For a website, everybody knows you have to optimize your page for SEO. But for podcasting, producers should also look for the best keywords for podcasts. Here are a few tips that might help increase the visibility of your podcast.
1. Analyze top podcast names, subtitles, and descriptions
There are more than 3.2 million podcasts on Spotify (1) and 2.4 million podcasts on Apple Podcasts (2), so you would think the competition is fierce. Yet, less than 25% of these podcasts got at least one new episode published in the last 90 days (3), so there is competition, but actually, you still have a good chance, since many competitors are not even trying to optimize their ranking.
You should start your keyword research by checking the keywords used by the top podcasts in your category: Have a look at the show and artist name as well as the description of the best-ranked podcasts. Make a list of these keywords, and compare them with your own podcast : you will already find some good insights with this first analysis.
2. Identify keywords competitor’s rank for but you don’t
More than a list of keywords based on the descriptions of your competitor’s podcasts, you also need to understand for which keywords these podcasts are ranked. With Voxalyze, you can see the list of keywords for which a podcast is ranked in the top 100 results.
3. Target keywords that could need some optimizing
Just like seeing which keyword brings visibility to your competitors, you can do the same for your own podcast. We then recommend you compare these rankings to better understand what keywords are getting your competition more visibility.
For the keywords that seem really relevant, try to modify their presence in your text description and even the name of your podcast. For example, adding two or three keywords to your podcast title sometimes helps increase your rankings, why not give it a try ?
4. Reverse engineer podcast search with Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts auto-suggestions.
To better discover the keywords used by podcast users, it’s good to know what the popular searches are in the podcast apps. Start typing keywords on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast apps and look at the autocomplete suggestions to identify relevant keywords.
5. Check your reviews
What do your listeners say ? User reviews of podcasts are an underestimated treasure trove. By reading what listeners say about competing podcasts, you may find ideas of what to produce next for your own podcast. And by reading what your own listeners have to say about your podcast, you may also get ideas on how to rewrite your podcast description using your listener’s words. Often you will find keywords in the reviews you didn’t think about : use them to enrich the quality of your podcast description.
6. Go from long-tail to top keywords
When it gets to visibility, you have to work your way up, from bottom to top, from long-tail to top keywords. So instead of competing for the keyword “travel” where your chances of becoming more visible are low, why not try various combinations of words, like “Guide for a solo traveler’s weekend in Arches National Park”. Shuffling 3, 4, 5 keywords connected to your main keywords, you will find many ideas that could be used either to enhance your podcast description, or that could become a dedicated podcast episode
7. Consider each new episode as an extra opportunity for keyword visibility
Your episode visibility is as important as your podcast’s visibility. Especially because you cannot pack too many keywords in a podcast description, it’s ok to use each episode as an opportunity to add more keywords to your mix. Publishing regularly is crucial to keep your listeners wanting and coming back for more. Also, the title and description of each episode will stack up your overall visibility
8. Choose the Most Relevant Keywords
Using Voxalyze, you can get the list of keywords your podcast ranks for, where you rank on each, and how popular is that given keyword.
The best keywords for podcasts are waiting for you!
Did these tips help you grow your podcast audience ? We would love to hear from you, don’t hesitate to contact us. As you can see, it’s not just about adding any keyword, but to choose wisely based on many parameters. We hope you will then find the best keywords for podcasts you produce.