57 // Podcast SEO Tips That Actually Work: Get Your Show Found on Google and Apple Podcasts

If you’ve been pouring time into your podcast but still feel invisible online, there’s a good chance the problem isn’t your content — it’s your podcast SEO strategy.

Because here’s the truth: creating great episodes is only part of the equation. If platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify don’t fully understand what your show is about, who it serves, and how it fits into listener search behavior, your podcast becomes much harder to discover.

And honestly? Most podcasters are getting oversimplified advice.

Things like “just use keywords in your titles” barely scratch the surface of how podcast SEO actually works.

Inside this conversation, we’re breaking down the real mechanics behind podcast seo strategies that help grow your podcast sustainably over time. You’ll learn why keyword weighting matters, how thematic consistency strengthens podcast growth, and why your show notes, metadata, and episode ecosystem all play a role in podcast discoverability tips that actually move the needle.

Because it’s not about gaming the algorithm. It’s about building clarity.

You’ll also hear how podcast promotion strategies and podcast keyword tips work together to support marketing your podcast in a way that feels intentional instead of overwhelming. And this is where so many podcasters miss opportunities for podcast client conversion and long-term podcast monetization.

The best part? Once your podcast SEO foundation is working, your content starts building momentum for you. Your show becomes easier to find, easier to recommend, and easier to trust.

Whether you’re trying to grow your show, promote a podcast strategically, or build a stronger podcast business that supports your larger goals, this conversation will help you approach podcast SEO with a smarter, more sustainable strategy.

If you’re ready to build a podcast that creates authority, visibility, and real business growth, come join me inside Podcasts That Convert at janditchfield.co/join.

Transcript

0:00

Podcast SEO has become a huge buzzword lately. And honestly, I think a lot of people are just starting to realize how important it actually is. But I also think a lot of the advice around it is a little bit incomplete. So today we're going to break down how podcast SEO actually works and what really matters if you want your show to get found on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I'm Jan Ditchfield, an award-winning marketing strategist who left the corporate world, picked up a $25 microphone on Amazon, and built a half million dollar business powered by my podcast. Along the way, I learned that success online isn't about hustling 24-7. It's about building a business that works even when you're offline. I created Evergreen Marketing Simplified to give you simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies to help you build an Evergreen business through your offers, your content, and a podcast-driven system that sells for you. If you're a coach, consultant, or a course creator who wants to create consistent income without living online, so you can actually enjoy the life you're working so hard to build, you're in the right place. Let's get to work, my friend. Well, she tags me constantly on threads anytime somebody asks a question about podcast SEO. And usually, and honestly, the tags usually look like some version of you need to talk to Jan. She knows this stuff. So I figured if I'm talking about this over on threads, I should probably talk to you about it as well here. Because podcast SEO is one of those things that has suddenly become a huge buzzword in the podcasting industry. And a lot of people are just starting to realize how important it actually is. But what's interesting is that only a very small percentage of podcasters are using SEO strategically at all. And honestly, I think that's one of the biggest reasons that so many women with a podcast feel like you are talking into the void. Because SEO is the difference most of the time between a show that gets discovered and a show that feels invisible, no matter how hard you worked on it. But the problem is that most of the podcast SEO advice online is really honestly very surface level. And what you hear is usually pick a keyword and stick it in your title. And while, yes, your title matters, that alone is not what grows a podcast. So for today's summer series episode, I wanted to give you a quick breakdown of what podcast SEO actually is, how it works, and what matters if you want your show to get found on platforms like Apple and Spotify. Because podcast SEO is completely different than blog SEO or website SEO. It is a different algorithm, it's a different search behavior. And as I like to tell everybody, it is a much friendlier ecosystem once you understand how it works. So let's lean into understanding how to make it work for you. The first thing you need to understand is that podcast SEO goes far beyond your episode titles. I always explain it like one of those old school chore charts where every time you did something right, you got another gold star beside your name. The podcast algorithm works the same way. You essentially collect points based on where and how you use your keywords throughout your podcast ecosystem. So the more you use it, and then you use it in the right places, the more points you get from the algorithm. And the more points you get, the more people see your show. Now, your show title is still the most important place for SEO. But what most people don't realize is that your keywords also belong in your author line, your show description, your episode titles, your show notes, your metadata, and your tags. And yes, contrary to what some people will tell you, show notes absolutely still matter. They may not matter for the reader, but they absolutely matter for the algorithm to understand what to do with that episode. So podcast SEO is much bigger than simply dropping random keywords into your titles and hoping for the best. The second thing most people don't understand is that keyword weighting matters far more than keyword stuffing. And here's what I want you to understand not all keywords carry the same weight. Some keywords are extremely competitive, while others give you a much wider open lane to rank and get discovered in. With the women I work with, we look at this from a volume weight. So everything is color-coded behind the scenes, and we're like green light, orange light, red light. And that's how we decide whether a keyword is actually going to be one that will work or how it will work based on the other keywords you use with it. Because that volume, which really is how many people are searching for that word and how many other people are using that word, matters so much to the success of your strategy. Now, beyond that, different keywords belong in different places. So some keywords tell the algorithm what your overall show is about, while other keywords help to explain what a specific episode is about. And that distinction matters a lot. Because when you start to randomly stuff popular keywords into podcast titles without understanding how the algorithm is going to interpret them, that can actually confuse the platforms more than help you. And so if you're hearing advice like just take big terms like marketing or health or wellness, business, and just use it in titles, I'm the first person who's going to go, whoop, let's pump the brakes on that strategy, because that probably is not the best way to go about this. Because those terms are going to have a lot of volume on them because a lot of people use them, which means it's going to be very difficult to stand out if you don't have a large show to begin with, which many of us don't. But if you know how to use your keywords correctly, small shows can climb up those charts really, really quickly and stay there. Honestly, once you understand this properly, podcast SEO becomes one of the most repeatable growth systems that you can build into your strategy that will also grow the revenue in your business. It probably is why I nerd out on this so much, because it just works once you know how to work with it. Now, the third thing, and honestly, this is the part that almost nobody talks about, is that podcast SEO works best when your show has thematic consistency. Now we're going to break that down because this is a huge part of what I teach inside podcasts that convert, because the algorithm pays attention to patterns. So the more consistently you use related keywords, themes, topics, and conversations together, the more confidence the platform has in understanding who your show's for and where it belongs. So when we're creating strategy inside a podcast that convert when it comes to content, the way I teach it is through theming things. It doesn't mean you're going to talk about the exact same thing six times in a row, but there is a natural rhythm of repetition that gets built in because, first of all, the algorithm's really going to thank you for it and reward you for it. But also listeners pick up information better when you continue to repeat things. It's just human nature. We all do. If you have children, you know this. You need to say it 16 times before they actually do it. It might be the same with your partner as well. Who knows? The point is, it's exactly that way with the algorithm. And one of the coolest things about podcast SEO is that the algorithm infers, which means that if you consistently talk about certain topics and keywords together, the platforms start associating your show with other related conversations automatically. And so what happens is that your discoverability expands beyond just the exact keywords that you're targeting. And honestly, I love watching this in practice. And it's probably my favorite thing to track with my own show is looking at how many keywords I ranked for beyond just the ones that I actually was trying to use within my content. Because sometimes one keyword can turn into 130 keywords that the algorithm's like, oh, well, she said that word, so she must mean all of these things too. And now, true story, while I was preparing notes for this episode, I got a Voxer message for one of my grads from Podcasts That Convert. And she just released her very first episode using her new SEO strategy. And so she took a screenshot and sent it to me of her downloads that literally looks like a little rocket ship because the downloads on this show took off immediately and outperformed pretty much anything that she's ever produced before. There was a lot of emojis and high fives sent back on my end because that's the power of podcasting SEO. And when your SEO strategy is working properly, the algorithm starts helping you instead of fighting against you. So it's going to start putting your show in front of the right people. And it starts to understand your expertise. And then it starts connecting your content to the conversations your audience is already searching for. And that's what good podcast SEO is really about. It's not keyword stuffing, it is not tricking the algorithm. And it certainly is not trying to gain the system. It's about helping the platforms understand exactly what your show is about, who it's for, and where it belongs. Because the algorithm, well, it wants the same thing you do, the same thing I want for you as well. It wants your show to succeed. And once you understand how to work with it strategically, instead of just randomly using words and hoping that they're actually going to perform for you, everything about your discoverability starts to change. And this is exactly the kind of work that we do, is at podcasts that convert. So if you're spending the summer wanting to finally get your show and your podcast strategy going so that it's going to help your show get found and grow and support your business long term, and you're going to be ready for fall, you can come over and join me this summer at janditchill.co forward slash join. And let me help you get set up with a strategy that's going to turn your show into the best asset that you have in your business. Janditchville.co forward slash join. All right, my friend, that's it for this one. Thank you for joining me for this conversation. And until next time, remember, let's keep it simple and let's keep it profitable. I'll talk to you in the next episode. Thanks so much for spending time with me today. If you know someone who's trying to grow their business in a way that actually feels sustainable, would you share this episode with them? It really does help more people find the show, and I'd be so grateful. And if you're loving what you're hearing, make sure you're following along on your favorite podcast platform and leave a review. I read every single one, and it helps me create more of what you actually want and need. All right, my friend, I'll see you in the next episode.