How Does Being A Podcast Guest Help With Your Search Engine Optimisation?

Introduction To Seo And Podcasting

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a cornerstone for online visibility, driving organic traffic and enhancing the digital footprint of businesses and individuals alike. At its core, SEO involves optimizing web content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), thereby increasing exposure and accessibility. While traditional methods like keyword optimization, backlinking, and high-quality content creation are well-known strategies, an emerging yet potent avenue is podcasting.

What are backlinks?

Backlinks are simply "links" from one website to another, and they play a key role in improving your website’s search engine ranking. When a reputable website links to your content, it acts as a vote of confidence, signalling to search engines like Google that your site offers valuable information. The more quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy your site appears to search engines, which can help your content rank higher in search results. In the context of podcasts, backlinks are often found in show notes, where the host links to your website or social media profiles, giving your site an SEO boost. 

The person posting the text to the internet adds the URL of your website to a dialogue box like this one, which search engines and humans both follow to go to the other site of interest. It's as low tech as that!

Podcasting and SEO

Podcasting has rapidly evolved from a niche market to a mainstream medium, attracting millions of listeners worldwide. As more people tune in to podcasts for information and entertainment, being a guest on these platforms offers unique SEO advantages. Engaging as a podcast guest allows you to tap into pre-existing audiences, generate high-quality backlinks from show notes and host websites, and enhance your brand's authority within your industry.

This synergy between podcasting and SEO can significantly elevate your online presence when executed strategically. Simply put, podcasts generate a massive amount of content as video, audio and text all of which gets "linked" together, increasing the credibility of each page which is in the chain of "backlinks."

Building Quality Backlinks Through Podcast Appearances

Building quality backlinks is a cornerstone of effective search engine optimization (SEO), and being a podcast guest can significantly contribute to this effort. When you appear on a podcast, the host typically provides show notes, a transcript is generated on the players, and an episode summary will most likely be placed on their website too. These notes often include links to your website, social media profiles, and any resources you mention during the conversation.

These backlinks are valuable because they come from reputable sources within your industry, thereby enhancing your site’s authority in the eyes of search engines like Google.

Moreover, podcasts are frequently shared across various platforms and networks, expanding the reach of these backlinks even further. Each share or mention increases the chances of additional sites linking back to your content. This network effect not only drives direct traffic but also signals to search engines that your website is a credible source of information. Over time, these high-quality backlinks can improve your search engine rankings, making it easier for potential clients or customers to find you online.

Increasing Brand Visibility And Authority

Being a podcast guest significantly enhances your brand's visibility and authority in the digital landscape, which can positively impact your search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. When you appear on a podcast, you are introduced to the host's audience, often composed of listeners who may not have been previously aware of your brand. This expanded reach not only drives direct traffic to your website but also increases the likelihood of other sites linking back to your content.

These backlinks are crucial for SEO as they signal to search engines that your site is a credible and valuable resource.

Furthermore, sharing insightful and authoritative content during the podcast establishes you as an expert in your field. As listeners begin to associate your name with reliable information, they are more likely to search for you online and engage with your content. This increased engagement sends positive signals to search engines, further improving your site's ranking and overall online presence.

The guest name and company name, plus what ever key words they can remember to include in the conversation are then included in show notes, and in the live transcripts now available on players in Apple Podcasts.

In this case - with Raúl Galera of Referral Candy. 

Leveraging Show Notes For Enhanced Seo

Leveraging show notes for enhanced SEO offers a strategic advantage for podcast guests looking to amplify their digital presence. Show notes, essentially the written summaries accompanying podcast episodes, often include key details about the discussion, guest profiles, and relevant links. When you appear as a guest on a podcast, your name and website link are frequently included in these notes. These backlinks are valuable assets in the world of search engine optimisation as they signal to search engines that your site is credible and relevant.

Besides that, well-crafted show notes with keywords related to your expertise can enhance discoverability. If the podcast host optimises these notes with appropriate tags and descriptions, it increases the likelihood that search engines will index this content favourably. This can result in higher rankings on search results pages when potential clients or collaborators search for topics you discussed during the episode.

Therefore, being featured in show notes not only boosts visibility but also strengthens your overall SEO strategy by creating high-quality backlinks and improving keyword relevance.

Driving Traffic To Your Website From Search Engines

Being a guest on podcasts can significantly drive traffic to your website, enhancing your search engine optimization (SEO) in the process. When you appear on a podcast, the show will be indexed by google, like this show with Raúl Galera. You can see that within just a few hours of the show airing, his name and that of Referral Candy is creating more backlinks to their site.

In the podcast guest blueprint course I talk about preparing stories and having key messages. By discussing topics related to your expertise the conversation allows you to naturally mention relevant keywords and phrases during the conversation, which can be transcribed and indexed by search engines. It all ties back to the SEO.

The exposure from being featured on multiple podcasts increases brand awareness and establishes you as an authority in your field. Listeners who find value in what you share are likely to visit your site for more information, products, or services. This organic traffic is highly valuable because it consists of engaged users who are genuinely interested in what you offer, leading to lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates—both critical factors for improving SEO performance.

Amplification via social sharing and tagging

Finally, let's not forget that podcast hosts and guests  promote episodes on their own social channels and websites, often tagging one another in the process. This cross-promotion connects the guest with the community of the host, like in this case when Jim has posted the interview short on his LinkedIn and tagged Raúl, and then Raúl has done the same. Of course this can happen on any social media channel.

All of these interactions indicate to search algorithms that your content is engaging and relevant, which can improve your website’s visibility in search results.

SEO Links Are Reason Enough To Be a Podcast Guest

In conclusion, podcast guesting offers a wealth of opportunities for enhancing your SEO strategy and boosting your online presence. From building high-quality backlinks and driving organic traffic to increasing brand authority and visibility, the SEO benefits of podcasts are substantial.

As more businesses and individuals embrace the podcasting medium, leveraging it for SEO can help you stand out from the competition. By appearing on relevant podcasts, optimising show notes, and engaging with new audiences, you can strengthen your digital footprint and ensure long-term growth for your brand.

"Podcast guesting isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s a powerful SEO asset."

In fact, as one podcast guest on The UnNoticed Entrepreneur show told me he was only only my show for the backlinks.

And his company was an SEO consultancy!