How to Plan Podcast Episodes Around Search Demand

Podcasters always have a lot to talk about. They love yapping about things they’re passionate about, and sometimes, that’s all they need to grow a following. People connect right away and become loyal listeners.

That’s amazing. I love that for you. But isn’t the goal to reach new listeners, too?

And that’s where SEO comes into play.

Search demand can help you identify topics that interest you AND that your audience is looking for.

That doesn’t mean your episodes have to feel stuffy or salesy. They can still have your personality, opinions, and stories, just about topics you AND your audience want to talk/hear about.

So, how can a podcast increase SEO? The answer has less to do with Spotify or Apple Podcasts and more to do with the content you publish on your website.

How Can a Podcast Increase SEO?

Your podcast doesn’t improve SEO just because it exists on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. The SEO opportunity comes from what you do with each episode on your own website.

Every episode gives you another opportunity to create valuable, search-focused content on your website. 

You can create a dedicated blog post with:

• Optimized show notes with more information about the topic than what you covered in the episode
• FAQs (optimized, of course!)
• Links to related freebies, blogs, or resources
• Links to your products or services
• The episode embedded on the page

Over time, these pages start to rank for the questions and topics your potential customers are already searching for on Google. Then they find your podcast/show notes and start learning from you.

Your podcast can also help you build authority. Blogs do the same thing. By posting new content around your expertise, search engines and readers begin to know, like, and trust you as an industry leader.

And because podcast episodes can be repurposed into blog posts, social content, and email marketing, one strategically planned conversation can become several opportunities to put your business in front of the right people.

Think of your podcast as the content, and your website’s show notes as the SEO opportunity. Your podcast can live on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, but your website is where you can strategically optimize the content for search.

Will Google rank my website higher because I have a podcast?

No. Having a podcast isn’t an SEO ranking factor, but it can help you rank when you turn episodes into website content.

And that doesn’t mean copying the transcript of the episode into a blog and posting it on your website. Please don’t do that. No one wants to read a giant transcript.

Show notes formatted as a valuable blog post will attract new people from search results, and that’s the SEO benefit of having a podcast.

Here’s how you can start to plan your podcast around what your audience is searching for.

1. Research What Your Audience Is Already Searching For

Understanding how a podcast can increase SEO starts with keyword research to identify questions, problems, and topics related to your industry.

That doesn’t mean finding the highest-volume keyword you can. Higher volume usually means more competition, and as a small business, it’s difficult to compete with larger brands targeting that keyword.

Lower-volume keywords can be more beneficial to target, especially because that’s how people naturally search now. They type full sentences or questions in search to get more specific answers.

A low-volume keyword can still attract highly qualified listeners because it’s super specific. You might bring only 5 people to your website with that keyword, but those 5 people have a great chance of becoming loyal listeners because you’re giving them exactly what they searched.

Think about what your audience needs to know and find a keyword that aligns with that intent.

2. Turn Search Queries Into Podcast Episode Ideas

A keyword doesn’t have to be the exact episode title, but you can use search intent to brainstorm engaging podcast topics. Look at the question behind the keyword and build the episode around answering it.

Example:

• Search query/keyword: “how to create a content strategy”
• Search intent: This person wants a step-by-step process for creating a content strategy.
• Podcast episode: “How to Build a Content Strategy That Supports Your Business Goals”

Thinking about search intent first gives you the best chance of conversions later because you’re attracting the right people to your podcast episode and show notes.

And try to switch up search demand to diversify your content bank.

• Informational
• Comparisons
• Problem-based
• Local
• Branded

3. Look for Questions You Can Answer Better Than the Existing Results

This is low-key my favorite hack. Search the keyword before committing to an episode.

Look at what shows up on the first page of Google, and identify gaps, such as:

• What are the existing pages missing?
• Are the answers outdated?
• Could you explain it better?
• Do you have experience or an opinion that adds something different?

Search is a competition. If you can provide a better answer, you’ll start to outrank your competitors and earn new traffic and listeners.

And don’t forget that your perspective is what makes the episode valuable. YOU are why people tune in. Your stories and personality can be enough to set you apart from competitors.

4. Build a Podcast Series Around Related Search Topics

One keyword, question, or search intent can lead to several related podcast topic ideas.

Even better, turn closely related topics into a series. You’ll keep listeners coming back for more and fully deep-dive into the topic, giving Google a valuable resource to recommend in search results.

Then, on your website, you can turn each episode into optimized show notes. Then you can write a cornerstone blog that connects them all. This also gives you lots of internal linking opportunities so people keep clicking and exploring your website.

So basically, I just gave you the strategy for how a podcast can increase SEO. You’re welcome.

5. Plan the Episode Around the Searcher’s Intent

Once you’ve selected a topic, identify what your audience actually wants to know. Keywords don’t always do that, but intent gives you some context.

Here’s where you can find more information about your topic’s search intent:

• The pages that come up in search results
• What Google tries to predict when you’re typing a query
• People Also Ask questions

Then, build the episode outline around answering those questions. You’ll be talking about things people actually want to know about and set yourself up for SEO success in your show notes.

6. Repurpose the Episode Into Search-Friendly Content

Podcasts are one of the easiest pieces of content to repurpose, especially if you also record a video.

Turn each episode into:

• A blog post
• Show notes
• FAQ content
• Social media posts
• Email content
• Short-form video
• YouTube video

One well-planned episode can become multiple pieces of searchable content.

And when you post long-form show notes to your website, embed the listen link and YouTube video if you have it. Google loves seeing multimedia in blog posts. It gives readers multiple ways to interact with your content and keeps them on the page longer.

8. Review Your Data and Let It Shape Future Episodes

Using data to brainstorm future topics is one way your podcast can improve SEO.

Look at which podcast topics generate:

• Traffic
• Engagement
• Downloads
• Conversions

Google Search Console helps you see which queries bring people to the show notes on your website.

But remember that performance data shouldn’t completely dictate what you talk about on your podcast. It’s just as beneficial to listen to your audience and talk about things you’re passionate about. Chances are, your audience is interested in that topic, too.

Let Search Demand Guide Your Podcast, Not Control It

Your podcast should still sound like your brand and reflect your expertise. This isn’t to say that you should never talk about the things you’re passionate about and only use search demand to influence your episode topics.

It’s just another way to understand what your audience wants to learn. And if you’re struggling to think of podcast topics, you can lean on search demand for help.

The goal is to create episodes around topics people already care about while adding the perspective and expertise only you can bring. You just get an added SEO bonus when you post optimized show notes on your website.

If you aren’t posting show notes on your website, you aren’t taking full advantage of your podcast. It’s one of the best ways to grow your podcast and business. If you want help, I can write long-form, search-optimized show notes for your website. Let’s chat!