Podcasts are the media age’s answer to radio. The dictionary definition of a podcast is a digital audio file that you can download or listen to on the Internet. His interesting stories explain why it’s called a podcast, to begin with.
Podcasts are a very popular form of audio entertainment and have surpassed downloadable radio shows. Each podcast is a series of guest-created and published episode-by-episode episodes online, where subscribers can download and listen to each episode as it is released.
Unlike traditional content production methods such as TV shows and radio, podcasts are an accessible way for content creators to connect with audiences. They are currently unregulated, which means you don’t need media permission to post podcast content. Anyone with podcasting equipment such as microphones, recording software, and a subscription to a hosting platform can create their own shows.
The global podcast market is expected to grow from $15.62 billion in 2021 to $20.32 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.10%. The podcast market is expected to reach $58.31 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.15%.
Podcast Advertising Market
For 2023, podcast ad revenue will increase by 28.8% – almost the same growth reported in 2021. Worse, the rate is expected to drop by more than 10 points in 2024.
During the boom, companies like Spotify, Amazon, and SiriusXM invested hundreds of millions of dollars in podcast technology and content in hopes that the industry would continue to grow. Even if investors are not happy with the money they spent (and their current value in podcasts), they are in a better position to capture the advertising dollars that are pouring into the market.
With the biggest podcasts out there (Wondery and SmartLess, Spotify and Joe Rogan, SiriusXM, and Crime Junkie) and the most sophisticated technology packages, they’re well positioned for the impending downfall. Independent creators, who are already finding that it is difficult for them to do better than a few years ago, will pick up the crumbs.
What Is Podcast SEO?
SEO – or search engine optimization – is the process of helping specific content rank for search terms on Google. The goal is to get the audio content to appear in Google’s first SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for certain keywords. Let’s say you want to be found on Google for the search term “handmade guitar”. You can use audio SEO techniques to appear in the top results for that keyword.
Podcast SEO is a branch of audio SEO. This is the audio format you use for search notifications. Alternatively, you can use a webinar or audiogram, but they probably won’t work as well as a podcast. In fact, Google now offers a Podcasts section in its SERPs.
The Future of Podcast
The future of podcasting is alive and full of innovation and potential, it’s hard to keep up with what’s next. If you’re curious about the future of podcasting and where to invest in yourself and your brand’s marketing strategy, read on to understand what’s happening in the podcast space.
High content standards
Although podcasts have been around for a while, their growing popularity in recent years means that listeners have high expectations. As with other podcasts, if your content isn’t top-notch, listeners will quickly abandon it. However, compared to other types of contentsuch as YouTube or blogs, there are still many podcasts. There is a lot of pressure for podcasts to gain popularity by producing quality content.
Influencers
Podcasting and social media are closely related industries. Social media is an important tool for building a brand, helping you attract an audience, and promoting your podcast. While podcast branding is important, hosting subscriptions are also important, and many podcast hosts take advantage of this.
In 2023, we see podcasts using their influence for marketing and brand partnerships for sponsorships, expanding the investment potential of podcasts.
Podcasting as a commodity
A CNBC study found that 78% of listeners said they approved of a podcast ad, 63% of podcast listeners said they purchased it after hearing a podcast ad, and around 67% of listeners said they remember the product or trademark of the podcast.
Advertising and marketing will continue to play an increasingly important role in podcasting as the industry grows, as evidenced by the fact that more brands are advertising their products on podcast shows and are even producing their own podcasts.
Redirect content
48% of monthly podcast downloads come from older programs. With more podcast content being released and competing for listeners, it’s critical to maximize the power and impact of your old content. Don’t underestimate the value of your history and archives.
We recommend that you take short videos and share the most popular podcast topics on social media to promote the content on other platforms.
Takeover of the audio content industry
Clubhouse broke the podcast space in 2020, paving the way for the development of other live audio applications. Since then, live audio has grown exponentially, attracting the attention of Spotify and Facebook, with Spotify creating Spotify Greenrooms and Facebook opening the Live Audio Room.
Even social media platforms such as Twitter, Discord, and Reddit have introduced voice or audio features in 2021. Media giants are working hard to get into audio, and we’ll see more and more innovations as brands and -commits more than others in the audio content industry.
Voice search optimization
Google has found that 27% of the global internet population uses mobile searches, not typing. This is one of the reasons why Google has introduced a podcast search feature that allows users to listen to podcasts through search results and allows users to search for suitable podcasts based on the topic of any event. Podcasters need to create SEO-focused content to ensure their shows show up in searches.
Data update decisions
As with other forms of content creation, research plays an important role in improving podcasting. Podcast producers and hosts use data to understand the impact of their programs and to improve the listener experience.
To stay competitive, podcasters need to make data-driven decisions like making their content reader-friendly, doing keyword research to target popular content, deploying marketing efforts to promote and redirect relevant content, and creating a profile. Podcast producers need to understand their audience and create targeted content and experiences to maximize audience engagement.
Podcast Industry Statistics
- As of January 2023, there are over 5 million podcasts with over 70 million subscribers between them.
- The United States has the largest podcast audience in the world.
- Smart speaker sales increased by 22% during the pandemic, and it is one of the most popular channels for listening to podcasts.
- 78% of Americans are familiar with podcasts. Of that number, 28% listen to podcasts every week.
- 91% of Australians know about podcasts.
- Podcast listening is highest in the morning and most podcasts are listened to on mobile phones.
How To Optimize a Podcast for Higher Rank
The good news is that your podcast content doesn’t need to change to optimize your channel for SEO. Instead, SEO for podcasts focuses on some of the surrounding details and background work that you may not have put much effort into before.
By focusing your time and energy on a few simple changes, you can quickly see that your podcast SEO strategy is paying off. Let’s dive into the top ten tips and tricks you can implement for podcast SEO.
1. Add keywords to your podcast
Keywords are important to the growth and success of your podcast.
These are some of the words and phrases that are entered into Google during a search, and you want your page and your podcast to rank well for those words and appear high in the search results.
2. Know the process
While it’s always good to have a background idea for your podcast, it’s important to focus on innovation and relevance rather than general information or general industry news. By focusing on the process, you can get high rankings for the keywords that people are searching for the most.
3. Understand the importance of writing
Although Google will make its own transcription of your podcast program while analyzing the audio file, the technology behind it is not perfect, and most importantly, it is not made by you and your brand.
Transcribing your own podcast gives you control over the translation. You can see that important words are clearly defined, spiritual words are spelled correctly, and important topics and themes are highlighted.
4. Build authority with quality content
As with written content, Google wants to promote more authoritative content.
To build authority and be recognized as an industry leader by Google’s algorithm, you need to have quality content. Focusing on quality over quantity can help you stay with your audience and build your authority.
5. Upload podcast metadata
Metadata, as the name suggests, is data about other data.
In SEO terms, metadata is the behind-the-scenes collection of pages, images, and even podcasts. You can add keywords to your podcast page’s meta description and meta title and help Google learn more about your podcast.
6. Use the Google Podcasts app
Just like Google has Google My Business Manager for business owners, there is a Google app called Google Podcast Manager that helps you list your podcasts and get them accepted into the Google platform.
By mentioning and monitoring your podcast channel, Google can promote your podcast and rank you in relevant searches.
7. Cross-promotion on social media
Promoting your podcast and other digital channels can help build your authority and increase your visibility. By promoting your podcast on social media, you can increase your chances of being found on various search engines.
8. Replay the podcast
The content you post on your podcast should be relevant, informative, educational, and entertaining to the audience.
This information is very useful for your organization and should be used in different situations. Great podcast episodes can be turned into YouTube videos, blog posts, or downloadable eBooks.
9. Use backlinks to build credibility
Backlinks are an important part of SEO.
A backlink is a link from an external website that goes to your same page or podcast. By having other websites link to yours, it shows Google that your page has authority and a relevant audience.
10. Improve speed and responsiveness
No one likes to wait for something to be uploaded to storage, and your podcast is no different.
You should take the time to make sure your page is fast and user-friendly, regardless of the size of the audio file. Search engines notice when a page takes too long to load.
Most Popular Podcasts Website
So many companies offer podcast hosting services that it can be tricky to pick just one. Here are our top 4 picks for the best podcast hosting services.
Podbean: Over 660,000 users
Podbean offers unlimited podcast hosting plans as well as unlimited bandwidth. It also includes great tools to support your website with customizable themes. You can also easily embed Podbean podcasts into text on your WordPress pages.
On top of that, they also have a podcast promotion tool that automatically posts your event to all the podcast directories. This allows your audience to listen to and download podcasts using their favorite devices. Podbean also offers a social media platform that empowers podcasters to monetize their content. They also have a large community of podcasters using Podbean as their podcast platform.
Buzzsprout: 118,924 users
Buzzsprout is one of the easiest-to-use podcast hosting providers for beginners. They have been in business since 2009 and have built a strong podcast community that includes some of the best podcasts around.
They will also automatically submit your event to all the top podcast directories, ensuring that your podcast is available on all devices and apps. Their podcast player can be optimized and works well on all screen sizes. It features cover art, interactive sharing buttons, forward and backward playback controls, and more. They also offer free WordPress plugins that make integration even easier.
Blubrry: Over 150,000 users
Blubrry has flexible podcast hosting plans as well as a popular WordPress podcast plugin called PowerPress that makes it easy to host podcasts directly on your WordPress website.
Using Blubrry and PowerPress makes it easy to upload your podcast content directly to your podcast hosting provider. It allows you to easily transfer your podcasts to Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) and Google Podcasts.
Transistor: Over 20,000 users
Transistor is a robust and easy-to-use podcast hosting service. They offer unlimited podcast hosting plans.
They make it very easy to upload your podcast ads and publish them. They also offer podcast reviews, so you can see how each episode performed.
Final Thoughts
Podcasts have always been a great way to promote your brand, showcase your skills, and build relationships; but there is more SEO power in 2023, that will continue to grow and shake the world as we know it.
Tell us your thoughts in the comments