Keyword research is a critical aspect of success when getting found online. While there are more than 200 factors used within the Google algorithm, keywords are still one of the key factors for getting found. So in this article, we will show how to do keyword research for podcast episodes.
Why Complete Keyword Research?
Keywords drive search algorithms. It is how Google helps to rank a website page for certain criteria. Without featuring a keyword strategy on your podcast or YouTube episodes, then you’re going to struggle to attract new audiences to your show.
And it is important to think about the audience’s language that they’re using, rather than the language that you’re using.
For instance, you might want to use a term like ‘Online Marketing’ but your audience will prefer to use something like ‘Digital Marketing’. By using the wrong keywords, you will be displayed lower in search results and this can have a massive impact on traffic.
Being featured in the top three results will yield 70% of searchers reaching your show. However, ranking 10th, even though you’re on the first page, will mean that you will only attract 1% of the traffic from search.
Therefore, choosing the right keywords and getting that SEO right can make a massive impact on the audience you attract.
Where to Place Keywords on a Website
There are numerous locations where you will need to place keywords within your podcast content. For instance, the episode name, show notes and image metadata should all include the keywords to ensure you achieve the best results.
But there are risks. In the early development of the internet and search engine optimization, there was a demand to include too many keywords within a piece of text. This tactic, known as keyword stuffing, was highly successful for many businesses for a short time, but then Google penalized the practice. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you keep the keyword density to a level that is approximately 1 – 2%, or one word for every one hundred words. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.
In addition, using keywords as part of headings and within the first and last paragraphs is also helpful. It is important to note that the keyword used in the meta description does not count as part of the keyword density.
What to Look for in Keywords
The strength of a keyword can be determined by two metrics: the search volume and the competition. The search volume is the number of times the keyword is used. Some tools can tell you based on the audience’s location but some will use global statistics.
The competition is how hard it is to rank for the keyword, based on the usage by other brands. A high-volume keyword will have high competition, but this is not always true. Sometimes you can find a keyword with high volume, but no competition. These are the best keywords, but they are hard to find.
What is best is to have lots of podcast episodes, with different keywords, one or two for each episode. This lets you attract a large audience, using lots of low-competition keywords.
How to do Keyword Research
There are numerous ways that you can do keyword research for your podcast episodes. You must attempt several of these tactics because different tools collect information from various sources and provide unique insights for your business.
So here are some of the options that you can use for keywords.
Check Your Competitors Out
If you know that your competitors are bringing in audiences, then you can check their website to see what keywords they’re using. There are numerous tools available that can do this which can include WordStream, Ubersuggest, and more.
All you need to do is enter the website URL and it will return a series of keywords. Usually, you will also get the keyword search volume and the keyword competition. So you can look at where you can outcompete your competitors using the keywords.
Use a Keyword Tool
Another way to find keywords is to use a keyword tool. There are numerous tools for this, with Ahrefs one of the top options. All you need to do with this is to enter a word you want to utilize on the podcast and then you can find a lot of common keywords that are associated with the word.
You might for instance find that marketing will return keywords like online marketing, social media marketing, and free marketing.
In addition, with Ahrefs, you will be given keywords, but also questions that are asked with the keyword included. Using these questions can help you appear in search results.
Google Trends
If you want to stay on trend with world events, and you’re struggling with your episode ideas, then you can use Google Trends to find out what topics are currently popular in Google search.
There are lots of advantages to this tactic, one that you’re going to be ahead of the competition by matching the trends of what audiences want. In addition, these keywords usually don’t attract much attention from brands, so you have less competition and can rank high. You might also benefit because these keywords will be used within Google News, which can yield significant traffic boosts to your episodes.
If you do a Google search, as you’re typing search suggestions will display. This can be a good way to find keywords that Google thinks you need to use. Therefore, try this tactic if you’re stuck for keywords.
This is a harder tactic to make work because you don’t know the competition level or the usage of the keyword. So it should only be used when you’re running low on options.
FAQs
How many keywords should I have per episode?
It is important to have one major keyword per episode and perhaps a couple of secondary keywords for each episode.
How long should a keyword be?
A keyword can be as long as you want, but shorter keywords have more chance of being searched.
Should you use keywords that have grammatical errors in them?
Sometimes keywords can include grammatical errors. However, you don’t need to use these, you should focus on your style and what your core audience will prefer.
Final Word: How to Keyword Research for Podcasts to Maximum Search
Want more audience? Try finding them with keyword research. Above are the key ways that professional SEO experts use to complete keyword research. Use these to add to podcast titles, descriptions, and the metadata of the episode/images.
Produce Your Podcast is a full-service podcast production, editing, and marketing agency specializing in helping brands launch, grow, and monetize successful podcasts that impact their bottom line. With 30+ years of experience in both broadcasting and business development brought to every project we work on, our team of experts is a reliable partner to help you achieve your goals with your show.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today and let’s bring your show to life!
