How Do I get My Podcast Listed on Google Podcasts?

While it’s exciting to have your first podcast episode recorded and edited, there are a few hoops you need to jump through before launching it to a worldwide audience.

First, you need to choose a podcast hosting platform and then you need to “syndicate” it to the podcast directories.

One such directory is Google Podcasts.

What Does Google Podcasts Do and How Do I Get My Podcast Listed On It?

Google Podcasts is a free platform that allows users to discover and listen to podcasts. Here's how it works in simple terms:

1. Podcasts: A podcast is a digital audio or video file that is released episodically. But we all know that. The technology that makes your audio or video file become a “podcast” is RSS, which distributes your episodes to directories, like Google Podcasts

2. Finding Podcasts: With Google Podcasts, listeners can search for and discover podcasts by keyword, topic, or host. The platform also suggests popular and recommended podcasts based on the listener's listening history.

3. Listening: Once a listener has found a podcast they want to listen to, they can play individual episodes directly from the Google Podcasts app or website. They can also choose to subscribe to the podcast so they get notified when new episodes are released.

4. Features: Google Podcasts includes features such as playback speed control, automatic episode downloads, and the ability to pick up where you left off across devices.

Sounds ideal, right? The trick is to get your podcast listed on Google’s directory of podcasts. So, how do you do that?

To submit your podcast to Google Podcasts, you need to make sure that your podcast is available online through a valid and well-formed RSS feed. Your hosting platform (Anchor, Simplecast, Libsyn, Podbean, etc) provide you with an RSS feed. You need to find where this is listed on your hosting platform’s website. Find it, copy it.

Here are the steps to submit your podcast:

1. Verify your website: Make sure you have a verified website for your podcast. You can verify your website through Google Search Console.

2. Publish your podcast: Publish your podcast episodes on your website or through a hosting platform such as Soundcloud or Buzzsprout.

3. Submit your RSS feed: Submit your podcast's RSS feed to Google Podcasts by adding it to your website's sitemap.xml file or by submitting it directly to Google using the Search Console.

4. Wait for indexing: It may take some time for Google to index and include your podcast in search results. Be patient and wait for the process to complete.

By following these steps, you should be able to submit your podcast to Google Podcasts and make it available for discovery by listeners on the platform.

If this seems a little overwhelming and, to be honest, not much fun, then get in touch with us at the Podcast Studio Glasgow.

We offer a pre-production package that not only provides you with the hosting platform that’ll best meet your needs, but also ensure that your podcast is listed on all of the major podcast directories. Use the button below to book a 30-minute consultation with us.