Podcast SEO is the practice of optimising podcast content to be discovered through search — both on podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts) and on Google. Optimisation involves: keyword-relevant show title and description, episode titles that match audience search queries, detailed show notes published on a website with transcripts, proper podcast RSS feed structuring, episode-level schema markup (PodcastEpisode schema), and building backlinks to podcast episodes and the show's dedicated website page. Podcast SEO extends audience discovery beyond the platform's browse and recommendation algorithms.
Most podcast discovery happens through platform recommendations and host promotion — but search-based discovery provides a complementary channel for reaching listeners who are actively looking for content on specific topics. A well-optimised podcast episode can appear in Google Search results for informational queries, especially as Google has begun indexing and surfacing podcast content more prominently in search results.
Podcast SEO optimisation checklist
- Episode title — include the primary keyword naturally; match terms your audience actually searches for on podcast platforms
- Episode description — 150-300 words summarising the episode content with relevant keywords; not just a transcript preview
- Show notes page — a dedicated URL on your website for each episode with transcript, key highlights, links, and relevant keywords
- Transcript — full or edited transcript on the episode page provides indexable text content for Google
- PodcastSeries and PodcastEpisode schema — structured data marking up the show and episode metadata
- Keyword research for episodes — research what your audience searches for before choosing episode topics
- Consistent publishing — regular publishing schedule improves podcast platform algorithmic discovery
- Submit to all platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and Overcast
Google can index podcast audio content using automated transcription — it has been expanding its ability to surface podcast episodes in search results for relevant queries. However, audio indexing is less reliable and comprehensive than text indexing. Providing a written transcript on a dedicated episode web page ensures full and accurate indexation of the episode's content, regardless of Google's automated audio transcription capability. The transcript page also generates longer-tail keyword coverage from the episode content and provides an accessible version for deaf or hard-of-hearing listeners.
Very important — both for platform-level discovery and for Google indexation. Podcast platform algorithms (Spotify, Apple) use episode titles as primary relevance signals when matching listener search queries. Google uses episode titles as the primary anchor for indexing and ranking podcast content in search results. Episode titles should: include the primary search term your ideal listener would use to find this content, be descriptive and specific (rather than creative and clever), and accurately reflect the episode's core subject — misleading titles that over-promise and under-deliver harm listener retention.