Then we will outline exactly what you need to do to build your SEO and increase in your podcast’s search results rank, visibility, and traffic. 🧑🏫
But here’s the most important thing from the jump: Start your SEO efforts now.
🟢 Right now.🟢
Time is critical when it comes to SEO. The longer your SEO content is up and going, the better it will do. So read this post and then take action!
What is Podcast SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. Search engines are what power internet search bars. People put keywords into the search bar, the search engine does its magic, and people get a list of results for their search. 😍
There is really one search engine that rules them all. You may have heard of it: Google.
However, as Google runs the internet search world, there are search engines within podcast listening platforms that podcasters should cater to as well. 🤓
So podcast SEO is creating and optimizing content so your podcast gets ranked high on the Google search engine results list and search engine results list inside podcast apps.
Here’s how to make that happen… ⬇️

Why Podcast SEO Matters ?
Podcast SEO is essential for maximizing the reach and impact of your show. A lot of people discover new podcasts through search engines—whether that’s Google, Youtube or the search functionality within podcast platforms. If your podcast isn’t optimized, it may never reach its target audience, no matter how great the content is. Effective SEO helps bridge this gap by ensuring that your podcast appears in relevant search results, making it easier for people to discover, listen to, and subscribe to your show 📨
Moreover, optimizing for SEO isn’t just about increasing visibility; it’s about reaching the right listeners—those who are specifically searching for topics and content like yours. This targeted visibility not only drives more organic traffic but also builds a loyal audience, enhances listener engagement, and boosts overall credibility and authority in your niche. Investing in SEO is essentially investing in the growth, sustainability, and success of your podcast 🎯
6 Best Practices for Podcast SEO
1. Keyword Selection and Usage
The top of the list for best practices for podcast SEO is picking and using the best keywords. Keywords are words you use in your content so that search engines know what your content is about. 🗝️
Selection
Keywords should be relevant to the topic or topics that your podcast is about. They should be as specific as possible without excluding people who may not know the perfecting wording about your topic.
To be honest, it can be tricky to find the perfect keywords. That’s why here at Ausha our engineers have made a tool to help. Its called the Podcast Search Optimization tool. We’ll talk about more of its features later, but for now let’s briefly touch on its keyword tool. ✨
The Podcast Search Optimization feature on Ausha’s platform uses AI to read through your podcast content and then generate keywords that will be optimal for search engines. 🤩
Usage
Sometimes people in podcasting pick some of the best keywords, but then they forget to include those keywords in their episodes or marketing content. Don’t fall into that trap! 👈
Of course make sure you are using them in organic, relevant ways that sound natural to your listeners.
You should never have to sacrifice quality in order to include your keywords. If you find that is the case, you may need to go back and find better keywords.
Once you have picked your keywords, include them everywhere! 🌎
Where exactly is everywhere? Well, that is what the next steps are…
2. Optimize Metadata
Metadata is all the information that describes what your podcast is about: Podcast description, episode notes, cover art, guest names, etc. 🖼️
RSS Feed
Metadata for podcasts is typically stored in the RSS feed. The RSS feed is a little packet that holds the metadata and the audio content of a podcast episode.
Metadata are descriptions of the show and of the episodes, the name of the podcast, the titles of the episodes, the name of the author…
Podcast listening platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. pull in the RSS feed, read it, and display it in a way that humans can understand. Everything you see when you go to listen to an episode on these platforms is interpreted RSS feed data. 😁
Hosting Platform
Who makes the RSS feed for your podcast? Your hosting platform (Ausha is a hosting platform, for example).
You want to make sure you are using a hosting platform that understands the importance of SEO so that they are building your RSS feed in a way that optimizes your metadata. 👷
Your hosting platform should have fields that you can fill out for the metadata. Make sure you fill in all available fields. And make sure to include your keywords.

Search Engines
The RSS feed and its metadata do more than just populate episodes on listening platforms. They play a key role for search engines. 🫡
They inform the search engines inside listening platforms— lots a listeners use these search engines to discover the next show they will listen to.
The RSS feed also informs search engines outside of listening platforms. This of course includes Google, but it also includes search engines specifically made for find podcasts, like Listen Notes.
So, the bottom line for this step: Use a good podcast hosting platform, fill in all the metadata fields it gives you, and use keywords when you do it. ✅

3. Distribute Everywhere
This is one the best practices for podcast SEO that gets ignored the most. You need to distribute your podcast to every listening platform available. 💯
What’s the point of having great metadata if you aren’t sending out to all the platforms?
You need to meet listeners wherever they are. 🙋
You also want to show Google and other search engines that your podcast is being listened to in a lot of different places. This kind of diverse traffic will increase your rank on search results, increasing your visibility to potential new listeners. 🥰
SoundCloud and YouTube
While SoundCloud and YouTube are not traditional podcast listening platforms, you need to distribute to them. 🚚
SoundCloud is a global audio platform with 175 million monthly listeners.
YouTube has a global audience of 2 billion people.
Plus, YouTube is part of Google. You can never leave Google off the table when your goal is to increase your SEO. 🤷♀️

Hosting Platform
Ok so who distributes your podcast? How can you make sure your podcast is distributed to SoundCloud and Youtube?
Your hosting platform is in charge of distribution. It creates your RSS feed and then it distributes that feed to platforms. 🧑✈️
Here at Ausha we automatically distribute our members’ podcasts to every listening platform worldwide, including SoundCloud and YouTube.
No other hosting platform does that. 🤯
Wait a min. Don’t you need to make a video in order to be on YouTube? Don’t worry, Ausha covers that too. We automatically convert your audio file into a video file when we distribute it to YouTube. The video file is sound waves with your branding colors. 📹
4. Post on Social Media
Next on the list of best practices for podcast SEO is social media. 🌅
Social media, of course, is an important digital marketing tool in and of itself. But it also plays an important role in SEO.
Having a linked presence across each major social media site helps Google and other search engines see that your podcast has an established presence. 🗽
Social media is also a great place to plug your keywords. Make sure to add them when you create your posts.
Of course you want to also do well within the social media site’s own search engine and feed algorithm. So be sure to create posts that are optimized for that particular site: Min and max text length, video clips, etc. And post often— this will also help your podcast be exposed to a bigger audience through search engines and algorithms. 🤗
If you feel stuck with social media or like you don’t have the time, Ausha does have tools to help. We have an AI tool that will automatically generate social media posts for you based on your latest episode description. We also have a video clip generator. Basically all the tools you need to use social media effectively to grow your show.

5. Create a Website
Number four for best practices for podcast SEO is: Create a website. 💻
As always, be sure to use your keywords! Link to your podcast on its different listening platforms. Also link to your social media pages.
Of course we have to mention here that yes, Ausha does automatically create an search engine optimized website for each of its members. 💜
Blog or Transcription
One section of your website should be space for episode transcriptions or blogs.
Episode transcriptions are great for keyword placement. 👍
If you struggle to make sure you use keywords in your podcast audio, A) Work on improving that, but B) write a blog instead of a transcript.
The blog can follow your episode content exactly. You can cover the same exact topics and just make sure to add keywords. ✍️
Google and other search engines like to see ongoing updates and interaction on your website. Episode transcriptions or blogs are great for this kind of ongoing content.
Plus, you might surprised how many people in your audience actually prefer to read your content rather than listen to it! 😸

6. Track Your SEO
Once you have set all these best practices for podcast SEO into motion, the final step is to track your SEO. This is an ongoing process, you are never really done with it. 😅
The internet is always changing- new actors enter the picture, people’s behavior changes. All these things affect SEO. Search engines themselves change over time. SEO is never stagnant.
That’s why you should always be monitoring your SEO keywords rank. By keeping an eye on that, you can figure out if you need to tweak your content or even change your keywords. 🔧
How do you monitor your SEO ranking? Well, there are a ton of tools out there to help you monitor your general SEO ranking on Google and other major search engines. But right now there is only one tool to specifically track your podcast search optimization where it matters most– on listening platforms.
That tool is the Ausha Podcast Search Optimization (PSO) Control Panel that we talked about earlier in this blog post. 😎
Not only does the PSO Control Panel help you come up with the best keywords, but then it helps you track where you rank using those keywords. With that feedback, you can adjust your SEO practices as needed.

Final Note: Start Immediately and Be Patient
Like we mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, the sooner you start your SEO work for your podcast, the more effective it will be. So, as soon as possible, do all the best practices for podcast SEO that we have listed. ⏰
Once you have done all of them, then be patient. Just because you don’t start ranking high for your keywords right away doesn’t mean you should change them.
Search engines take time to update. Also, they value seeing your keywords up and active for long periods of time rather than you constantly changing everything. Plus, it gives your audience more time to interact with your content, raising your ranking. 🤝
That’s all for us today. As always, enjoy the podcasting journey! 🪐🧑🚀

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