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In addition to technical SEO and links, creating high-quality, captivating, and engaging content is one of the three main pillars of a successful SEO strategy.
Traditional content strategies often rely on blog posts, articles, images, and occasionally video as the primary content sources. While these can be highly effective in driving traffic and enhancing your SEO efforts, podcasts present an often overlooked and underestimated medium. Podcasts can build your brand and attract direct traffic, while simultaneously enriching your website’s content and bolstering your link-building strategies.
To effectively leverage podcasts for SEO, it’s important to understand not just how to integrate them into your strategy, but also how to rank well on podcast-specific platforms. Whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced podcaster, here are some specific tips on optimizing your podcast for SEO.
### 1. Crafting a Compelling Title
A key factor in having your podcast discovered on platforms like iTunes and Google Play is in its title. iTunes’ ranking algorithm for podcasts places a strong emphasis on the title, in addition to elements like the total number of subscribers and reviews.
This means that, while having an engaging and intriguing title is essential, it should also clearly communicate the subject of your podcast. Include important keywords in your podcast’s title. If your show is already established, consider adding a subtitle. For instance, if your show’s title is “A 5th Race Podcast” and it’s about Stargate, enhance discoverability by adding a subtitle like “An Unofficial Stargate Podcast.”
However, avoid overly generic or non-distinctive titles; your podcast title should be something you take pride in. Incorporate keyword-rich subtitles, especially for branded podcast names. While incorporating keywords in your title and/or subtitle is crucial, avoid keyword stuffing in the author tag—Apple tends to detect and reject such practices.
Use relevant keywords strategically to appear in pertinent search queries. On Google Play, your show’s description (not individual episode descriptions) is also searchable, so optimize it while keeping the content engaging. Additionally, if your show contains explicit language, it won’t be accessible to a large audience like the one in India.
### 2. Optimizing Your RSS Feed
While the average user relies less on RSS feeds, they are essential for syndicating your podcast on platforms like iTunes and Google Play Music. Essentially, your RSS feed is what users subscribe to on these platforms.
Your RSS feed supplies all your podcast information to these platforms. When updating your show’s title or description, you must modify it in your RSS feed, which may take up to 24 hours for updates to appear on iTunes or other directories.
For better SEO control, create your RSS feed using the one provided by Libsyn or the PowerPress plugin for WordPress.
Ensure your RSS feed is compatible and efficient by using tools like castfeedvalidator or podba.se to validate it.
### 3. Leveraging Your Website
Despite being an audio medium, podcasts can score SEO points by leveraging your website as a valuable asset for Google to send traffic to. SEO practitioners strive to attract trusted links, and a high-quality podcast can attract these links as a form of diverse content.
Encouragement for links can come from showcasing authoritative sites where your content has been featured, proving its authority, quality, and trustworthiness. For instance, featuring an “as seen on” section on your homepage or every episode page can serve as social proof.
There are several ways to enrich your site with supporting content, such as:
– Episode descriptions or recaps
– Show notes with timestamps
– Transcripts
– Key takeaways
– Checklists/Worksheets
– Episode art
The transcript, in particular, provides a text-rich addition to your site. Display it prominently so users interact with it.
Unique episode art is advisable, providing visuals for Pinterest sharing, as exemplified by the “Stellar Life” podcast.
Where feasible, create supporting content that drives traffic to your website. For example, include photos and videos from podcast episodes to enhance engagement.
Ensure URLs for supporting content are user-friendly, and include all links in your show notes. Let your audience know how to access the notes through their podcast app by clicking the artwork.
### 4. Recycling Content
Like many tips in this article sourced from episodes of the Marketing Speak podcast, repurposing existing content into different formats is a great way to maximize resources and boost authority on specific topics. Transform your podcast content into articles, blog posts, infographics, slide presentations, videos, and more to gain additional SEO value.
### 5. Utilizing YouTube
YouTube, the second most trafficked site after Google, is crucial for any SEO strategy, especially for podcasts. It serves as a significant search engine and frequently appears in Google search results’ main body.
You can easily convert podcast recordings into YouTube videos using file converters or video editing software. Libsyn users can utilize the built-in Publish to YouTube feature. Consider recording actual video footage during podcasts or overlay brand-related slides, images, and charts on the audio to enhance viewer engagement.
While YouTube/video SEO encompasses a broad topic, start by creating an optimized title, an engaging description with show notes and episode links, and consider providing your transcription for improved accuracy. This benefits YouTube SEO and aids non-native English speakers by offering subtitles during playback.
### 6. Link Building through Podcasting
Podcasts can enhance your SEO efforts by attracting links through compelling, entertaining, and useful content that organically attracts links, as well as through strategic networking.
One common approach is involving podcast guests in promoting episodes on their platforms. If someone is interviewed on your podcast, they’re likely interested in sharing it. By hosting episode pages on your site, you provide guests a natural location to link to.
Increase your chances by selecting guests with vested interests in promoting episodes, such as companies launching new products, hosts launching their podcasts, or authors promoting new books. Authors, in particular, seek extensive promotion.
Discuss linking back with guests prior to interviews, and follow up ensuring the link is secured. Requesting a link before recording can yield better results when asking for promotional actions post-publication.
Conversely, a podcast page on your site offers a valid location to link back to participants’ sites, offering additional incentives to secure collaboration.
### Conclusion
With some effort, podcasting and SEO combined can build a dedicated community of followers, characterized as “1,000 true fans” by Kevin Kelly. SEO tactics can help grow your podcast audience, while a popular podcast can contribute to your site’s SEO benefits, creating a “virtuous circle.”
Podcasting distinguishes you as an authority in your field, although it demands time and effort. Yet, a well-executed podcast is a worthwhile investment. Implementing these SEO strategies will maximize the benefits and expand your audience.
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