E804 - Make Your Show Discoverable (Podcast SEO) - How to Launch a Podcast with No Following Mini Series

Episode 805 - Submit Your Podcast to Every Directory, and Verify - How to Launch a Podcast with No Following Mini SeriesSubmit Your Podcast to Every DirectoryLaunching a podcast with no following starts with one critical step. Your show must live on a proper podcast hosting platform that distributes via RSS feed to every major directory. Without this foundation, even great content stays invisible. This episode walks through why directory submission matters and how to verify your podcast appears everywhere listeners might search.Why RSS Feed Distribution MattersPodcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout, Captivate, Spotify for Creators, and Libsyn handle the heavy lifting. You upload once. They push your episode to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, Amazon Music, and dozens more. These directories then report listening data back to your host so you can track growth. YouTube does not function this way. It keeps content inside its own ecosystem. If you publish only to YouTube, Android users on Spotify cannot find you. Apple users cannot subscribe. You limit your reach before you even begin.Verify Your Podcast on Pod.linkPod.link acts as a free verification tool. Search your exact show title. If nothing appears, your RSS feed likely does not exist or has not propagated. If multiple listings appear, your show may have migrated between hosts without proper redirection. This splits your stats and confuses listeners. Fix duplicates through your hosting provider. One clean listing ensures all downloads count toward one growing audience.Claim Every Available DirectoryThink of directories like Halloween houses. Visit all fifty. Do not skip forty-eight because two feel easier. Regional apps like JioSaavn and Gaana serve massive English-speaking audiences in India. Arteropods reaches listeners in Japan. These platforms welcome global content. Compare your directory list against established shows. Missing fifteen apps means missing fifteen potential discovery channels. Submit manually where auto-distribution fails.Share Episode-Specific LinksWhen promoting guest episodes, share the pod.link episode page, not just your show page. This gives listeners direct access to that specific conversation and lets them choose their preferred app. Android users get Android links. Apple users get Apple links. You remove friction and increase completion rates.Your podcast cannot grow if it lives in only one place. Distribute widely through a legitimate host. Verify visibility on pod.link. Submit to every directory that accepts your content. One upload, many destinations. That is how zero becomes something.Tools to help you with your podcast delivery - It’s more than just Apple Podcasts. Similar to how your website needs to be browser compatible, your podcast feed needs to be compatible with services (platforms) that read podcast RSS feeds. If your feed can’t be read, it will most likely be skipped and not be included in other podcast apps and sites.https://www.castfeedvalidator.com/https://podnews.net/https://pod.link/_____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 804 - Make Your Show Discoverable (Podcast SEO) - How to Launch a Podcast with No Following Mini SeriesMake Your Podcast Discoverable With Podcast SEOPodcast SEO starts with a clear content strategy. When you launch a podcast with zero followers, you need to give potential listeners a reason to find and choose your show. Dave recommends selecting one main keyword or central idea for each episode, then building supporting terms around that focus. Use those terms naturally in the episode title and show notes to reinforce what the episode covers.Build Useful Show NotesShow notes should help listeners quickly understand the episode and find resources mentioned during the conversation. Keep them focused. Include relevant links, calls to action, guest information, and connections to related episodes.Transcripts provide another useful resource. They support accessibility and can also give podcasters source material for creating additional content.Own Your Podcast WebsiteA podcast needs a home that you control. Dave compares a personal website domain to owning internet real estate. Hosting platforms and third-party profile pages can change, while your domain can remain your consistent destination.A dedicated page for each episode can provide room for an embedded player, transcripts, and expanded information. Dave chooses a simpler approach for his own podcast because maintaining hundreds of individual episode pages would require more time than he wants to spend.Your domain can also point wherever you choose. The key lies in owning the address and directing your audience through it.Build Your Discovery StrategyPodcast SEO starts before listeners discover the show. Plan your content around clear subjects, make your show notes useful, and establish a website domain that gives your podcast a permanent online home.Give your podcast a clear path to discovery from the beginning. A focused keyword strategy, useful show notes, accessible transcripts, and a website domain you control can strengthen your podcast SEO foundation._____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 803 - Select Your Podcast Concept Before You Record - How to Launch a Podcast with No Following Mini SeriesSelect Your Podcast Concept Before You RecordA strong podcast starts with a clear concept. Before you turn on the microphone, define who the show serves, what it covers, and why someone would choose it. A specific niche gives potential listeners a clear reason to pay attention and helps them recognize that your podcast belongs in their world.Validate the DemandA podcast can cover almost anything, but an idea needs an audience if you want to grow. Look at other podcasts covering your topic. Competition can show that people already care about the subject. Your perspective, experience, and personality create the distinction that makes your show yours.Ask whether people search for the subject and whether they want more content around it. Research the audience before you invest time recording episodes.Build a Strong LaunchYou only need one episode to technically launch a podcast. Releasing several episodes gives new listeners more opportunities to connect with the show and gives you breathing room to create what comes next. Record ahead when you can, then release episodes according to a schedule that works for you.Your concept also needs a format. Decide whether you will host solo, work with a co-host, interview guests, or use another structure. Understand your audience alongside those decisions.Create for Yourself and Your AudienceYour interests should have a place in your podcast. Your audience also deserves consideration. Balance the subjects that excite you with topics people actively search for around your niche. That approach can keep you engaged while giving listeners useful reasons to return.Nail your podcast concept before you hit record. Choose a specific niche, validate that people want the content, define your format, and prepare several episodes for launch. Your unique perspective gives the show its identity.____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 802 - Bleep Happens - Should You Swear on Your Podcast, What Could Happen if You Let It Rip on Your Next EpisodeYou make a choice every time you hit publish. That choice shapes who listens, where they listen, and whether your show reaches the audience you want to serve. Language sits at the heart of that decision.Your Audience Sets the ToneThink about the people who press play on your episodes. They might listen while driving kids to school. They might listen at work with colleagues nearby. They might listen in countries with strict cultural norms around language. Your words create an experience for them.Some listeners expect a clean, professional, educational show. Others want something edgy, humorous, and unfiltered. Both audiences exist. Both deserve podcasts made for them.A listener once shared she played this show while driving her kids to school every day. She loved that she could listen without worrying about awkward moments. One episode carried a content warning at the start about mature themes. She paused immediately and switched to something else. She appreciated the warning. Without it, she might have stopped listening altogether.Platform Rules MatterApple Podcasts requires you to mark episodes or entire shows as explicit when they contain profanity or material unsuitable for children. Listeners can use content restrictions that block explicit episodes from playing. YouTube evaluates language across the full package, including video, title, thumbnail, description, and opening. Profanity at the beginning or throughout most of the content may make a video unsuitable for advertising. Occasional profanity does not necessarily prevent monetization.Advertisers use brand safety tools to avoid content that does not fit their values. Spotify provides advertisers with filters to avoid topics and language they do not want associated with their brand.Your podcast might disappear from certain countries entirely if it violates local language laws. Some nations forbid certain words completely. One infraction can remove your entire catalog from their libraries. This podcast reaches listeners in countries with very strict language standards. That reach depends on maintaining clean content across every episode.Make Your Choice With IntegrityIntegrity means being the same all the way through. A solid wood table stays solid from top to bottom. A table made of sawdust and glue with a fake veneer looks good on the surface but collapses under pressure. Your podcast needs that solid wood quality.Some hosts talk about their faith or values while using language that contradicts those beliefs. Listeners notice that disconnect. They sense the lack of integrity. Say what you believe. Live it in your content. Match your outside to your inside.Handle Guests and Difficult Topics CarefullyGuests may not share your language standards. Tell them during pre-interviews how your show handles profanity. Clarify whether you edit, bleep, or leave words in. Do not let a guest ask on air whether they can swear. That signals you did not prepare them.Practical Strategies for Your ShowYou have options. Keep episodes completely clean by editing or recording carefully from the start. Leave language in deliberately when it serves the conversation and fits your show identity. Bleep or mute selected words to preserve energy while increasing accessibility. Create separate clean and explicit versions if your audience demands both, understanding this doubles your workload and may create duplicate feed issues.____Helping Podcasters Everyday! https://howtopodcast.ca/We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 801 - PodMatch's Report on The Health of Podcasting for September -Time to Fall in Love With Podcasting AgainFall in Love With Podcasting AgainPodcasting remains full of opportunity, even as the industry changes. PodMatch's September 2026 report focuses on independent, interview-based podcasters and removes the celebrity and network shows that can distort the numbers for smaller creators. The report offers a useful reality check for anyone wondering where their show fits within the larger podcasting landscape.The Numbers Tell a Different StoryThe report identifies more than 37,000 actively podcasting creators within its specific dataset. Podcast listenership shows strong growth while the number of active podcasts remains relatively stable. That creates room for new and existing podcasters.Consistency matters. The report shows that most podcasters quit before reaching 100 episodes. Reaching 50 episodes already places a show among a much smaller group, while the percentage drops sharply as creators reach 100, 200, and 300 episodes.Those numbers can encourage creators who feel insignificant because their audience seems small. Twenty-seven downloads within seven days puts a podcast in the top 50 percent according to the report's Buzzsprout data. Four hundred and seven reaches the top 10 percent. The numbers provide useful perspective when compared with inflated claims about podcast rankings.Think Beyond AdvertisingTraditional podcast advertising can generate surprisingly little income for smaller shows. The report puts average monthly advertising income at around $5.51 for podcasters at the relevant level. That raises a practical question about whether advertising makes sense when the revenue remains tiny and the audience experience suffers.Podcast creators can build value around their expertise, relationships, services, and communities instead.Make Your Podcast Easy to FindPodMatch also examined how podcasters share their shows. A significant portion provided no link or supplied a broken link. A podcast website gives listeners a reliable home base and makes sharing easier across different platforms and devices.The same principle applies when pitching yourself as a guest. One unanswered email rarely tells you anything about the host's opinion of you. Hosts have jobs, families, responsibilities, and unexpected challenges. Follow up with a genuine message that demonstrates you actually know the show. Reference specific episodes. Show real interest. Avoid pitches that sound like AI generated templates.Build the relationship.Podcasting rewards persistence. The data shows how few creators continue long enough to reach significant episode milestones. Keep creating, make your show easy to discover and share, build genuine relationships, and use meaningful industry data to measure your progress.https://podmatch.com/reportJoin PodMatch with our link!https://www.joinpodmatch.com/truemedia_____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 800 - Behind 800 Episodes - The Systems, Habits, and Mindset That Kept The How To Podcast Series GoingBehind 800 EpisodesEight hundred episodes takes commitment. Since the first episode of The How To Podcast Series launched on April 1, 2022, Dave has built a podcast library that continues to attract listeners across its back catalog. Episode 800 arrives after more than four years, with 365 consecutive daily episodes also adding to the workload. The milestone offers a chance to look at what keeps a podcast going when the initial excitement wears off.Longevity Creates a LibraryPodcasting rewards creators who keep showing up. Dave points out that many podcasts stop after only a handful of episodes, while reaching 100 episodes already puts a show well ahead of the typical podcast lifespan. His growing catalog continues to bring listeners to older episodes, showing how podcast content can keep working long after its original release.The number 800 matters to Dave because it represents persistence. He encourages podcasters to choose milestones that fit their own goals rather than chase someone else's numbers.Community Keeps Podcasting InterestingThe biggest surprise from 800 episodes has involved the people Dave has met along the way. Guests, co-hosts, meetup participants, listeners, and fellow podcasters have expanded his understanding of podcasting and introduced perspectives he could never have covered alone.He also values disagreement. Different approaches create better conversations and challenge assumptions.What Comes After 800?Dave does not see episode 800 as a finish line. He plans to complete his daily publishing commitment through the end of 2026 while considering what the show should look like in 2027. He expects co-hosted episodes to remain part of the podcast and welcomes suggestions from listeners about its future.The bigger message reaches beyond any particular episode count. Keep creating. Keep connecting. Give yourself a milestone that matters to you, then keep moving once you reach it.Podcast longevity comes from continuing to create, learning from others, and building relationships along the way. Your milestone can become a marker of what you have accomplished and a starting point for whatever comes next.____ Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episdoe 799 - The One Step Most Podcasters Skip, But This Step Might Be The One Step Could Make Your Podcast BetterListen to Your Own PodcastPublishing an episode does not end the work. Listening to your own podcast after it goes live gives you a chance to experience the show from the listener's seat. That shift in perspective can reveal problems you missed while recording and editing.Podcasters often avoid hearing themselves. Dave challenges that habit by comparing podcasting with music, where musicians constantly listen to their recordings, evaluate their performances, and respond to what audiences hear.Find What You MissedListening from beginning to end can uncover technical mistakes, awkward edits, unwanted silence, repeated music, sound effects that overlap your voice, or interview sections that fall out of sync. You can then replace the audio file on your hosting platform and correct the episode without creating a second version.Your voice can also reveal habits you never notice while speaking. Repeated filler words, interruptions, awkward phrasing, and rushed responses become much easier to recognize when you hear yourself as a listener.That awareness can improve more than your podcast. It can change how you communicate with people away from the microphone.Put Yourself in the Listener's SeatRecording requires a different kind of attention. You think about the next question, the guest, the technology, and keeping the conversation moving. Listening removes those responsibilities.Now you can judge the experience your audience receives.Listen for opportunities to tighten the content. Check the audio quality. Pay attention to the flow. Make sure the episode sounds the way you intended when it reaches another podcast app or device.Listen Before You PublishDave also recommends scheduling episodes ahead of their release date. A future-dated episode creates a valuable window for quality control.Listen before the episode reaches the public. If you catch a mistake, replace the audio while you still have time. Once someone downloads the original file, you cannot remove that version from their device.Publishing should never become the final interaction you have with an episode. Listen to your podcast from start to finish, preferably before it goes live. That simple habit can help you catch mistakes, improve your communication, understand the listener experience, and make each episode stronger.____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 798 - Spotify Subscriptions - Make Money From Your Content As A Spotify CreatorSpotify Subscriptions and Podcast MonetizationSpotify subscriptions give podcast creators another way to earn money from their content. Dave explores Spotify subscriptions, paid podcast content, and the challenge of deciding what listeners should receive when they support a show financially.Dave has experimented with subscriber content before. One listener paid $3 per month for extra episodes, which created an unexpected problem. Dave felt responsible for producing additional content for one person, even when that content took more time than the subscription justified. That experience changed how he thinks about paid content.Turn Old Episodes Into ValueDave currently has hundreds of published episodes, including older material that rarely receives new listens. He considers placing those older episodes behind a paywall while keeping recent episodes freely available.That approach could give existing content a second life without forcing him to produce another episode every day. It could also create a revenue stream from work he has already completed.Early access offers another possibility. Creators who record episodes ahead of schedule could give subscribers access before the general audience receives them.What Should Subscribers Receive?Dave questions the value of bonus material that requires significant extra production. He sees more potential in simple, personal content that creates a closer connection with supporters.A short walk-and-talk recording could work. No elaborate production. No complicated editing. Just a few minutes of direct conversation about whatever happens to be on Dave's mind.The subscriber gets access to something personal and different. The creator keeps the workload manageable.Spotify's RequirementsSpotify requires creators to publish at least two episodes and have at least 100 Spotify users interact with the show during the previous 30 days before they can set up subscriptions. Dave has more than enough published episodes and hundreds of Spotify followers, yet he needs more recent activity to qualify.Spotify also provides options such as subscriber-only episodes, extended episodes, early access, and fewer ads.Dave points out one significant tradeoff. Paid content sits behind a paywall, which limits its public visibility and its ability to attract search traffic.A subscription only works when the audience sees enough value to pay for it. Before creating a paid podcast tier, decide what you can deliver consistently and what your listeners will genuinely value. Old content, early access, or simple personal recordings could create that value without turning your podcast into a second full-time job.The episode also includes Dave's approach to choosing podcast guesting opportunities and evaluating shows before accepting an invitation.Spotify Subscription Information in more detail:https://support.spotify.com/ca-en/creators/article/setting-up-subscriptions/My PodMatch Affiliate Link:https://www.joinpodmatch.com/truemedia____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 797 - Spotify's New Skip Feature - Not Such A Big Deal For Podcasters Without Ads and Boring, Predictable and Skippable ContentSpotify's Skip Feature Changes the Listening ExperienceSpotify has introduced a skip option that can help listeners move past ads, promotional segments, intros, and other parts of podcasts that listeners frequently skip. Dave sees the feature from a listener's perspective and argues that podcasters should pay attention to what listener behaviour can reveal about their content.The feature may have limited impact on podcasts without advertising. Dave sees a bigger question for every podcaster, though. Why does a listener want to skip part of your show?Predictability Makes Podcasts SkippableListeners learn patterns quickly. If every episode follows exactly the same structure, they can predict when the intro ends, when an ad appears, and when the actual content starts.Spotify can also recognize those patterns through listener behaviour. When many listeners skip the same section, the platform can use that behaviour to offer other listeners a shortcut.Dave suggests a simple response. Change things.Move your ad placement. Vary your introductions. Try different approaches to your episode structure. Give listeners something unexpected. When you keep every episode identical, you make your content easier to predict and easier to skip.Make Your Podcast Worth Staying ForDave sees the listener gaining more control through the skip feature. He also challenges podcasters who dislike the feature to examine their own content before blaming the technology.If your show contains long predictable sections, listeners have a reason to move past them. Give them something that keeps their attention instead.Creative podcasting requires movement. Experiment with your format. Break your routines. Keep your audience curious about what comes next.If you hate the skip button, stop giving listeners predictable reasons to use it. Create episodes that surprise your audience and make the content worth staying for. Dave's advice comes down to a simple challenge: be unskippable.The episode also includes advice for podcast guests. Keep answers concise, answer the question the host actually asked, complete your thought, and give the host room to continue the conversation.____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 796 - How To Fall in Love With Podcasting This Fall Season - Podcasting is For EveryoneFall in Love With Podcasting AgainPodcasting can become a chore when the work starts feeling heavier than the joy that brought you to the microphone. This fall, Dave encourages podcasters to reconnect with their why, simplify their workflow, and create some room for fun again.Start with your purpose. Ask yourself, "I podcast because..." Then identify the listener you serve and the change you want to create. Write those answers down and keep them somewhere you can see while you record. Your why should stay visible when motivation fades.Make Podcasting Feel LighterA complicated workflow can drain your enthusiasm. Dave recommends batching episodes whenever possible so one recording session can create breathing room in your schedule. Templates can also reduce the effort required to start each episode.Give yourself permission to change things. Shorten your episodes. Try a different format. Record somewhere new. Create a cozy pre-recording ritual that helps you enjoy the process again.Small changes can make podcasting feel fresh.Bring New Energy Into Your ShowStep outside your podcasting bubble. Listen to shows completely unrelated to your subject and study how those podcasters structure their episodes, use their voices, and connect with listeners. Look at podcast artwork from outside your niche too. You can discover ideas that your usual listening habits would never expose you to.Community matters as well. Dave encourages podcasters to connect with people who understand the work and genuinely care about their journey.Treat Podcasting as a Season of ChangeA 14-day fall reset can provide a simple way to rebuild momentum. Take one small podcasting action each day and share the journey with your audience. Your progress can become content that invites listeners into the process.Dave also encourages every podcast host to become a podcast guest. Sitting in the guest seat forces you to react, experience another host's approach, and understand the listener experience from a different perspective.Reconnect with why you started. Make the work lighter. Try something different and spend time with other podcasters. Podcasting can bring frustration, but it can also bring connection, creativity, and genuine joy. Give yourself permission to fall in love with it again._____Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6