Say the word “traffic” and I’m more likely to look out of the window thinking there’s been a road accident than to think of SEO. But in today’s business market, we NEED people to read, watch or listen to content we post on our websites, blogs, podcasts and social media platforms.

Optimizing our content can be time-consuming, uncomfortably technical for most of us and maybe one of those things you find yourself avoiding. But it is an essential part of business growth today and will impact your success, or lack of it. So my dear hard-working podcast host, are you making the most of each of your episodes? And are you getting your podcast noticed by Google?

This article provides tips on how to improve your podcast search engine optimization (SEO).

Show notes are important. Google evaluators want high quality written content. They look for a certain level of expertise, authority and trustworthiness so that they can provide the best user experience possible with their search engines. When you produce a podcast episode or interview on a specific subject, you have content that should tick all those boxes. That is why most podcast hosts transcribe each episode and post them on their website along with the audio recording. In doing so, you have instant, quality, searchable content that will boost your website’s SEO.

Create a page or blog post on your website for each episode. There is a lot of debate about how long a blog should be. Some say 500 words is ideal, others say 750-1500, and yet others say more. But in reality, most of us don’t have the desire or time to read even a 100 words if it does not hold our attention. If it is not worth reading or listening to, we move on. Our podcast or blog should be informative or entertaining, ideally both. So ask yourself when reading through what you have produced or written, ‘‘does this information teach my audience/readers something new, is it interesting, funny and/or entertaining? What new slant or point of view on the subject will my audience/readers find interesting and want to share with others?” Remember, Use a new page or blog post for each episode and make the extension the title of your episode.

“Content is king”. Bill Gates said that way back in 1996, well actually Sumner Redstone of Viacom said it even before that, however, it is truer now than ever before. With millions of blogs out there, you need to write and speak in a way that will keep your readers and listeners on the lookout for more of your work.

Use Keywords throughout your posted content. These are SEO keywords and phrases in your content that make it possible for people to find your site through the search engines. ‘Short tail’ keywords are only one or two words such ‘podcast interviews’, whereas a phrase made up of 3-5 words is classed as a ‘long tail’ keyword, such as ‘best equipment for podcasting’.

So which is better for increasing your SEO? Well, there is an argument for both sides, but recent analysis reports say the best length for optimal search keywords is between 2-4 words long. There are some tools to help you decipher good keywords. Try using programs such as KWFinder, or Keysearch Pro for your research tools.

Use professional quality graphics and/or images. Google loves images, hey who doesn’t! Optimize them by using a keyword within the title caption, but don’t go keyword crazy, make sure they are relevant to the content. For example, if you do interviews on your show, include the guest's photo and label it with his/her name and the episode title. You have two options with this. Firstly, you can hire a professional graphic designer, who will create you a professional show graphic template, in which you can simply insert each guest photo and change the title. You are welcome to use our team, check out our 'Media Kits' page for more information.  Your second option, get familiar with the Adobe Creative Suite, which includes Photoshop and other great editing tools. You can master the basics with their online tutorials, but to be fair, you need some time to master the programs. Snappa is an easy to use online tool if you are not confident with your Photoshop skills. With their free account, you have access to more than 40,000 HD photos/graphics and sizing will be done for you. Another great program that won’t break the bank and produces superior results is XARA Photo & Graphic Designer.

Speed Up Your Website. Don’t slow down your website by posting large images. Reduce your file size and ensure you use a web-friendly resolution. Google will lower the search rank on slow loading site. There are other options for speeding up your website as well. Warning: the following content contains technical information - one option is by making use of CDN’s, Content Delivery Networks. By using a cached version of your site from the web host that is closer to your visitor, the result will be a much faster load time, which will make your readers and search engines happy. Take a look at the CDN services offered by SiteLock True Speed or Rackspace for starters.

Create backlinks. No, it’s not some kind of board game from the 80’s! Backlinks are incoming links to a web page. When you mention another website in your article or show notes, you link those words so that when you click on them they take you to another website. It is not enough to display the URL, you need to make the link click through. This is known as anchor text, which is text that is used for hyperlinks. One of the benefits of quality backlinks is referral traffic. Google loves backlinks as well and uses them to help tell what is good, usable content. Your overall ranking is bound to improve!

These are just a few strategies to help boost your podcast SEO. Admittedly, they take time to implement, but you will see the benefits of your hard work if you are consistent. You and your show will gain the great reputation you deserve, resulting in more listeners, more traffic to your website and more great guests approaching you. If you find yourself pinched for time, you can hire a professional service to help you out. Check out TheHoth. They offer a wide range of services and I like the fact that they offer a money back guarantee. Another great option worth a look is Semrush.

Keep making great podcasts happen! - The Expert Bookers

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