Podcast SEO — also known as PSO, for Podcast Search Optimization — is the art of ranking your podcast at the top of Apple Podcasts and Spotify search results. Learn the Podcast SEO method, audit your show and take action — with Ausha.
Podcast SEO (PSO) gathers all the techniques that make your podcast findable on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where listeners actually search. It's SEO applied to audio search engines.
Over 60% of plays start with a direct search inside Apple Podcasts or Spotify — not Google. And yet, most podcasters still optimize their show for the web. That's exactly the gap Podcast SEO fills.
Podcast SEO works on three levers: metadata (title, description, keywords), engagement signals (completion rate, follows, ratings) and semantic consistency between your title, your episodes, and your listener's query.
Each platform has its logic: Apple Podcasts favors semantics, Spotify favors retention. Understanding both is the key to a sustainable Podcast SEO (PSO) strategy.
Apple's #1 lever. An exact keyword match in the title weighs much more than anywhere else. Think 'brand + descriptor'.
Apple also reads the 'author' field as a signal. Combine with the short subtitle (255 chars) to multiply your angles.
Quality signals (5 stars, recent follows) consolidate rank but don't create it alone. Semantics come first.
Spotify is obsessed with engagement. The further your listeners go, the more the algorithm pushes you to similar profiles.
Spotify analyzes all text content including episode notes. A rich, natural description makes the difference.
Consistency is rewarded. A stable rhythm (weekly, bi-weekly) is a reliability signal Spotify factors into ranking.
An indicative Podcast SEO score based on the 6 criteria that actually move the needle in Apple Podcasts and Spotify algorithms.
Find what your listeners actually type. Volume, intent, competition — a good keyword is findable, not saturated.
Title, subtitle, author, description, category, episode keywords. Everything must converge semantically toward your target queries.
Measure your rank on every keyword, every platform, every country. Without tracking, Podcast SEO is pure intuition.
Podcast SEO is not one-and-done. Seasons, trends, new competitors: position must be defended. Monthly, ideally.
A method without tools stays theoretical. Here's the stack we recommend to serious podcasters.
The only platform combining hosting, keyword research, rank tracking and optimization recommendations in a single dashboard. Built for podcasters and marketing teams.
Start free trialPit your podcast against a competitor and instantly see who dominates the Apple Podcasts SERP.
Launch PodWars6 complete lessons to master Podcast SEO (PSO) from A to Z, by the experts who created the method.
Watch lessonsNo difference: Podcast SEO and PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) both describe the same discipline. Classic SEO optimizes for Google (web pages, links, text content). Podcast SEO optimizes for the internal search engines of listening platforms — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music. Signals, weights and levers differ: on these platforms, what matters is title, description and audio engagement, not backlinks.
Metadata changes (title, description) are picked up by Apple within days, by Spotify within 1-2 weeks. A meaningful rank move usually takes 4-8 weeks of consistency and sustained engagement.
Not necessarily the brand name, but the full title (which can include a descriptor) almost always benefits from a keyword. Winning format: 'Brand — Semantic descriptor'. E.g.: 'Sismique — The podcast that makes science accessible'.
Yes — and that's where it has the most impact. With few plays, pure semantics make the difference. A well-named, well-described podcast in a clear niche can climb fast on long-tail queries.
Technically yes, but without rank tracking you're flying blind. You'd need: a spreadsheet to manually track rank (every day, every query, every platform, every country), and iron discipline. Most serious podcasters pick up a tool within 2 months.
This guide is published by the team at Ausha, the podcast platform that created the PSO (Podcast Search Optimization) discipline and the first Podcast SEO Control Panel — keyword research, rank tracking, recommendations and optimization, now available standalone whatever your hosting provider.
Get started for free with Ausha — hosting, analytics and the Podcast SEO Control Panel included from day one.