In short: Podcast search runs on words. Give the show a description that says what it covers in plain language, title each episode with its subject and a guest name where it helps, and publish show notes or a transcript so the words exist on a page. Platform ranking rules are not public, so put your effort where you have control.
Most podcast search is about words. A listener types what they want to hear about, and the platform matches it against the show name, the description, the episode titles and any text you publish. You control all four, so start there, and leave the rest of the platform's workings for later.
What you control
- The show name. Keep the name you chose. Put the subject into the subtitle or the description, so a search for the topic can find you.
- The description. Write the first two sentences as the answer to a question: who the show is for and what it covers. Use the words a listener would type, not clever phrases.
- Episode titles. Name the subject, then the guest. "What a clinker hull costs to restore and how long it takes, with Dan Ashby" tells a search engine far more than "Episode 14".
- Show notes and transcripts. Words on a page give search engines something to read. An audio file on its own gives them very little.
- A web page for the show. A page on your own site with the episodes written out is the one place you own outright.
What you cannot control
Platforms do not publish their full ranking rules, so be wary of any guide that promises a formula. Some of what affects where a show appears sits with the platform, including its own decisions about featuring and what listeners do once they find you. Work on the things above and judge your progress over months, not days.
Five steps to take this week
- Search for your subject in two or three podcast apps. Note what appears and which words the top results use in their titles.
- Rewrite the show description so the first sentence states the subject in plain words.
- Retitle your last three episodes. Keep the names, and add the subject.
- Publish show notes and a transcript with the next episode.
- Choose categories that match the subject, and check they stay the same across the platforms you use.
A worked example
A fictional show about boatyards has the episode title "Episode 14: conversations at the yard". After a search for "restoring wooden boats" finds nothing from the show, the title becomes "Restoring a clinker hull, with Dan Ashby", and the first line of the description names the subject. The transcript goes up with the episode. Nothing else changes, and the episode now carries the words its listeners search for.
Common mistakes
- Clever titles that nobody would search for. "The Hull Truth" tells nobody what the episode is about.
- Changing the show name after launch, so the old listings and links stop pointing at the show.
- Episodes with no words anywhere, just audio.
- Keyword lists stuffed into the description. A list reads badly and gives a reader nothing to act on.
- Judging the results after one week.
Getting the words done
Writing show notes and transcripts for every episode is the step most shows skip. Granary's publishing add-on, described on the podcast production page, is £195 +VAT per episode and is added to any recording booking. It runs from the locked edit and the transcript. The show notes template is the free way to do it yourself. For a longer plan, the promotion is the problem, 30-day launch plan guide sets out what to do in the first month after launch.
Related guides
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
How do I get a podcast found in search?
Use plain words for the subject in the show name or subtitle, the first sentence of the description and every episode title. Publish show notes or a transcript so the words exist on a page as well as in the audio.
Does a podcast need a website for search?
Not to start, but a page for the show with each episode written out is the one place you control completely, and search engines can read it directly.
Can I change a podcast name to improve search?
You can, but changing it early costs less, because fewer listings and links point at the old name. If the name is weak and the show has not launched, change it now.
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