What is Podcast SEO?
Podcast SEO (Search Engine Optimization) involves optimizing your show, episode titles, descriptions, and website content to appear in search results—both in Google and within podcast app searches.
SEO Surfaces for Podcasts
| Surface | What Gets Indexed |
|---|---|
| Google Search | Website, show notes, transcripts |
| Apple Podcasts | Titles, descriptions |
| Spotify | Titles, descriptions, transcript search |
| YouTube | Titles, descriptions, captions |
| Podcast Index | Full RSS metadata |
SEO Elements
Episode Titles
| Approach | Example | SEO Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Topic-first | "Email Marketing Tips for 2024" | Keyword prominent |
| Numbered | "42: Email Marketing Tips" | Clear series, less keyword |
| Guest-first | "Jane Smith on Email Marketing" | Name searchable |
| Clever | "Inbox Zero Hero" | Brand building, less search |
Descriptions
| Element | SEO Impact |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Match search intent |
| Comprehensiveness | More text = more ranking opportunities |
| Structure | Headers, bullets improve readability |
| Links | Authority signals, user engagement |
SEO Best Practices
| Practice | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Use target keywords | In titles, descriptions, show notes |
| Add transcripts | Full episode text for indexing |
| Create dedicated episode pages | One URL per episode |
| Optimize images | Alt text for episode artwork |
| Build backlinks | Get other sites linking to your episodes |
| Use structured data | JSON-LD for rich results |
Keyword Research for Podcasts
| Source | Use |
|---|---|
| Google Trends | Topic interest over time |
| Podcast app search | What people search in apps |
| Competitor analysis | What similar shows rank for |
| Listener questions | Real language your audience uses |
Why It Matters
SEO is how new listeners discover your show through search—both web and in-app. Without optimization, you're invisible to people actively looking for content like yours.
Why podcast SEO matters:
-
Discovery channel: Search is how people find content on topics they're interested in.
-
Compounding returns: Old episodes continue attracting listeners through search.
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Intent matching: Searchers are actively looking—high conversion potential.
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Competition: Other podcasts are optimizing; not doing so puts you behind.
SEO vs other growth channels:
| Channel | Effort | Longevity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | Medium | Long-term | Free |
| Social media | High | Short-term | Free |
| Paid ads | Low | While paying | $$ |
| Cross-promotion | Medium | Medium-term | Free |
| Charts/features | Low (luck) | Short spike | Free |
The transcript advantage: A 60-minute episode contains ~8,000-10,000 words. Without transcripts, none of that is searchable. With transcripts, every word becomes a potential search match.
SEO thinking for podcasters:
- "What would someone search to find this content?"
- "Am I using those words in my title and description?"
- "Is there text on a webpage for Google to index?"
- "Do other sites link to my episode pages?"
How to Use This in Dispatch
Optimize episode titles and descriptions in the episode editor:
Episode SEO:
- Keyword-rich titles (without sacrificing clarity)
- Descriptive summaries with target terms
- Comprehensive show notes
- Transcripts enabled for full-text search
Website SEO: Your podcast website is automatically SEO-optimized:
- Meta titles and descriptions
- Open Graph tags for social sharing
- Structured data (JSON-LD)
- Mobile-responsive design
- Fast loading times
Analytics: See which search terms bring traffic to your podcast website in your Analytics dashboard.