FIRST TIME SETUP

Author’s Checklist: SEO for Your New Podcast Episode with PowerPress

This guide by your friendly neighborhood SEO Guru outlines the essential steps to optimize each new podcast episode for search engines. Following this checklist for every episode will help increase its visibility, attract new listeners, and grow your audience.

The Core Principle: Every Episode is a New SEO Opportunity

Think of the blog post that accompanies your PowerPress episode not just as an announcement, but as a powerful SEO asset. Search engines like Google index these pages, and optimizing them correctly is the most effective way to be discovered through web searches.

Step 1: Craft a Compelling and Searchable Episode Title

The title is the most critical element for discovery. A vague title will get lost, while a descriptive title can attract clicks from search engines and podcast apps for months or even years.

Your Actions:

Be Descriptive: Clearly state what the episode is about. Instead of “Episode 25,” use a title like “How to Start a Vegetable Garden in Small Spaces.”
Utilize the PowerPress “Podcast Episode Title” Field: When creating your post, scroll down to the “Podcast Episode” section. Here you can enter the audio file URL. Crucially, if your podcast is configured for it, you may see a separate field for the “Podcast Episode Title.” This allows you to have a slightly different, perhaps more concise, title for podcast apps while maintaining a highly descriptive, SEO-friendly title for your website’s blog post.

Step 2: Write Rich, Detailed Show Notes

Your show notes are your primary tool for telling Google what your episode is about. Do not skip this step. The more relevant and detailed text you provide, the better your chances of ranking for relevant search terms.

Your Actions:

Write a Strong Summary: Begin with a compelling paragraph that summarizes the episode’s key takeaways. This hooks the reader and immediately signals the topic to search engines.
Use Headings and Bullet Points: Structure your show notes with headings (H2, H3) and bullet points to break down the main topics discussed. This improves readability for humans and helps search engines understand the content’s structure.
Include Key Timestamps: List important moments in the episode with their timestamps (e.g., [05:15] The biggest mistake new gardeners make.). This improves the user experience and can even lead to “key moments” appearing in Google search results.
Link to Resources: Add links to any websites, products, articles, or guest information mentioned. This provides value to your listeners and is a positive signal for SEO. Link to other episodes – link to blogs on your website – link to resources you have referenced in the podcast – link to playlists
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Add a Full Transcript: Including a full transcript of your episode is the single most effective way to boost its SEO. It creates a keyword-rich document that search engines can fully index, capturing every term and phrase discussed. You can place the transcript at the end of the show notes, perhaps within a toggle or “read more” block to keep the page tidy.

Step 3: Complete the Blog Post Details

Beyond the podcast-specific fields, remember that you are publishing a blog post. Use the standard WordPress features to your advantage.

Your Actions:

Assign Categories and Tags: Place the episode in a relevant category on your website and add 3-5 specific tags that describe the episode’s core topics.
Set a Featured Image: This image will appear on your website’s blog page and when the post is shared on social media. Create a visually appealing image that includes the episode title. While you can reuse a template, unique artwork for each episode can increase engagement.

Final Checklist Before Hitting ‘Publish’

For every new episode, ensure you have:

A descriptive, keyword-focused title in the main WordPress post title field.
The correct podcast audio file entered in the PowerPress “Podcast Episode” section.
Detailed show notes with a summary, key points, and resource links.
A full transcript included on the page.
Relevant categories and tags assigned.
A compelling featured image set.

Setup

How to Set Up Your Podcast Feed in PowerPress (The Simple Way)

This guide will help you set up the single most important part of your podcast: its RSS feed. This is the link you will submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories.

Understanding the “Source of Truth”

The fundamental principle here is control over your RSS Feed. Your RSS feed is the single most important piece of your podcast. It’s the menu that podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts read to find your episodes.

You want the “source of truth” for your podcast—the RSS feed itself—to be generated from a platform you own and control: your website.

Setting Up Your Feed

Once Logged Into your site —- RIGHT CLICK THE CHROME TAB and choose Duplicate. This will let you see these instructions while updating. Cause I know my shit!

This is where you tell the system WHERE to syndicate your new Podcasts

Step 1: Go to PowerPress Settings

On the left-hand menu of your WordPress dashboard, find and hover over PowerPress. Click on Settings.

Step 2: Open the ‘Feeds’ Tab

At the top of the PowerPress Settings page, you will see several tabs. Click on the one labeled Feeds.

Step 3: Fill In Your Main Feed Information

You are now on the “Podcast Feeds” page. Focus only on the settings listed below.

Podcast Feed Title: Enter the name of your podcast. (e.g., “The Morning Commute Show”).
Feed Description: Write a short, compelling summary of your podcast. This is your “show summary” that people will see in podcast apps.
Podcast Artwork: Click Select Media to upload your show’s cover art.
- Requirement: Your artwork MUST be a square JPG or PNG file.
- Recommended Size: 3000 x 3000 pixels.
- Minimum Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels.
Podcast Category: Select the main category for your show. Apple Podcasts allows up to three, but the first one is the most important.
Explicit: Select Yes or No if your show contains explicit language or content. Be honest here!
Author Name: Your name or your company’s name.
Author Email: An email address you control. This is used by podcast directories to verify you are the owner but is not typically shown to the public.

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the blue Save Changes button.

Step 5: Find Your Feed URL

After saving, stay on the same Feeds page. Look for a section called “Podcast Feeds”. Your main feed URL will be displayed there. It will look like this:

https://yourwebsite.com/feed/podcast/

To check it: Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab. You should see a page full of text/code (XML format). If you see code and not a “Page Not Found” error, it’s working perfectly!

Congratulations! Your podcast feed is now set up. You can use this URL to submit your show to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories once you have published your first episode.

Adding a New Podcast with PowerPress in Your New Bad-Ass Website

Adding a new podcast to your WordPress site using the Blubrry PowerPress plugin is a straightforward process, whether you’re looking to publish a new episode for your existing show or launch an entirely new podcast series. Here’s a comprehensive guide to both scenarios.

Scenario 1: Adding a New Episode to Your Existing Podcast

For most users, “adding a new podcast” means publishing the next episode of their current show. The workflow for this integrates seamlessly with the standard WordPress post editor.

This guide will help you set up the single most important part of your podcast: its RSS feed. This is the link you will submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories.

Understanding the “Source of Truth”

You want the “source of truth” for your podcast—the RSS feed itself—to be generated from a platform you own and control: your website.

Adding a New Podcast with PowerPress in Your New Bad-Ass Website

Scenario 1: Adding a New Episode to Your Existing Podcast

For most users, “adding a new podcast” means publishing the next episode of their current show. The workflow for this integrates seamlessly with the standard WordPress post editor.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
Create a New Post: Navigate to Posts > Add New. This new post will serve as the home for your new podcast episode.
Craft Your Episode’s Post:
- Title: The title of the post will also be the title of your podcast episode.
- Content: The main text area of the post is where you’ll write your show notes. This can include a summary of the episode, key takeaways, links to resources mentioned, and any other information for your listeners.
Locate the “Podcast Episode” Box: Below the main content editor, you will find a box specifically for your podcast episode, added by the PowerPress plugin.
Add Your Media File:
- If you are using Blubrry’s hosting service, you can directly upload your audio or video file by clicking the “Choose File” button. This will open the Blubrry media uploader.
- If you are hosting your media file elsewhere, you will need to paste the direct URL to your media file into the “Media URL” field.
Verify the Media File: After uploading or pasting the URL, PowerPress will attempt to verify the media file. A successful verification will display information about the file, such as its duration and size.
Publish Your Episode: Once you are satisfied with your post and the podcast episode settings, click the Publish button.

Your new podcast episode is now live and will appear in your website’s blog feed and your podcast’s RSS feed, making it available to subscribers on all major podcasting platforms.