The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: November 2005, Volume 4, Issue 11
Podcasting: Why It’s Important to SEO
by John Krochune, Algorithmic Search Manager, iProspect
I’ve thought of Podcasting as a running joke for the past 10 months. There are many reasons why, including its misleading name (a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcasting,” although you don’t need an iPod to experience podcasting). But overall I find podcasting funny because it is a melding of the oldest form of electronic mass media (radio) with the newest form (XML feeds). Podcasting is certainly an interesting new development in online marketing. So let’s define what podcasting is, how it can be used by businesses, and what impact it has on your search engine optimization (SEO) campaign.
Say What?
If you have never heard of podcasting or have heard about it and still don’t know what it is, here is a simple definition: it’s a way to deliver audio files to your website visitors. Audio files, generally in an MP3 format, are sent through an XML or RSS feed that resides on your website. Each audio file sent through the feed can be considered a “podcast.”
Podcasts are not delivered to just anyone; users have to subscribe to them. To subscribe to a podcast, users need to download a software application known as an aggregator (these can be Web-based too, which means there would be no downloading necessary). Then, by simply copying and pasting the feed’s URL into the aggregator, the user is enabled to receive audio files whenever they are added to the feed. These files can be downloaded to an iPod or some other MP3 player, hence the name “podcasting” (“MP3casting” just isn’t as catchy). In essence, podcasting is another means by which Internet users can reactively receive Web content (along with blogs and news sites that send information to users through feeds), as opposed to users proactively visiting websites and seeking out new content.
So What?!
Like blogging, business implications for podcasting are not instantly obvious. Certainly anything a company representative could write in a blog, you can say in a podcast. Some ideas are:
Descriptions of new offerings
Reports about new product development
Company updates
Some other events seem tailor-made for podcasts:
Replays of investor relations calls
Interviews with, or speeches by, the CEO
Replays of Webinars
It seems like as long as you have a microphone, some audio recording software, and experience in public speaking, you are ready for podcasting greatness. Of course, it’s not that easy. If your company is thinking about podcasting, you must develop a plan about how it will have a unique value proposition (UVP). The UVP is the most important factor in how successful the podcast will be to your SEO initiatives.
Sounding Off
Your podcasting plans should follow the same steps as depicted in the October 2005 Search Marketing Advisor article entitled “To Blog or Not to Blog: Factors to Consider.” Once you have created a plan to generate a regularly produced podcast with a UVP, you can start thinking about ways to promote your podcast. Getting the word out about your podcast can be the start of gaining a large number of links pointing to your site, specifically to the URL where your podcast feed resides. Any website feature that is deemed “cool” or valuable can spur users to link to your site without resorting to begging or sending a check. Defining your podcast’s UVA is the first step to “cool” and/or valuable.
Certainly, podcasting can be a powerful online marketing tool and its virtues are much like those of a blog. The big value a podcast can have on your SEO campaign is its ability to be a link magnet, and links are the key to gain search engine rankings.
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