How to Improve Podcast Discoverability and Grow Your Show

Podcast Discoverability Struggles: Why Great Episodes Aren’t Enough

Leah Bryant [00:00:00 - 00:00:54]:
[00:00:00] Foreign. [00:00:02] Welcome back to the Podcasting Problem Solver. [00:00:05] I'm Leah Bryant, your go to Podcast growth strategist, and I investigate podcast growth problems so you can stop guessing and start converting. [00:00:15] Have you ever listened back to one of your episodes and thought, gosh, this was so good, that sound quality was solid. [00:00:22] I explained things so awesome, I didn't ramble for 40 minutes about nothing. [00:00:29] But then you go look and your downloads are just kind of sitting there, not moving, and you realize that there's no new listeners coming in, no fresh leads popping in your inbox, no, hey, I found your podcast and listened to all these episodes messages sliding in your DMs. [00:00:48] Well, if that's you, I want you to hear me when I say this. [00:00:52] You're doing half of it really well.

Mastering Podcast Content vs. Visibility

Leah Bryant [00:00:54 - 00:01:43]:
[00:00:54] The content part, you've got that down. [00:00:57] It's the visibility part that needs a little work. [00:01:01] And today we're going to talk about how to bridge that gap, how to make sure the content you're already creating gets found without burning yourself out on social media or second guessing your talent. [00:01:14] One of the biggest myths that I see, especially with established business owners, is this idea that great content automatically gets found. [00:01:24] Like, if the episodes are good enough, the algorithm will just eventually notice. [00:01:29] Or if I stay consistent, discovery will kick in. [00:01:34] Or my personal favorite, if people like it, the platforms will share it. [00:01:41] Oh, my heavens to Betsy.

The Truth About Podcast Algorithms

Leah Bryant [00:01:43 - 00:02:12]:
[00:01:43] I really wish that that were true. [00:01:46] Here's the thing, though. [00:01:47] Podcast platforms, they don't reward quality. [00:01:52] No, sir, no, ma'. [00:01:53] Am. [00:01:53] They reward specificity. [00:01:56] And those two things are completely different. [00:02:00] You can have incredible episodes that no one ever finds because the algorithm doesn't experience your podcasts the same way a human does.

Podcast SEO: How Algorithms Really Work

Leah Bryant [00:02:13 - 00:02:41]:
[00:02:13] So let me explain. [00:02:14] The robots are not listening. [00:02:17] Okay? [00:02:17] They're scanning. [00:02:19] Which brings us to the real issue here. [00:02:21] Humans are listening to your podcast, and algorithms don't. [00:02:26] Right. [00:02:27] They're looking for signals like your titles, your descriptions, your episode structure, your keywords, your consistency of topics and patterns across your catalog. [00:02:38] They're trying to answer one very basic question.

Answering “Who Is This For?” with Your Podcast

Leah Bryant [00:02:41 - 00:03:13]:
[00:02:41] Who is this for? [00:02:43] Because when that question is answered, then they will know when to surface it. [00:02:48] And if your podcast doesn't clearly answer that question, well, the platform kind of shrugs and move on. [00:02:56] And this is where I see podcasters get stuck. [00:02:59] They're thinking like creators. [00:03:01] This episode was valuable. [00:03:03] And. [00:03:03] And I explained it really well, people who listen will love it. [00:03:08] And while that may be true, the algorithm is thinking like a filing system.

Podcast Titles, Descriptions & Consistency: Your Discoverability Toolkit

Leah Bryant [00:03:13 - 00:03:49]:
[00:03:13] Your episode isn't clearly labeled, and it doesn't matter. [00:03:17] How brilliant. [00:03:18] What's inside that folder? [00:03:20] The algorithm can't file it, so it's not going to show it to anyone. [00:03:24] And here's the part that is going to sting a little. [00:03:27] Most podcasts that I audit, the content is really, really good. [00:03:32] Like actually really good. [00:03:34] The struggle comes from something else entirely. [00:03:38] Episode titles are clever, vague, or more like of an insider joke, and their descriptions kind of tell a story without really signaling any relevance.

Clarity Over Cleverness in Podcast Marketing

Leah Bryant [00:03:50 - 00:04:37]:
[00:03:50] And every episode sounds like it could be for a different audience. [00:03:54] There's no consistent language around the problem that they're really solving. [00:03:58] So to a human, the podcasts, sure, it feels thoughtful and nuanced, but to the algorithm, it feels. [00:04:06] Well, write down confusing and confusion is going to kill your discoverability every single time. [00:04:12] And listen, if you're hearing this and thinking, wait, is my podcast confusing the algorithm right now? [00:04:20] Well, that's exactly what I help you figure out. [00:04:22] Inside a Git Found audit. [00:04:24] We look specifically at everything the algorithm sees. [00:04:28] Your show title and description, your categories, your episode titles and descriptions, your structure, all your visibility signals.

Get Found Audit: Podcast Visibility Secrets

Leah Bryant [00:04:37 - 00:05:29]:
[00:04:37] And I uncover why the algorithm is skipping over you. [00:04:41] The link is below to book yours now. [00:04:43] And if you use the code podcast P O D C A S T, you'll receive a special thank you for being a listener. [00:04:52] Now, I did an audit recently where the host was doing everything right by human standards, with strong conversations, clear expertise, and the clients loved her. [00:05:05] But the growth had completely plateaued, and when I looked under the hood of her podcast, so to speak, the issues jumped out at me immediately. [00:05:15] The name of her podcast was extremely fun, but not helpful. [00:05:20] The description was two sentences. [00:05:23] Her episode titles were poetic, beautiful, honestly, and totally unsearchable.

Case Study: Transforming Podcast SEO and Discoverability

Leah Bryant [00:05:30 - 00:06:42]:
[00:05:30] Her descriptions were reflective and way too vague, and every episode focused on a different angle of her work without tying it back to a core problem. [00:05:40] Once we clarified who the show was for and what problem it solves, and then made sure her show name, description, and episode structure all reinforced that message. [00:05:52] You know what happened? [00:05:53] Her show started appearing in search results she had never shown up in before. [00:05:58] And that's the difference between sounding good and being found. [00:06:02] And this is the attraction phase of my seamless podcast framework. [00:06:07] The part where we make sure people can find you because you can have the best strategy in the world, you can execute flawlessly. [00:06:16] But if no one discovers your show, none of that matters, because attraction is about answering. [00:06:25] What language is my audience using when they search, how do I show up in those searches, and what signals am I sending to the algorithm right now, and are they working when your attraction is dialed in, everything shifts.

Podcast Growth Transformation: From Invisible to Unmissable

Leah Bryant [00:06:42 - 00:07:24]:
[00:06:42] You start appearing in search results you've never ranked for. [00:06:46] New listeners are finding you organically. [00:06:49] Your downloads are growing without you having to post more on social. [00:06:53] Can I get an amen and a hallelujah and thank you and all things? [00:06:58] We aren't here to game the system with SEO. [00:07:02] Nope, we're not. [00:07:03] But we are here to speak the language the algorithm understands so it can connect you with the people already looking for what you teach. [00:07:12] And if you're sitting here thinking, man, my podcast sounds so good, I just need someone to tell me why it's not showing up anywhere. [00:07:19] Well, that Get Found how did I mention earlier that's exactly what it's designed to do.

Your Podcast Isn’t Broken, It Just Needs Translation

Leah Bryant [00:07:24 - 00:08:04]:
[00:07:24] I look at the stuff hiding in plain sight, the signals you're sending without realizing it, and I figure out what to change. [00:07:32] So you start getting found. [00:07:34] Here's what I want you to take away from this episode. [00:07:37] A lack of growth doesn't mean you're bad at podcasting. [00:07:42] It doesn't mean you're not cut out for this. [00:07:46] And it doesn't mean that podcasting, quote, unquote, doesn't work for your business. [00:07:51] None of that, okay? [00:07:53] What it means is that your show just hasn't been translated properly for the platform it lives on. [00:07:59] And you know what the best thing about that is? [00:08:02] All of that is fixable.

Ready for Growth? Book Your Get Found Audit Today

Leah Bryant [00:08:04 - 00:08:26]:
[00:08:04] If this episode clicked for you, make sure you're following the show. [00:08:08] And if you're ready to stop guessing and get found, you know what to do. [00:08:13] Click that link below and book your Get Found audit today. [00:08:17] And remember, keep your podcast purposeful, keep your podcast visible, and keep your growth seamless. [00:08:25] And I'll see you next time.