Most business owners are already familiar with the main components of an SEO strategy, such as meta tags, content, backlinks, and product images. But could podcasts be another promising way to help your business stand out in the digital sphere? As it turns out, yes.
In 2019, Google announced that podcasts would start appearing in search results and would also be playable from the search engine. Any time someone entered a topic of interest followed by the keyword ‘podcast’, they could choose from a selection of top-rated offerings.
Later, Google also brought the same functionality to Google Podcasts and Google Assistant for the web, allowing users to say, ‘Hey Google, play a podcast about New Zealand’. Relevant podcast episodes would then be displayed for users to choose from.
With these new advancements in search engine functionality, it’s only natural to question its value for your own business and online presence. If you’re eager to learn more to take your SEO strategy to a new level, take note of the following information.
Is It Worth Starting a Podcast?
When you already have a robust SEO strategy in place, you might not see the value in starting a podcast. However, if you have plenty to offer the average listener about your area of expertise, there might be more value in this avenue than you think. You might also enjoy some of the following benefits.
Become a Known Expert in Your Field
We all have one business or individual that comes to mind when we need information on a particular subject. There’s no reason why that business or individual can’t be you. A podcast provides you with a platform to show the general public just how much you know about a particular topic. Over time, and after amassing a following, you might become a trusted source whose credibility listeners value.
Build Up a Contacts List
Reaching your target market isn’t always easy, even if you’ve had great success getting people to sign up to newsletters via your website. Podcasts provide another avenue to reach your preferred audience and give them the information they need.
If they subscribe to your podcast, they’re notified when you release a new episode and won’t forget to tune in. When they listen enough and become familiar with who you are and what you offer, they might naturally start checking out what else you have, such as eCommerce websites and social media pages.
Enjoy Organic Traffic
There are many different ways to drive organic traffic, such as using long-tail keywords, becoming a guest blogger, and promoting your content on social media. However, podcasts are also now an effective way to enjoy even more.
There’s a reason people are choosing to listen to your podcast in the first place: it provides the information they need. For example, you might give helpful life tips if you’re a life coach or information on new cars hitting the market if you’re a car mechanic. You already have a focused audience, so take advantage of it.
Include a call to action at the end of each episode that guides visitors to a webpage to take advantage of a promotional offer just for them. For example, if you were a life coach offering life tips, you might direct listeners to your website to take advantage of a discounted session.
Once they claim the offer, you now have them on your contact list and can begin using your other marketing techniques, such as email marketing, to market other products and services.
How to Start a Podcast
You might now understand how beneficial a podcast can be for your business, but how do you start one? It can be much easier than you think when you follow the steps below.
1. Research and Choose a Topic
You want your podcast to stand out from the crowd, so think about topics related to your business that might interest other people. See if you can find similar podcasts from other creators and come up with ways to make yours unique.
2. Plan the Podcast
Planning a podcast takes more time than recording it, but it can ensure the process goes smoothly. Choose a unique name, purchase a domain name for your new podcast, and think about the best length for your audience. There is no ‘perfect’ podcast length but stick to the subject matter to prevent people from losing interest.
It’s also worth considering your episode format, with intro music, a podcast body, a call to action, and outro music. Finally, create your cover art and purchase a quality microphone for podcasting.
3. Record and Edit
With planning taken care of, you can now start recording your podcast. There are plenty of affordable and free podcast recording apps online, many of which clean up audio, allow you to add music, and guide you through piecing together audio segments.
4. Optimise Your Podcast for Search Engines
We’ve discussed how helpful podcasts can be for SEO, so don’t underestimate the importance of SEO optimisation for the podcast itself. Write a podcast description that summarises what your podcast series is about, and write a summary for each episode that covers the main points.
Think about the words people would use to search for the topics you’re covering so you can improve your chances of appearing prominently in podcast search engines. Take note of the optimisation tips provided by each platform. For example, Spotify encourages podcasters to use keywords and interesting information in the first 20 words of the description.
5. Upload Your Podcast
There are many standout podcast services to upload your podcast on, such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. To ensure you’re reaching as many listeners as possible, consider utilising a podcast hosting service to ensure your new podcast is distributed across many of the most popular platforms.
How to Appeal to Google’s Algorithms
Most business owners want to tick all the right boxes for Google’s algorithms to improve their chances of being noticed. Regarding podcasts, take note of trending topics and cover those subjects to captivate your audience.
You might venture over to Twitter and check out their trending topics or visit the Trending Searches webpage provided by Google. Many podcasters also make use of Google Trends, which explores some of the highest-trending search queries and topics and their interest over a 12-month period.
Improve Your SEO Strategy With Podcasting Today
There have been many exciting developments in the SEO scene, and you might be surprised by how many of them could benefit your business. If you’re eager to learn more about SEO, podcasting, or how to improve your business’s digital presence, contact experienced boutique Auckland search agency Clickthrough to get the ball rolling.
FAQs
How do podcasts help SEO?
Podcasts help SEO by providing additional content that can be indexed by search engines, increasing the chances of your brand and expertise being discovered by a wider audience.
How do I optimise my podcast for search engines?
To optimise your podcast for search engines, write a compelling podcast description and episode summaries that include relevant keywords, and follow platform-specific optimisation tips such as using keywords in the first 20 words of the description.
