You’ve got great content. You’re consistent. You’ve nailed your message.
But your listener count? It’s not moving much.
Here’s the secret most podcasters miss: your discoverability isn’t just about marketing. It’s about Podcast Player SEO (PSO)—how well your show performs inside the apps where people actually listen.
The good news? You don’t need to be techy to make your show algorithm-friendly. A few strategic tweaks can help podcast players understand who your show is for and recommend it to new listeners.
Let’s fix that visibility problem.
1. Optimize Your Show Title for Clarity (Not Cleverness)
Yes, creative titles sound fun, but podcast apps rely on keywords to connect your show with the right audience.
If your title doesn’t clearly explain what your podcast is about, the algorithm has nothing to work with.
For example:
❌ “Clocking In” (great branding, but lacks context on its own)
✅ “Clocking In – Podcast about Podcasting for Podcasters”
You can keep your original show name, just use the subtitle or tagline within the podcast title to clarify your niche.
The Apple Podcasts algorithm also considers your title + author field. That means including your niche keywords in those fields gives you a visibility edge. Here’s my own podcast title and author field for context (as of Nov 2025):
Title: Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin – Podcast about Podcasting for Podcasters
Author Field: Haylee Gaffin, Growth Strategist for Podcasters
2. Add Keyword-Rich Details to Your Episode Titles
Each episode title is its own SEO opportunity inside podcast players.
Instead of:
❌ “Episode 65: My Favorite Tools”
Try:
✅ “65: The 5 Podcast Tools I Use to Streamline Production”
Why? Because listeners often search directly in the app for terms like “podcast tools,” “launch tips,” or “marketing strategy.” The clearer and more descriptive your titles are, the better chance they have of showing up in those searches.
Keep it concise and make sure the first few words describe the episode’s main benefit or topic.
3. Use Keywords Naturally in Your Show Description
Your show description isn’t just marketing copy: it’s a major PSO signal.
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other players crawl your show summary for keywords that help them understand your content category and audience fit.
Example before and after:
❌ “A podcast about business and creativity.”
✅ “A podcast for business owners and podcasters who want to grow their audience, monetize their show, and build a sustainable creative business.”
This version clearly states who it’s for (business owners, podcasters) and what it helps them do (grow, monetize, build).
Your goal: make it obvious to both humans and algorithms what your show delivers. Here is my show description for context (as of Nov 2025):
Clocking In is the podcast for podcasters, entrepreneurs, and professionals making their way in the working world, while building their own personal brand in the podcasting industry. If you’re a podcaster (or even just dreaming about launching your own podcast someday), this podcast about podcasting was built to help you merge your love of conversation, education, and business. On this show, you’ll discover essential tools for podcasters, whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your podcast. We cover everything from podcasting for beginners to advanced podcast strategy, offering podcasting tips that can help you at any stage of your journey. Learn about launching a podcast, developing a content plan, and monetizing a podcast effectively. Each episode is packed with podcasting education to empower you with the knowledge you need to succeed in the ever-evolving world of podcasting.
If you’ve been asking yourself, “How can I grow my show?,” this is the podcast for you! Join Haylee Gaffin each week to hear stories and advice on life, entrepreneurship, business, and podcasting! Haylee is the owner of Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs.
This show is brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production agency for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about launching and growing your podcast with Gaffin Creative gaffincreative.com.
Bonus: Refresh and Reoptimize Old Episodes
Every time you update metadata—titles, categories, or descriptions—podcast players re-crawl your feed. That means updating older episodes can give them a second life in the algorithm.
Start with your top-performing topics, update their titles with clearer keywords, and re-share them in your feed or newsletter.
This small step often leads to a noticeable bump in plays from both new and returning listeners.
Your Podcast Can Work Smarter for You
Podcast Player SEO isn’t about gaming the system—it’s about helping the algorithm understand what you’ve worked so hard to create.
By optimizing your titles, descriptions, and categories, you make it easier for new listeners to find—and fall in love with—your show.
These tweaks might take 30 minutes to implement, but the long-term visibility payoff is massive.
