Have you ever recorded a podcast and felt unsatisfied with the viewership? You wonder whether something’s lacking or if your topic is uninteresting. And maybe you’re asking, how do you make your podcasts more popular?
Well, building an audience is a common concern for podcasters, especially those just starting. There is no magic formula for attracting listeners, but there are some things you can do to make it easier. One particular strategy you can use is optimizing your podcasts for search engines.
Podcast SEO is the process of aiding search engines like Google and Bing to prioritize your podcast in result pages. It allows your content to be easily found by people searching for similar content on the web. As a result, you’ll be able to reach more potential audiences and increase your organic visitors to your website or channel.
So how do you optimize your podcast to gain more listeners? Let’s skim the tips below;
Tip 1. Create relevant podcast titles
Tip 2. Use keywords in your tags and description
Tip 3. Include a transcript for every episode
Tip 4. Record in High Quality
Tip 5. Incorporate images or animations
But wait, before we proceed, let’s discuss first some relevant statistics to guide you in your next episode.
Based on a study by Edison Research in January 2022, from 1502 respondents,
- 53% are men while 46% are female, and 1% are non-binary
- 47% are age(12-34), 33% are age (35-54), and 20% are age (55+)
- 68% are active on Facebook, 64% are active on Instagram, and 45% are active on Tiktok
- 62.25% listen at home, and 16.5% listen to while in a vehicle
Now that we have an idea of our podcast audience’ demographics, let’s dive deeper into the seven podcast SEO tips to attract more listeners.
1. Create relevant podcast titles
Podcast titles are the first thing that listeners see when they are searching for a show. A title should be short, descriptive, and catchy enough to catch someone’s attention. It should also contain what your podcast is about and why listeners should listen.
It’s substantial to ensure that your podcast title has keywords that people will search for when looking for content related to your niche. For example, suppose you are creating a podcast specifically about study habits. In that case, your title should be something like “Study Habits: How to Get More Done in Less Time” or “Studying Tips: Pass Your Next Exam.”
2. Use keywords in your tags and description
Same as your title, your tags, and description should be concise and relevant. Start by looking for the most common keywords that people use to find podcasts. You can brainstorm these or start comprehensive keyword research using software like Ubbersuggest. It’s also substantial to do some competitive research on tools like Ahrefs.
3. Include a transcript for every episode
A transcript is a written document of all the spoken words in your podcast audio file. Like a video subtitle, transcripts are texts that people can read as they listen to your podcast. This podcast SEO strategy is beneficial for people who are not fluent in their native language or who cannot listen to the audio for some reason.
Search engine bots have a hard time understanding audio files, but they can read the text well. If you have a transcript for every episode, then it will help these bots crawl and understand your content better. This, in turn, will enable your show to rank for keywords in the SERPs.
4. Record in High Quality
Your podcast episodes will only be as good as the quality of your recording. If you want to make a good first impression with your listeners, then you mustn’t compromise on the quality of your podcast. You may invest in professional equipment or hire an editor to do so.
Some essential equipment for your podcast includes a high-quality microphone and audio recorder. This will ensure that you sound crisp and clear when listening back to your episodes. You should also record in a quiet place and minimize background music to avoid distracting noises.
Similarly, when creating a video podcast, you need to invest in a good camera, lighting, and sound equipment. It is also an excellent practice to use a webcam test tool to check your video resolution and editing software to ensure that your video content looks professional.
5. Incorporate images or animations
Your audio file can be made more interesting with images or animations. Podcast cover photos are an excellent way to catch your audience’s attention and help you stand out from other podcasts. On the other hand, animations are great visual stimulants to keep your audience engaged throughout the episode.
A bonus tip, create your podcast with mobile viewers in mind. Study shows that 65% of individuals use their smartphones when listening to a podcast episode. You must optimize your media and transcripts to fit a mobile screen and keep your episodes short for listeners on the go.
Takeaways
Podcast SEO is an effective strategy for both aspiring and professional podcasters. It can help you generate more listeners, grow your audience and increase your revenue. The key to effective podcast SEO is to create relevant, engaging content and easy for search engines to understand.
Consistency and commitment are also necessary to master podcast SEO. Once you’ve gotten the knack of basics, you can start experimenting and testing new strategies for your audience. When you record your next podcast, incorporate the tips mentioned above and be ready for a spike in your listeners.
