Podcast Show Notes
Text summaries and supplemental content published alongside podcast episodes. Essential for SEO as they provide indexable text for audio content, improve discovery, and create valuable landing pages for each episode.
Why It Matters
Audio content isn't indexable by search engines. Show notes make podcasts discoverable in search, ranking for keywords discussed in episodes. Comprehensive show notes can drive 40-60% of podcast traffic through search rather than just platform discovery.
How It Works
Show notes provide written summaries, timestamps, key quotes, and links for each episode. Search engines index this text, allowing episodes to rank for topics discussed. Well-optimized show notes target keywords, include transcripts, and provide context that audio alone can't convey to crawlers.
Use Cases
- A marketing podcast publishes 2,000-word show notes with timestamps, ranking #1 for 'content marketing strategies 2025'
- A true crime podcast creates detailed episode summaries with case names, locations, and people, ranking for specific crime searches
- A tech interview show includes full transcripts and quotes, ranking for 'CEO name interview' branded searches
Best Practices
- Write 500-1500 word show notes minimum - longer for in-depth episodes
- Include timestamps for major topics so users can jump to relevant sections
- Add key quotes from the episode verbatim to capture voice search queries
- Target primary keyword in title, URL, and first paragraph of show notes
- Link to relevant resources, guests' sites, and previous episodes for internal linking
- Include full transcripts when possible for maximum SEO value and accessibility
Frequently Asked Questions
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