How To Optimize Your Podcasts for Search Engines
If you’re not including podcasting into your strategy for content, you should reconsider your strategy. Podcasts have seen a rise in popularity in recent years and is now among the most popular types of content. A recent study conducted in the year 2019 found the following: 51 % of those over twelve years old across the U.S. listen to podcasts.
Additionally, more than 1.75 million podcasts are on the web with more than 43 million episodes in January 2021. This is an incredible growth in the field of podcasts and should be recognized by content creators.
But that’s far from the best aspect of it.
Google recently made it clear that it will now include podcasts within search results for engines. Podcasts will appear in snippets of text similar to video clips and can lead users to the exact second of the answer to the query.
Therefore, it’s not a matter of whether you’ll include podcasts into your content strategy. Rather it’s the question of the time. Don’t be left out of this fantastic opportunity.
Podcasts are primarily used to connect listeners deeply and in personal discussions as well as showcasing knowledge as well as promoting the products or services. To make it work it is essential to create top-quality, engaging, and captivating content, and employ the latest SEO techniques to make your content appear on search engine result webpages (SERPs).
We discuss the different strategies you can employ to improve your podcasts to reach the ever-growing number of listeners to your podcast.
1. Have a Focus Keyword
Focus keywords determine the relevancy of the content. They determine which content will be matched to which search queries. The same applies to podcasts. That’s why the most popular podcasts are created around particular niches that have specific keywords. When creating podcasts, begin by researching and choosing the key word you’ll concentrate on while keeping your audience’s intention of search in the back of their minds. This step is crucial in highly competitive fields. The only method to succeed as a newly-established broadcaster is to target long-form keywords and producing content that meets search-related intent.
Research on keywords can be carried out by using tools that are free, such as Google Trends or Google Keyword Planner. Choose keywords that have low searches and then create podcast content which provides the most pertinent information about the topic. This improves the chance of being found by those looking for your content as well as people looking for information on related topics. Google has begun transcribing audio files in the present, which provides Google a more accurate perception of the content. Therefore, using your primary keywords occasionally throughout your podcast will help keep it relevant.
2. Optimize Your Podcast Title and Metadata
One of the best methods to increase the amount of amount of time people spend on our site is making engaging introductions and titles. In the case of podcasts the titles are more relevant as they determine how a person will decide to watch or not listen to your podcast.
The title of your podcast tells Google what your podcast’s topic is. So, it should be short, concise and concise. The first thing to note is that there’s only a certain number of characters that you can incorporate in your title Therefore, it is recommended to use grammar sense, while remaining as simple as you can. The title should describe what the podcast is about by describing precisely what they can learn by listening.
Meta descriptions as well as other metadata assist Google and other platforms for podcasts to better comprehend your content. For example the meta description needs to be concise and precise enough to include additional details after the title, assuring the content of the podcast. To ensure it is relevant to the main keyword, make use of one primary keyword in the description. Additionally, using tags allows listeners to find your podcast by looking up specific genres and categories in audio platforms like YouTube, Google Podcasts, iTunes and SoundCloud.
3. Use Unique Keywords for Podcast Episodes
The title of a podcast must contain a focus keyword every episode of a podcast must have a distinct keyword that is related to the primary keyword. Similar to a blog, with a single keyword (which the blog’s focus is on) and additional unique keywords that represent subtopics related to the primary keyword and subtopics, a podcast must include distinct keywords for every episode.
As we’ve discussed as well, you must conduct keyword research to find the most unique keywords that will be the whole podcast’s structure.
At first, it might be advantageous to focus on the long tail keywords that have low searches which are extremely specific to your specific field. Once you’ve established yourself as an authority within these niches, you’ll have a greater chance of being in a tough battle with credible websites when you target short keywords with a large search volumes.
As time passes, the volume of podcast content will rise therefore it’s essential to organize the podcast that makes conversation reasonable.
4. Podcast Link Building
Link development is one of the most efficient methods of increasing a site’s credibility and traffic. A website that is populated with links from multiple blogs is top-quality and is highly regarded from search engine results. In addition, this applies to podcasts. If several websites with high-quality content contain links specifically geared towards the podcast, it indicates for search engines that the content is relevant and of good quality.
To incorporate link building in podcasting, you could involve guests in interviews or conversations and ask that they broadcast the podcast to their fans. The best method to accomplish this is to ask them prior to the interview if they are willing to lead their followers via blog posts to your interview. Incorporating influential bloggers and bloggers on your podcast could give you a huge increase on Google rankings. However, to make the most of this opportunity it is essential to establish an image of an expert in your field of specialization. This is the only way that to attract influential people within your industry or field.
5. Social Media Marketing
Never ignore the impact in social media. While these platforms can lead to poor-quality traffic, particularly blogs, they could also be effective when high-quality, viral content is being shared. No matter if it’s blog posts, video, or audio, this content is shared widely among social media users, adding to the metric called “social signal.” Search engines utilize it to determine the most popular content.
When you’re discussing highly controversial and emotionally charged topics, make use the power of social media to get an advantage in the rankings of search engines. It’s only a matter of one episode that goes viral and your podcast may be the target of hundreds of new subscribers and take your podcast to the next level of success.
6. Build a Website and Additional Content
One of the major issues that comes with hosting on large platforms like SoundCloud to host podcasts, YouTube for videos and Instagram for photos can be that the content you upload may be removed anytime in the event that it is not compliant with the rules of the platform. What if you require an avenue to express yourself without limitations? Create your own website that will host your podcast as well as protect you from losing your intellectual property.
Create a basic website on an easy platform like WordPress and install plugins for podcasts like Power Press to manage podcasts. It is possible to add additional content to provide the most enjoyable experience. For example, you could offer a complete transcription of the audio for your audience at times when the audio isn’t audible. The transcript could be further divided into notes that have timestamps for titles to allow users to find the exact moment in time and have the information they require.
For each episode on your podcast, make sure you use an exclusive image that distinguishes your podcast from other ones and allows users to post your content on image sharing platforms quickly. A checklist or worksheet could also be an effective tool, particularly for those who are working in a hurry and wish to know the key points without needing to listen to the entire podcast.
7. High-quality, Exciting and Engaging Content
The secret to getting a high ranking on Google is to create quality content. This is an easy task for all content producers since Google constantly improves it’s search engine, to ensure that it provides the most effective results for web users’ search queries.
With the development technological advancements in the field of artificial intelligence it could mean high standards for quality will continue to determine what content is highly. Don’t create podcasts to make a point. Make plans, design and evaluate your podcasts. Only publish the podcasts to audio sites when you are sure they’re of the highest quality that you can get. Make them interesting and captivating to grab and keep the attention of your viewers. A monotonous voice or using boring language can instantly turn off your audience which can result in an increase in rate of bounce and a signal to Google that your content is not as engaging.
Conclusion
It’s easy to think that podcasts aren’t as essential as video and text as part of an overall strategy for content. However, the world has changed as search engines have begun sifting through audio files for top-quality content. Uninformedness prevents you from reaching the vast crowd of people who are eager to be educated by audio. The fact that third of the listeners are in the U.S. enjoy tuning into podcasts to discover new information can tell you that listeners are among the most valuable followers you could ever have, particularly when your content is primarily informational.If you’ve not included podcasts as part of your content strategy you should reconsider your strategy. Podcasts have seen a rise in popularity over the last few years and has become as one of the most popular types of content. A recent study that was conducted in 2019 revealed more than 51 percent those older than 12 across the U.S. listen to podcasts.
In addition, more than 1.75 million podcasts are available on the internet and there are more than 43 million episodes in January 2021. This is an incredible growth in the field of podcasts and should be noted by content creators.
However, that’s not the most exciting thing about it.
Google recently announced it will include podcasts within search results. Podcasts will appear as snippets of text similar to video snippets, and will lead users to a specific page with the information to the question.
It’s not a question of whether or not you’ll incorporate podcasts into your content strategy. Instead it’s the question of the time. Don’t not take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
Podcasts are utilized to get listeners involved deeply and in personal discussions as well as demonstrating the expertise of experts and selling products and/or services. To make it work you must create top-quality, engaging, and captivating content and apply strategies for technical SEO that help your podcasts appear high on search engine result webpages (SERPs).
The article below will will discuss the various strategies you can employ to improve your podcasts to reach the ever-growing number of people who listen to podcasts.
1. Have a Focus Keyword
Focus keywords determine the relevancy of the content. They determine what content is compatible with the search query. The same applies to podcasts that is why most popular podcasts are constructed around specific niches that have keywords. When creating podcasts, begin by conducting research and determining the keywords you’ll be focusing on, keeping the people’s search preferences in the back of their minds. This is essential in highly difficult to compete in. The only method to succeed as a brand new broadcaster is by focusing on long-form search terms and creating content that is able to satisfy search-related intent.
The research for keywords is conducted by using tools that are free, such as Google Trends or Google Keyword Planner. Choose keywords that have low searches and then create podcast content which provides the best details on the subject. This improves the chance of being noticed by people who are searching for your content or people looking for information on related topics. Google is transcribing audio recordings these days, which gives the search engine a clearer perception of what you have to say. Therefore, using your primary keywords occasionally throughout your audio will ensure that it is relevant.
2. Optimize Your Podcast Title and Metadata
One of the best methods of increasing the amount of time spent by users on our website is making engaging introductions and titles. In the case of podcasts the titles are more relevant since they decide how a person will decide to watch or not listen to your podcast.
The title of your podcast tells Google what your podcast’s subject matter is. It must therefore be concise, simple and concise. In the first place, there’s an incredibly limited number of characters that you can incorporate in your title It is recommended to use the most grammatical sense and were as simple as is possible. The title should describe the content of your podcast and tell listeners exactly what they’ll learn from listening.
In addition, meta descriptions and other metadata assist Google and other platforms for podcasts to better comprehend your content. For example the meta description should be precise and clear enough to include additional details after the title, which will confirm the content of the podcast. To ensure it is relevant to your primary keyword, you should use a minimum of one primary keyword in the description. Additionally, using tags allows users to find your podcast when they search for certain genres and categories on audio platforms like the Google Podcasts, iTunes and SoundCloud.
3. Use Unique Keywords for Podcast Episodes
Although a podcast’s title should include a focus keyword, each episode should be tagged with a unique keyword that is related to the primary keyword. Similar to a blog, which has a primary keyword (which the blog’s content is centered on) as well as other keywords that are related to subtopics of the main keyword The podcast should also contain specific keywords for every episode.
In the past You must do keyword research in order to determine the most unique keywords that will form the entire foundation of your podcast’s structural structure.
In the beginning, it may be advantageous to focus on long-tail keywords with lower numbers of searches, but are specific in your specific area of expertise. Once you’ve established your authority in these niches, then you’ll have a greater chance of being in a tough battle with credible websites when you target specific keywords that are short and have a significant search volumes.
In time increasing the number of content in podcasts will grow therefore it’s essential to organize the episode that allows for a sensible conversation.
4. Podcast Link Building
Link building is one of the most efficient ways to boost a site’s authority and traffic. A blog that is populated with links from other blogs is deemed to be good quality and is preferred in search results. This is also true to podcasts. If several websites with high-quality content contain links that specifically target the podcast, it suggests Google that the content of the podcast is valuable and of top quality.
In order to implement link building into podcasting, you may involve guests in interviews or conversations and ask them to broadcast the podcast to their followers. The most effective way to accomplish this is to inquire prior to the interview if they are willing to lead their followers via websites to join the. Incorporating influential bloggers and bloggers on your podcasts can provide you with a major increase on Google rankings. To make the most of this chance you need to build an image of an expert in your area of knowledge. This is the only way you will be able to draw the attention of influential people within your field or in your industry.
5. Social Media Marketing
It is impossible to ignore the potential in social media. Although these platforms are naturally prone to poor-quality traffic, particularly blogs, they could prove effective when high-quality, viral content is used. No matter if it’s blog posts, video or audio, this content is shared widely among people who use social networks, adding to a measure called “social signal.” Search engines utilize it to determine the most effective content.
When you’re discussing highly controversial and sensitive topics, take advantage the power of social media to help you get an advantage in search engine ranking. Just one episode to go viral, and your show may gain hundreds of new subscribers and take your podcast to the next level of success.
6. Build a Website and Additional Content
One of the most difficult issues when using big hosting platforms, such as SoundCloud as a podcasting platform, YouTube for videos and Instagram for photos can be that the content you upload may be removed at any time when it’s not in compliance with the rules of the platform. But what happens if you want an opportunity to express yourself without restrictions? Create your own website that will host your podcast and safeguard you from losing your intellectual property.
Create a simple website with an easy platform like WordPress and install podcast plugins like Power Press to manage podcasts. It is possible to add additional information that will give the most enjoyable experience. For instance, you could provide a complete transcript of the audio for your listener in instances where the audio is not audible. The transcript could also be split into notes using titles and timestamps for those who wish to find the exact time and have the information they require.
Each episode on your podcast, make sure you use an exclusive image that distinguishes the podcast from other episodes and allows users to post your content on image sharing platforms quickly. A checklist or worksheet could be a great product, particularly for people who are in a rush and need to learn the most important tips without having to listen to the entire podcast.
7. High-quality, Exciting and Engaging Content
The most important factor in being ranked highly on Google is to create quality content. It’s a simple fact for all content producers since Google constantly improves the search engine in order to make sure it provides the most effective results for users searching on the internet.
With the development in artificial intelligence technologies it could mean high standards for quality will continue to determine what content is at the top. Do not create podcasts solely to have fun. Make plans, design and evaluate your podcasts, and only publish the podcasts to audio sites when you believe they’re of the highest quality you can. Also, make them engaging and captivating to grab and retain the interest of your viewers. A monotonous voice or using dull language could instantly turn off your audience which can result with high bounce rate which signal to Google that your content isn’t as good.
Conclusion
It’s easy to think that podcasts aren’t as crucial as text or video as part of the content plan. But, the time has changed, the search engine is now scanning audio files to find top-quality content. Uninformedness prevents you from being able to reach a huge crowd of people who are eager to gain knowledge through audio. The fact that 3 out of four people across the U.S. enjoy tuning into podcasts to gain knowledge will tell you that podcast listeners are among the most loyal audience you could ever have, particularly in the case of content that is predominantly informative.
