Are you a content creator whose specialty is podcasting? Do you feel like you’re putting out great quality content that should capture the attention of listeners, yet you fail to see improvements in your ranking? It can be a very competitive market; after all, there are just so many podcasts to listen to that at times it can feel over-saturated.
To help you navigate these often-tricky waters, we’ve got six tips for making a podcast rank higher. Whether you choose to employ just one or give them all a try, there’s a good chance the results will be quick to occur.
Get Feedback from Listeners – Reviews and a Rating Help
Maybe you’ve listened to a podcast before where the person asks listeners to give a rating and review when they are finished. This isn’t just so you can gain insight from your listeners; instead, this can help you with your ranking. If you don’t include the request for a ranking and review in your closing statement, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Just be sure to word it in a way that is casual and vibes with the content of the podcast.
Your closing statement is also a great time to direct listeners to any social media accounts you may operate for the podcast. This could include Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
If you find that you’re still not getting many reviews and rankings, you may need to level up your efforts. Start including the call-out at the beginning of the episode, not just the end; read reviews during the podcast and give credit to listeners; or even offer free gifts and incentives to the first person to leave a review after each new podcast. It may take some creativity and time, but reviews and rankings should start happening.
Create a Consistent Schedule for Listeners to Follow
Listeners also need to know when to expect new podcasts to drop. While you may like the idea of uploading whenever the mood strikes, this isn’t a great way to build a loyal listenership or improve your rankings.
Determine what your schedule will be – how many days a week you’ll upload, what days and what time. This information then needs to be conveyed to listeners during your podcast. Many will finish their episode with a simple, “Don’t forget to catch us next week on the same date and time” or something to that effect.
Subscription to Your Podcast Is Important
It won’t be enough to just get people to listen, you want them to subscribe to your podcast. Again, this will take consistent effort on your part. You need to remind new listeners to tune in to subscribe and thank those who already have. Experts suggest you quickly explain how and where to subscribe on their screen, just so you take any confusion out of the equation.
As the number of subscribers grows, don’t be surprised to find your rankings also improve. Another expert tip is to offer subscribers early access to new podcasts, which acts as an incentive.
Search Engine Optimization Is Also Pivotal
Just as search engine optimization is important for blogs and other content you post online, it is pivotal for podcasts. You want to make it easy for people to find your podcast in a search, which also means you’ll be ranking much higher. Make sure the description you have created for your podcasts uses keywords that the search engine algorithm will pick up. The description should be brief and right to the point as well. It can be broken down into a description of the podcast, the series and then the episode using the same rules. Keep it brief and use relevant keywords.
What Platform Are You Using?
Then there is the platform that your podcast is residing in. Some are more popular than others, garnering more traffic. This means your odds of building a loyal subscriber base and improving your rankings can be greater.
The top platforms for listening to podcasts include Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio, YouTube and Amazon Music. Some other places to listen to podcasts that are a little less popular can include Google Podcasts, Facebook, Audible, Instagram and Pandora.
Once you choose a platform, you can then optimize your content for that platform and the kind of subscriber base you’ll attract there. It also means you can tweak the podcast’s show page. It should include such things as the title of the podcast, the follow/subscribe button, a description, the schedule and an eye-catching image that works as your logo.
Is the Content Unique and of Interest to Listeners?
The final question is whether or not you’re putting out the content that listeners want to tune in to. This takes a bit of a step back, as it can be hard to look at your content with a critical eye. Ask yourself if each episode can stand on its own and feels creative. Do you stand out from the other podcasts in your genre/category? Are you providing listeners with helpful information, or do you just want to be about the entertainment value?
One issue content creators can run into is rushing to put out podcasts just to ensure they’ve got something and they can stick to their schedule. In these cases, the content tends to reflect the rushed process and isn’t always going to be your best work. Instead, try using a content calendar. This means you plan out in advance what the topics will be so that you’re not scrambling last minute.
Begin with planning your content one month out and see how that works out. As you become more used to planning, you may want to plan a couple of months out.
There Are Many Steps You Can Take
As you can see from this list of tips, accepting a low ranking is neither necessary nor wise to do. Instead, it’s time to take action and use the steps that will advance your podcast, build its subscriber/follower count and work your way up on the rankings page so your podcast continues to grow.