Get Your Podcast To Rank Higher On Spotify Through Quality Search Engine Optimization

I’m betting big on not just Podcasting but Podcasting via Spotify.

As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for ways to create more traffic, standout from the competition and new platforms that enable me as a content creator and business person to build my own personal distribution channel.

There have been times where I’ve been ahead of the game when it comes to trends, like when I was able to get to the top of Google Search for my first business and get years of free and organic traffic to my site, which saved me from financial ruin and also give me my first 6 figure business.

I also benefited from being an early adopter of Facebook Pages before I had any clue as to how important that traffic was, but it allowed me to grow a quick following in the hundreds of thousands around my automotive sites that distributed my products.

And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I’ve used LinkedIn as a platform for me to launch courses, my podcast, plus several other streams of income and essentially given me a doorway to create a 6 figure side hustle that takes less than 10 hours per week for me to run.

My Misses: More recently I missed the boat on the explosive growth on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok & YouTube. When Instagram rose, I completely missed it and it wasn’t a point of my life when I was focused on being an Entrepreneur. Same with TikTok, while I appreciate its highly viral nature, it’s been over exploited and from all accounts seems like a hard place to squeeze consistently for traffic.

But here is what I’ve been absolutely obsessed with lately: Spotify and the investments they have made into growing Podcasting on their platform. I think they are dead on the money and positioning themselves for massive growth in the future.

Here is what I’m talking about when it comes to Podcasting and the investments they have made:

#1 Anchor - “Anchor is a podcasting platform and app that allows users to create, distribute, and monetize their own podcasts. It was founded in 2015 and acquired by Spotify in 2019.

With Anchor, users can record, edit, and publish their podcast episodes directly from their smartphone or computer, without needing any specialized equipment or software. The app also provides users with tools to distribute their podcast to major podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, as well as social media channels like Twitter and Facebook.

One of Anchor's unique features is its monetization options, which allow podcasters to earn money from their content through listener donations, sponsorships, and in-app advertisements. Anchor also provides analytics to help podcasters track their audience growth and engagement.

Overall, Anchor aims to make podcasting more accessible and democratized, allowing anyone with a smartphone and a story to share their voice and connect with a global audience.”

#2 Video Podcasts – I was lucky to be included in a Beta version of Podcast Video for Spotify. Using Anchor allowed me to record interviews via Zoom and upload them to the site which distributed a video version to Spotify and audio version to all the other platforms. I believe that Spotify is aiming to take a chunk of the market away from YouTube and they are pushing hard to get people to view videos on the once ‘audio only’ platform.

#3 Patreon – Spotify also announced a partnership with Patreon, a site where users can put up exclusive content behind a paywall and allow users to subscribe to that content.

Podcasting is a great way for you to create a strong bond with your audience and listeners and monetize this down the road. Position yourself NOW on this platform so you can be reaping the rewards LATER.

Let’s talk about Search Engine optimization for Spotify and some of the ways that you can focus on ranking higher on the platform.

Spotify SEO tip #1 – Spotify Podcast Ratings

Spotify allows users to listen to 60 seconds of your podcast and then will unlock the ability to rate it from 1 to 5 starts. Make sure you have a call to action inside of your podcast episode asking people to do this because  most people won’t remember to.

Spotify SEO tip #2 – Short descriptions

Its easy to think that a longer description will help you in the Spotify Search Engine Rankings, although it actually could be more damaging that you realize. Spotify recommends:

• Limit them to three or four sentences.
• Make the first 120 characters count.
• Include important keywords and guests’ names.
• Create a connection with the episode title.
• Avoid filler words and spoilers.

Spotify SEO tip #3 – Maximize your descriptions & information. According to Spotify, these are very important SEO elements to consider when creating or updating your podcast:

• Category tags relating to your podcast content
• Social media links
• Website link
• Your name and podcast title

Spotify SEO tip #4 – Use Catchy Images. I love that I can upload unique thumbnail photos for each episode. I’ve got several templates available with a large font and easy to change the design on. I make sure I have one very clear artwork for the entire podcast then on each episode I make a custom art.

3,000 x 3,000 pixels

Square image

Clear, high-quality graphics or illustrations

Feature your podcast name and logo

Spotify SEO tip #5 – Your Show Description. Make sure your podcast has a well thought out show description that uses keywords and phrases that detail the majority of the episodes you have or will have. Think about over arching themes and also, ‘what would my ideal audience be looking for’ if they were searching for me.

Here are some Spotify Search Engine Guidelines for your shows description:

Stick to a hundred characters or less.

Introduce yourself.

Include the keyword.

Sprinkle in some related secondary keywords.

Link your socials.

Click Here to find more best practices directly from Spotify about how to rank your podcast higher on the platform.

Final thoughts:

Now, implement this Spotify Search Engine tips into your podcast and remember to post consistently and think about the long term picture of what you want. Remember that 44% of podcasters never even publish more than 10 episodes so once you are past that, you’re already in the top 56%.

One last request, if you are a driven professional or entrepreneur, I invite you to subscribe to the Mindset Hackers Podcast where I discuss Money, Motivation and Mindset!