E-commerce: Three Ways to Get Your Podcasts Noticed

If you’re on the fence about developing a podcast for your customers, consider the following: From April to August this year, there’s been a 71 percent increase in podcast downloading, according to a report released last month by Pew Internet Research.

But how can you make sure your podcast is found by listeners looking for the topics you cover? Natural and paid search marketer Oneupweb offers the following tips to increase search traffic to your podcasts in its recent whitepaper, “The Value of Podcasting to Search Marketing”:

1. Offer your podcast as an XML feed. Creating an XML file that automatically uploads your latest podcasts to directories such as iTunes and Podcast Alley will place your podcast where potential customers already are looking, the whitepaper’s authors write. Note that this process is similar to the way you provide product information to comparison shopping engines.

2. Optimize your XML feed. Search engines will index your XML feed page, and likely include it on a results page. The problem is, most consumers have no idea what to do with a XML page when they find it, Oneupweb notes. To avoid this, include instructions on how to access the podcast in the XML file you create. Keep in mind that the more downloads your podcast receives, the higher it will appear in podcast directories.

3. Create unique landing pages for your podcast that explain its benefits. You still should optimize the XML feed page just in case consumers find themselves there. But creating unique landing pages is especially important if you begin to incorporate your podcast into your pay-per-click search campaign. Any podcast keywords you purchase should direct searchers to a landing page solely for the podcast and related content.

For a copy of Oneupweb’s whitepaper “The Value of Podcasting to Search Marketing,” visit www.oneupweb.com/search-marketing-results/white-papers.htm#whitepapers.