Podcast Competitor Audit Template

Why this PSO template matters

In a world where new podcasts launch every single day, optimizing your metadata in isolation is no longer enough. To gain real visibility, you need to know who your competitors are, how they’re using keywords, and how you can leverage both their strengths and weaknesses to your advantage.

PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) is built on a simple principle: the more relevant your metadata is to listener searches, the greater your chances of showing up in results. But relevance isn’t built solely by analyzing your own content—it also requires looking outward at the competitive field.

That’s exactly what this worksheet delivers. It guides you step by step to map your direct competitors and analyze their keyword strategies. The “Main Competitors List” tab gives you an overview of the shows that share your audience and topics. With this high-level view, you can spot the most active and popular podcasts, but also those that manage to rank well despite weaker descriptions or average ratings.

The “Keyword Analysis — Apple” and “Keyword Analysis — Spotify” tabs take you deeper. You’ll see exactly how the top three podcasts use your strategic keywords. Do they place the keyword in the title? Is it integrated into the description? Is it reinforced with relevant tags? These observations aren’t just descriptive—they’re a direct source of inspiration. Where your competitors succeed, you can learn; where they leave gaps, you can differentiate.

Finally, the “Position Tracking” tab turns one-off analysis into continuous monitoring. Each week, you’ll log your podcast’s performance and that of your competitors across your 20 main keywords. You’ll quickly see trends emerge: who’s rising, who’s flatlining, who’s falling. If a competitor climbs consistently, you can dig into why—new publishing cadence, better metadata optimization, stronger community engagement. If another podcast drops, that could be your opportunity to solidify your ranking.

When you combine this competitor tracking with Ausha’s PSO Control Panel, you shift from a reactive to a proactive strategy. You’re no longer passively subject to the charts—you’re building a data-driven plan grounded in observation, comparison, and continuous improvement.

Downloading and using this worksheet gives you a lasting competitive edge. You’ll know exactly where you stand, who your real rivals are, and most importantly, how to beat them—keyword by keyword—so your podcast becomes more visible and more attractive to your target audience.