Podcast Not Ranking in Search on Apple or Spotify? Fix It Now

You’re creating high-quality podcast episodes. You’re promoting them on social media, maybe even running a newsletter or collaborating with other creators. But have you ever stopped to think about your visibility inside podcast listening platforms themselves? If your podcast is not ranking in search on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful discovery channels out there 😬

The truth is, being a great podcaster isn’t enough to guarantee visibility. With thousands of shows released every day, ranking in podcast search results has become a crucial skill to master. Whether your audience is searching for “mindfulness for beginners” or “startup tips,” you need your show to appear—ideally in the top results.

In this article, we’ll break down:

how podcast search works on Spotify and Apple Podcasts,
why your show might not be showing up,
and most importantly, how you can optimize it using PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) to finally boost your visibility and grow your audience 🚀

1. Podcast listening platforms: the underrated discovery channel 🎯

When promoting your podcast, you probably think of social media, newsletters, or cross-promotion partnerships. While these are effective, one discovery channel remains incredibly underestimated: the podcast listening platforms themselves, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify 📱

According to The Podcast Host, 50% of listeners open their preferred podcast app first when looking for a new show. That means half of your potential audience starts their discovery journey directly within these platforms, not on social media or Google searches.

Let’s go even deeper:

Among listeners browsing within these apps, a whopping 70% say they type topics into the app’s search bar to find new podcasts. That equates to 35% of all listeners relying solely on in-app keyword search. If your podcast is not ranking in search, you’re missing out on being found by the right people at the right time 🔍

Of course, social media and word-of-mouth remain essential to your growth strategy. But visibility inside podcast apps is just as critical and often overlooked. The search bar isn’t just a feature. It’s a gateway to discovery. 🚪

2. How Podcast Search Works on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 🧭

When someone types a keyword into the search bar of Spotify or Apple Podcasts, something like “startup advice” or “true crime”, an algorithm kicks in to decide which podcasts appear at the top. But here’s the catch: these algorithms don’t work the same way across platforms. Understanding the difference is key to improving your visibility 🎯

How Does Search Work on Spotify?

Spotify’s search algorithm relies on three main pillars to rank podcasts in its results:

Metadata: Spotify scans your podcast name, episode titles, descriptions, and even your publisher or author name. This helps the platform understand what your content is about.
User Behavior: Podcasts that get high engagement, meaning more plays, follows, and adds to playlists, are rewarded with higher visibility. The more people interact with your show, the more the algorithm pushes it forward.
User Recommendations: Spotify also personalizes search results based on each listener’s habits. If someone listens regularly to self-improvement shows, they’ll likely see more content from that category, even when they’re searching broadly.

How Does Search Work on Apple Podcasts?

Apple’s algorithm takes a slightly different approach. While it’s not fully transparent, we know it prioritizes three major factors when ranking search results:

Metadata: Just like Spotify, Apple looks at your show title, episode titles, and descriptions to match user queries with relevant content.
Popularity: Podcasts with a large number of subscribers and listens tend to rank higher. This creates a snowball effect, the more popular you are, the more visible you become, which in turn drives more engagement.
User Behavior: Apple also tracks whether users play or follow your show after discovering it through search. The more successful these conversions are, the more trustworthy your podcast appears to the algorithm.

3. Why Your Podcast Might Not Be Ranking in Search 😕

Now that you understand how podcast search works, it’s easier to see why your show might not be showing up. And spoiler: it’s not because your content isn’t good enough 🎧

In most cases, your podcast isn’t ranking because the platforms don’t have the right signals to match your show with what people are searching for. When someone types a keyword into the search bar, the algorithm looks for metadata (like titles and descriptions), popularity signals (such as listens and follows), and user engagement (do people click and stay?). If your podcast isn’t optimized for those things, it simply gets bypassed.

You might be creating amazing episodes, promoting them on social media, and building a loyal audience but if your show title, episode names, and descriptions aren’t aligned with how people search, you’re practically invisible in the apps 😬

And the tricky part? These platforms won’t tell you why you’re not ranking. There’s no alert or message saying “You’re missing keywords” or “Your engagement is too low.” But in reality, you might just be a few tweaks away from being discoverable.

👉 The good news is: all of this can be fixed. You don’t need to change your content—you need to optimize how your podcast is presented to the platforms. That’s where PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) becomes your best ally 🥳

4. What Is PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) and Why It Matters

If you’ve never heard of PSO, that’s totally normal. Podcast Search Optimization is a relatively new discipline in the podcasting world, but it’s becoming essential for any podcaster who wants to grow sustainably.

At Ausha, we hear every day the same frustrations: “I’m creating great content… but I’m struggling to get visibility.”

And we get it. Being visible today is about being discoverable. That’s where Podcast Search Optimization comes in.

So, what exactly is PSO?

PSO is the process of optimizing your podcast’s metadata, like your show title, episode titles, and descriptions, so that platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify can better understand your content and match it to real listener searches 🧑‍🚀

It’s similar to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for Google, except here it’s about podcast apps 🎯

When someone types “freelance tips” or “meditation for beginners” into the search bar, these platforms don’t listen to your audio, they scan your metadata. If your content isn’t aligned with the way people search, you’re likely to stay invisible… even if your episodes are exactly what they’re looking for 👀

Why it matters now more than ever

Search is one of the few places where listeners have real intent. They’re not passively scrolling. They’re actively looking for a podcast like yours.

PSO helps you:

Reach new listeners who are already looking for your topic
Increase visibility without relying solely on promotion
Build long-term discoverability that works even when you’re not posting daily

To support this approach, we conducted a large-scale study at Ausha to better understand how the search works on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. These insights helped us create educational resources and tools, like our PSO Control Panel, that make it easier for podcasters to take action 🔥

5. How to Optimize Your Metadata for Podcast Search

Let’s get practical.

You now know that platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify don’t “listen” to your audio—they scan your metadata: your show name, episode titles, and descriptions. This is what helps them decide if your podcast is relevant to a search query.

The good news? You have full control over this metadata. And thanks to the large-scale study we ran at Ausha we can tell you exactly which levers to pull to improve your podcast’s visibility 🔧

Here’s what the data says and how to apply it right now 👇

1. Use the searched keyword in your podcast name

📊 +5 positions on average when the main keyword appears in the show title

This doesn’t mean you need to rewrite your entire title—but consider adding a clarifier or subtitle. For example:

Before: The Mindful Hour
After: The Mindful Hour – Mindfulness & Meditation for Beginners

Action tip: Add a relevant keyword that describes your show’s theme or target audience, especially one your listeners might actually type into the search bar.

2. Include the keyword in episode titles

📊 +7 positions on average when the keyword is included in at least 5 episode titles

Your episodes are where the search engine finds specific relevance. The more your keyword shows up in titles, the more your show is seen as an authority on that topic.

Action tip: Look at your last 10 episodes. Are your titles clear, descriptive, and keyword-aligned? If not, consider revising them or at least plan your future titles with search intent in mind.

Example: Instead of “Episode 12: Let’s Talk About Food,” try “Episode 12: Nutrition Tips for Busy Professionals.”

3. Repeat your keywords in your show description

📊 Podcasts that included their main keyword at least 5 times in the show description ranked +9 positions higher on average

Yes, repetition matters. Your show description is like your homepage, it needs to say clearly what your podcast is about, and for whom.

Action tip: Write a paragraph that naturally includes your main keyword multiple times, without stuffing. Think of how your ideal listener would describe your show to a friend.

4. Optimize your episode descriptions

📊 Including your keyword at least 6 times across your episode descriptions is associated with +7 positions on average.

These descriptions often get overlooked but they’re scanned by the platform and help with episode-level discoverability.

Action tip: When writing your episode summaries, use your main keyword once or twice in the first few lines. Repeat it in context throughout the description, especially near calls to action or guest bios.

5. Be consistent with your publishing rhythm

📊 Podcasts that had published an episode in the last 15 days were significantly more likely to appear higher in search rankings

It’s not just about what you say, it’s also about staying active. Regular publishing signals that your podcast is current and maintained, which algorithms tend to favor.

Action tip: Try to publish at least once every 2 weeks. If that’s not doable, batch your content in advance or use scheduling tools to maintain consistency.

Want to go deeper? If you’d like to explore all the insights from our large-scale analysis, check out our full studies on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We break down everything we discovered—and how you can apply it to your own podcast strategy.

6. Track Your Progress with the PSO Control Panel

Once you’ve optimized your podcast’s metadata, the next step is just as important: you need to track your progress. Optimizing is not a one-time action, it’s an ongoing strategy. And to adjust your efforts, you need clear data on what’s working and what’s not 📊

That’s where Ausha’s PSO Control Panel comes in. Designed specifically for podcast visibility, this tool lets you monitor how your show is ranking on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for each of your target keywords. It gives you real-time visibility on your performance, so you can understand how your metadata changes translate into actual search results.

You can identify the best keywords for your show, thanks to built-in search volume and difficulty scores, and even use AI to generate new keyword ideas based on your existing metadata. Once your keywords are set, the Control Panel tracks their position over time, shows you if you’re gaining or losing visibility, and even lets you compare your show’s ranking to competitors in real time ⚡️

In short, if you’re serious about growing your podcast through search, the PSO Control Panel gives you everything you need to monitor, adjust, and outperform 🚀

Conclusion

If your podcast isn’t showing up in search results, it doesn’t mean your content lacks value, it simply means the platforms may not be reading it the right way. That’s exactly what Podcast Search Optimization is here to fix 🧰

By understanding how search works and applying a few key optimizations, you can significantly improve your visibility and reach new listeners more consistently 🔋

Ready to take control of your podcast growth? Discover Ausha now 🚀