Google listens to podcasts!

How to SEO podcasts? Why SEO podcast helps site SEO (why audio content is important in site SEO)? Does Google show podcasts in search results?

A few years ago, with the growing popularity of podcasts, SEO experts speculated that one day Google would index podcasts and show them to users in search results. For this reason, it was recommended that the production of audio content (podcast) should be included in the content production program for SEO. At that time, registering a podcast in Google Podcast was the best solution for podcasts to be seen as much as possible.

But today the situation has changed a lot. Google Podcast is no longer enough, it is not unbeatable. Podcast has found many uses and has become an independent and valuable content. The business of some is the production and distribution of podcasts. Various platforms have sprung up all over the world just to publish podcasts. Most importantly, the way users view podcasts has also changed.

Considering those changes, what approach should an SEO expert have to podcast and audio content production? You will read the answer along with the answers to the questions that were asked in the beginning in this content.

Why is audio content needed for website SEO in 2022?

Before I list the podcast SEO solutions in 2022, I need to explain a little about the importance of podcasts in website SEO. First of all, we should know that Google has announced in 2019 that it will show podcasts to users along with other text and image content in the search results.

Of course, Google has also promised another important change: before long, you won’t even need to enter the word podcast along with the topic you want to know about in the Google search bar. In the near future, audio content related to the search topic will also be displayed to the user (along with photos, videos and texts).

But why Google has decided to treat audio content like text content? Take a look at the statistics below to find out why Google made this decision.

• Currently (2022) there are approximately 424 million podcast listeners in the world. It is predicted that the number of listeners will reach 500 million by 2024.
• The number of podcasts produced is close to 2.5 million.
• Most listeners listen to podcasts to get information and learn new topics.

“So, podcast production is no longer just a competitive advantage for the site and business. Because a significant number of users get the information they are looking for and the answers to their questions from podcasts. Podcast production, like text content production, is a necessity for website SEO.”

Of course, the above statistics are not only important for SEO experts. The digital marketing team of businesses should also pay attention to the statistics about the growth of podcast popularity and it’s becoming a popular content. Site SEO is closely related to digital marketing, social media marketing and content marketing. In today’s competitive market, no site will be optimized by conventional methods (such as external linking). So, it is necessary for SEO experts to include the production and distribution of various types of content in the SEO strategy of the site.

How to use podcasts for website SEO?

Podcasts are either the main content of a site or one of the content that is placed on the site. In order for their podcasts to appear in search results, sites whose main business is producing podcasts produce SEO textual content for podcasts. Other sites usually convert some text content into podcasts and dedicate a part of the site to it.

So what should an SEO expert do? Which way should he go? Should the store website SEO expert also think about producing audio content? The SEO expert of any site in 2022 will be able to make the most of podcasts for site SEO with the following tips:

1. Produce podcasts for diverse, up-to-date topics related to the site’s field of activity

It doesn’t matter what field the site operates in. It is necessary to produce podcasts for various topics related to the website’s field of work. Even if you are an SEO expert of a real estate transaction site, you should include the production of podcasts on topics related to real estate transactions in the content production plan of the site.

Of course, the number of podcasts produced and the topics covered in each podcast are determined by the digital marketing team and the SEO expert according to

• The need and interest of the audience (customers) of the site (business),
• Current and trending issues in the field of business activity, and
• They determine the resources (human and financial) they have for podcast production. (Podcasts, like text and video content, must be of quality.)

The production of podcasts for the site improves the user experience and shows Google that the needs and tastes of all the site’s audience have been taken into account in the content production. In addition, podcasts are a great opportunity to start a discussion among users and invite them to write comments or views on the site. High user interaction with the site is a good sign for Google and other search engines. So, SEO and content creation experts should not simply skip the topic selection for podcasts.

Regarding the location of podcasts on the site, one should pay attention to various factors (including site design and user experience) and make a decision in each case separately.

The most important thing is that users can easily find (see) podcasts and publish them on social media with the help of social sharing buttons.

Some ideas for podcast topics

• Make a list of basic and important topics that are related to the site’s field of activity. Evergreen audio content can be produced like evergreen text content. To find basic topics, get help from books, websites, magazines and reference experts in the field of site activity.
• Find trending and hot topics from social media and user comments on social networks. What topics are interesting to your users? What are your users talking about and commenting on? Be sure to monitor Twitter trends. Google Trends tool is also very helpful and useful in this matter.
• Be creative and look for new and interesting topics. Interviewing famous and influential people in the site’s field is recommended, but it is an idea that your competitors will definitely use. Forget about podcasting all the textual content or just some content of the blog site. Because converting text content to audio is the most convenient task.

2. Register the produced podcasts on all possible platforms

You don’t produce podcasts just for the site. The podcast must be published throughout the net space and all platforms (hosts) available to users. There is no point in producing a podcast without distributing it. Podcast listeners typically use multiple global platforms. You and I probably have both Apple podcasts and Castbox.

Not all platforms host podcasts for free. Publishing podcasts on different platforms is one of the best and most reliable ways to build valuable backlinks for the site. Of course, not all platforms allow linking to the site in the podcast description.

Decisions about podcast hosting services should be made with the advice and opinion of the digital marketing team (social media marketing and content marketing experts) and SEO experts. Because in addition to the benefits of publishing a podcast for SEO, the podcast is usually registered and published under the brand name and increases brand awareness, and as a result, it is also useful and helpful for business marketing.

3. Optimize podcasts for each platform

For SEO of any podcast, both on the site and on the platforms, you should pay attention to some points:

• On each platform, optimize the audio content according to the capabilities of that platform. If you publish podcasts on the site, you can write a relatively long summary for it and use keywords or brand names in it or link to related blog site content. In each platform, you must introduce the podcast itself very briefly and usefully. You should also write a brief and useful description for each episode. Choose each word purposefully. Apple podcast allows you to include hashtags (keywords) and links in the description of each episode.
• Each podcast on the platform has a cover and each episode has its own cover (photo). Be very careful in their design. It is better for the cover of the podcast to be a business logo or a logo designed specifically for business audio content. The covers of the episodes should also be designed in harmony. Visual appeal and coordination of designs and covers with the logo and brand color are more important for marketing and establishing the brand in the mind of the audience.