SEO- Valuable Tool for Podcasters
The podcast industry relies on symbiotic relationships. Podcasters rely on brands for advertising revenue, and brands rely on podcasters to reach new audiences and expand awareness. This relationship breeds competition, which makes succeeding in today’s industry difficult, but there are effective ways to gain an edge. SEO is one of the best of these strategies. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website or content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), and it can be used to improve the visibility and discoverability of your podcast. Below we will cover some basic functions of SEO that you can use to boost engagement and revenue.
Keyword research
Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use to search for content related to your podcast. By identifying the keywords that are relevant to your podcast and including them in your titles, descriptions, and show notes, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages.
To perform keyword research, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find keywords related to your podcast. Once you have identified the relevant keywords, make sure to include them in your podcast’s metadata, such as the title, description, and tags.
Optimize your podcast’s title and description
Your podcast’s title and description are crucial in attracting listeners and ranking higher in search engine results pages. Your title should be descriptive and include relevant keywords. Similarly, your description should be engaging, informative, and include the main keywords that you want to rank for.
Here we can see Modern Wisdom’s title and description page. To learn more about working with them, visit Modern Wisdom Podcast Page – Modern Stoa.
When writing your podcast’s title and description, keep in mind that they should be concise, clear, and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience.
Use show notes
Show notes are a summary of your podcast episode that provides additional information to your listeners. They are also an excellent opportunity to include additional keywords related to your podcast.
This is an example of show notes for an episode of the Drinkin’ Bros Podcast. It tells what the podcast is about in short, descriptive sentences. Learn more about Drinkin’ Bros here Drinkin’ Bros Podcast Page – Modern Stoa.
When creating show notes, make sure to include a summary of the episode, relevant links, and a list of the main topics covered in the episode. Additionally, including timestamps and transcripts in your show notes can help improve the accessibility and searchability of your podcast.
Submit your podcast to directories
Submitting your podcast to directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts can improve your podcast’s discoverability and increase your audience. These directories are search engines themselves, and by including relevant keywords and metadata in your podcast’s submission, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in their search results.
Build backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your podcast. They are important for SEO because they signal to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. To build backlinks, you can reach out to other podcasters, bloggers, or websites in your niche and ask them to link to your podcast.
In conclusion, SEO can be a powerful tool for podcasters to improve the visibility and discoverability of their podcast. By performing keyword research, optimizing your podcast’s title and description, using show notes, submitting your podcast to directories, and building backlinks, you can increase your audience and grow your podcast’s reach.
Why all brands should consider launching a podcast
Branded podcasts are a form of product and service promotion that involves creating and broadcasting original audio content that is owned and operated by an organization, company or brand. Ebay, Microsoft, and even McDonald’s have branded podcasts. The majority of podcasts began as individual content creators talking about their interests, experiences and telling stories, but the industry has evolved. Companies have begun to see the benefits of branded podcasts, and we are even seeing brands bring on creators solely to host podcasts for them. Barstool Sports utilizes a number of podcasts across their platforms to cover a wide range of topics for their followers. There are a number of benefits to launching a branded podcast. With the rapidly growing nature of the industry, waiting to join the trend could be costly.
Here are a few of the many benefits.
- Reach: Branded podcasting provides an opportunity to reach a large and highly engaged audience in a cost-effective and direct way. Podcasts can be a supplementary way to expand a company’s reach, or they can be the foundation for building brand awareness and targeted customer base. “Rise and Grind” was a podcast created by ZipRecruiter. Successful businessman Daymond John talks with entrepreneurs to help attract listeners and expand ZipRecruiter’s digital reach.
- Engagement: Podcasts are more engaging than other media types and often lead to longer listens, which increases brand exposure and drives real results. Podcasts are one of the most recalled formats of marketing and advertising, largely attributed to the listener demographic.
- Cost: Podcasts tend to be relatively inexpensive to produce and distribute and can pay dividends in terms of brand awareness, visibility, and audience engagement. Although production presents upfront costs, the return on investment for a successful podcast can be astronomical. Small brands with low advertising budgets can launch a podcast with few costs, and improve production as reach expands. Getting the best “bang for your buck” is the name of the game in marketing through podcasts, which is their specialty.
- Boost traffic: Linking your website through podcast descriptions and on social media can help boost website traffic. Podcast apps and platforms allow creators to provide direct links to their company’s websites, which often directly correlate with online traffic. The more people who are visiting your site; the better.
Launching a podcast may not seem like a serious marketing strategy, but there are a number of Fortune 500 companies who would disagree. Companies big and small, from billion dollar companies to startups are utilizing branded podcasts to create brand awareness, generate leads, boost website SEO and more.
Podcast Launch
Starting a Podcast is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for your career, relationships, and personal growth. Though the tools have made the process easier, building a podcast you love and will do for years is incredibly hard. Here at Modern Stoa Launchpad, we have systemized the process to bring you from ideation through the creation and to realize your podcast’s potential. Here you will find helpful content and tips for launching, growing, and enjoying your podcasting experience.