#1 = SELECT A FOCUS KEYWORD FOR YOUR EPISODE
For every episode you create, you should select a short keyword to focus your attention on. This will help tell the search engine what the content is about, and it can also help with search queries too. Once you have your keyword, you then need to research what questions are being asked about the topic and be sure to include those questions in your cast.
#2 – SELECT AN APPROPRIATE IMAGE
Search engines love images, and to optimize your podcast, you need to make sure the keyword you identified is used in the podcast title, alt text, and caption.
#3 – CREATE A DEDICATED PAGE ON YOUR SITE FOR EACH EPISODE
For each and every podcast you create, there should be a page on your website that is dedicated to that cast. Make sure the URL of the page contains the keyword, and be sure to use hyphens instead of underscores between each word. This is important because almost all search engines identify spacing between words with hyphens.
#4 – PODCAST TRANSCRIPTIONS
Podcasting is a lot like blogging in many respects. So, try to incorporate H1s, H2s, H3s, in your transcription, and break it up into a readable document that users would find interesting to read.
#5 – CHAPTERS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
The relevance of this point really depends on the length of your podcasts. Let’s say you do daily 5-minute podcasts; there probably isn’t going to be a huge advantage to adding chapters. However, if your podcasts are 30-60 minutes in length, this point is going to be highly advantageous to incorporate into your podcasting SEO best practice. By splitting up your podcast into bitesize chapters, not only is this going to help those listeners who want to skip to the content they are most interested in, but it’s another way to get more of those keywords on your site.
#6 – INCLUDE INTERNAL LINKS
When any user visits your website, you want them to have a look around and visit more than just the podcast page they arrive on. Aside from helping the visitor to navigate your site more easily, internal linking also has a range of other SEO advantages too.
#7 – SUBMIT YOUR PODCAST TO DIRECTORIES AND GOOGLE PODCASTS
By submitting your podcasts to online directories, they’re going to get mentioned more frequently; and these mentions are going to help your podcasts to rank higher, thus improving your podcast SEO.
#8 – BE PROACTIVE AND ASK FOR REVIEWS
Higher podcast ratings and positive reviews are another golden ticket for your podcast’s SEO However, most people don’t think of leaving reviews, especially if they’re a regular visitor. Be proactive, and make sure you ask your listeners to leave you a review. You can add this into your closing statement, and as a nice little touch, let them know you will respond personally to the reviews they leave!
SEO FOR PODCASTS – 8 BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES
1. Subscribe Button 2. Smart Placement 3. Summary and Key Takeaways 4. Related Episodes 5. Timestamps 6. Share Buttons 7. Ask for an Email address 8. Outbound Links