Podcast Search Engine Optimization
There was a recent story published by Timber.fm’s Amanda Cupido about podcasting. Near the end of that piece, she interviews Gabe Bender, who is Google Podcast’s product lead. Bender hints to some big changes coming to Google Podcasts involving search and discovery.
He didn’t specifically say what is coming up, let’s take a look between the lines of what he said.
Google will make features that are basically the same to what they have with YouTube. This means podcasts are going to become extremely searchable when a Google Search user (your potential listener) types in their search terms. Like Google video search results or YouTube search results.
And, while you're using Google Podcasts to listen to your podcast, Google will be recommending more podcasts to you as you’re listening. It will be very much like the ‘next up’ areas you see on YouTube.
Because Google will start to show podcast results in search, this will impact all listeners that use Google for search. Not just listeners that use Google Podcasts to listen to their favorite podcasts.
I don’t doubt Google will start to incorporate autotranscriptions they are already doing behind the scenes, to include podcasts in search results. This autotranscription option is already available in the Chrome browser, when you change your accessibility options A popup screen shows the real time transcription of any audio played in your Chrome browser.
So Google will be taking search even deeper, based on what’s said IN your podcast, not just what’s written in your podcast descriptions, summaries and webpages.
The SEO concept of “page rank” will likely be applied to podcasts. That means the more external sources that reference your podcast, like web page backlinks, videos and video interviews, other podcasts mentions and podcast interviews, blog mentions, blog interviews, guest blogging—the higher your podcast will appear in search results for the topic that is referenced. This is SEO 101 for Google.
There will be personalization, like YouTube.
First, search results and the ‘next up’ area in Google Podcasts will take into account anything Google knows about what you listen to.
Second, Google Podcasts will surround you with other people that listen to similar things so that it can suggest podcasts, or specific podcast episodes, to you that other people in your cluster listen to. Think community.
Podcast search engine optimization.
If all this happens as Bender seems to suggest it will, a new kind of expertise will become important. Podcast search engine optimization. Just as SEO consultants today help companies get their web pages to appear organically higher in Google results, that’s where we at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants will be continuing to help podcasters appear organically higher in Google’s podcast search results.
The methods will be similar: get on other podcasts shows and web pages to mention your show, and other references and links I mentioned earlier.
Include searchable terms. Not just in episode summaries, but in the words you say during your show. And probably WHERE you mention those searchable terms within your episode.
This could amount to a huge overall of what you do with each and every podcast episode. Or at least a refinement of what you do, if you are already implementing an SEO strategy to your podcast and podcast content.
Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.
Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com
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Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.
Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.
Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.
Transcript
From Studio C in the 511
Speaker:Studios in downtown Columbus, Ohio, this is a Note To Future Me.
Speaker:Hi, this is Brett Johnson, your host and
Speaker:the owner of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.
Speaker:There was a recent story published by timber.fm Amanda Cupido about podcasting.
Speaker:Near the end of that piece, she interviews
Speaker:Gabe Bender, who is Google Podcast's product lead.
Speaker:Bender hints to some big changes coming to Google Podcasts involving search and
Speaker:discovery, though he didn't specifically say what's coming up.
Speaker:I think we can take a look and read between the lines of what he said.
Speaker:Google will make features that are
Speaker:basically the same to what they have with YouTube.
Speaker:This means podcasts are going to become
Speaker:extremely searchable when a Google search user, your potential listener types in
Speaker:their search terms, like Google video search results or YouTube search results.
Speaker:And while you're using Google podcasts to listen to your podcast, Google will be
Speaker:recommending more podcasts to you as you're listening.
Speaker:It's going to be very much like the next up areas you see on YouTube,
Speaker:because Google will start to show podcast results and search.
Speaker:This is going to impact all listeners that use Google for search, not just listeners
Speaker:that use Google podcasts to listen to their favorite podcast.
Speaker:And I don't doubt Google will start to incorporate auto transcriptions.
Speaker:They are already doing behind the scenes to include podcasts in search results.
Speaker:This auto transcription option, as I said, is already available in the Chrome browser
Speaker:when you change your accessibility options.
Speaker:A pop up screen shows the real time
Speaker:transcription of any audio played in your Chrome browser.
Speaker:So Google will be taking search even deeper based on what's said in your
Speaker:podcast, not just what's written in your podcast.
Speaker:Descriptions, summaries and web pages.
Speaker:The concept of page rank will likely be applied to podcasts.
Speaker:That means the more external sources that reference your podcast
Speaker:like Web page back links, video and video interviews, other podcasts, mentions and
Speaker:podcast interviews, blog mentions, blog interviews, guest blogging.
Speaker:The Higher your podcast will appear in
Speaker:search results for the topic that is reference.
Speaker:This is SEO 101 for Google.
Speaker:There's going to be personalization like
Speaker:YouTube first search results and the next up area in Google Podcasts will take into
Speaker:account anything Google knows about what you listen to.
Speaker:Second, Google Podcasts will surround you
Speaker:with other people that listen to similar things so that it can suggest podcasts or
Speaker:specific podcast episodes to you that other people in your cluster listen to.
Speaker:Think community podcast search engine optimization.
Speaker:If all this happens as Bender seems to
Speaker:suggest, it will a new kind of expertise . It's going to become very important.
Speaker:Podcast Search Engine Optimization.
Speaker:Just as SEO consultants today help
Speaker:companies get their Web pages to appear organically higher in Google results.
Speaker:That's where we as Circle270Media Podcast
Speaker:Consultants will be continuing to help podcasters appear organically higher.
Speaker:In Google's podcast Search Results, the methods will be similar.
Speaker:Get on other podcast shows and Web pages to mention your show and the other
Speaker:references and links I mentioned earlier include searchable terms not just in
Speaker:episode summaries, but in the words you say during your show and probably where
Speaker:you mentioned those searchable terms within your episode.
Speaker:This could amount to a huge overhaul of what you do with each and every podcast
Speaker:episode, or at least a refinement of what you do.
Speaker:If you are already implementing an SEO strategy to your podcast and podcast
Speaker:content, work with us to create your podcast.
Speaker:You know, don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss your plans and your project.
Speaker:We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker:Go to mypodcastguy.com and schedule a time with us.
Speaker:Want to learn more and be sure to sign up for my free daily Open The MIC newsletter.
Speaker:Each day is a different topic from articles around the web on podcast,
Speaker:monetization, podcast, marketing, podcast, audio production, the week's podcast news
Speaker:and our suggestions for your next seven days.
Speaker:A podcast listing the link for that is in the podcast show notes.
