building with podcasts
A viral podcast episode can bring a lot of backlinks - other sites linking to your site. It will be a huge benefit for your website, where you embed podcast episodes (check out advice #2). Backlinks are one of the most important factors in Google ranking - the more you have the higher you are on SERP (Search Engine Result Page).
A Tool For Link Building Campaigns
Link building campaigns work best when SEOs use strategies based on insight as opposed to guesses.
Check out Linkio. It is a software platform that helps you run more successful link building campaigns as a podcaster or blogger. The tool provides everything you need for effective (and enjoyable) backlink campaign management, and they offer a free trial.
Collaboration
The easiest way to get backlinks is to collaborate with guest speakers, publish content on their sites and get free backlinks, mentions to your site. Also, try outreach - email other bloggers, influencers in your niche, mentioning your podcast and asking for a backlink. You can also ask for a guest contribution on their blog, in exchange for a backlink.
About our guest author:
Andrii Gorh: SEO ninja with 10+ years of experience. He LOVES keyword research, rank tracking and tech SEO tricks. Check out his advanced SEO blog: Online Hikes and other tech hacks at MrHack.io. Featured image credit: Web Hosting
