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SEO's Guide to Starting a Podcast

Written by: Greg Wasserman Tags: content

Published: Jul 7, 2025  |  Last Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Written by Greg Wasserman

After four years of talking to podcasters all day, every day, plus being a guest on close to 100 podcasts, I am confident in one thing: Podcasting is one of the most efficient ways to generate original content, links and mentions, and brand authority. 

Podcasting is one of the most efficient ways to generate earned coverage and authentic new relationships. - Greg Wasserman

You don’t need a studio setup or massive audience to start. I recommend not measuring your podcast success by audience size at all, and instead think of success in terms of conversations, content, and new connections.

Framework for a triple-duty podcasting strategy

1. Create a list of people you’d want to invite to share a story or insight. Clients can share case studies that become testimonials, experts become prospects after a lively conversation. 
2. Choose topics and questions that bring out the natural engagement of the guest and entice rich conversation.
3. Copromote the episode to your networks to widen both of your audiences.
4. You turn the episode into blog posts, social content, YouTube clips, and transcripts, so you can get months of content from one conversation. 

Podcasting gives you backlink potential, thought leadership credibility, and trust-building assets, all from meaningful conversations with people that grow your network and your knowledge. 

Essential equipment – you probably already have most of it

One of the benefits to podcasting is saving money on video equipment. Even if you need to sit in your closet to record in a quiet space, that’s a lot easier than buying camera equipment, getting the lighting just right, and making sure your face is ready for video. 

Basic podcasting setup

1. Computer or smartphone: What you have probably already works. Your laptop can handle recording and editing. Your iPhone records surprisingly good audio (especially if you use a lavalier mic).
2. Microphone: Skip the expensive studio mics for now. A USB mic under $100 sounds professional enough. The Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB or Samson Q2U are solid choices.
3. Headphones: Any closed-back headphones (think Beats-style) work for monitoring your recording. AirPods usually aren’t recommended.
4. Quiet space to record: Your bedroom closet beats an expensive studio. Clothes absorb sound better than foam panels. For echo or background noise, freemium tools like Adobe Podcast or Auphonic can clean it up with one click.

When you’re ready to level up:

• A boom arm (keeps the mic positioned correctly)
• A pop filter (reduces harsh P and B sounds)
• An audio interface (connects XLR mics to your computer) 

Recording software

When you’re just starting out, free works great.

Two favorites for beginners:

• Audacity (PC/Mac): Powerful and reliable. The interface looks dated but gets the job done.
• GarageBand (Mac): Comes pre-installed, intuitive, and beginner-friendly.

Both export to MP3, remove background noise, and handle basic editing. Don’t overthink the choice as there are plenty of YouTube tutorials for both.

You can always upgrade later, but many podcasters never need more than this.

Podcast hosting – the key to keeping your files

Just like a website needs a home, your podcast needs a host, especially if you plan to really commit and do multiple episodes or seasons.

A podcast host stores your audio files and distributes your show to platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more. Up to 30% of listens happen outside the big-name platforms; your host should push to all of them.

What to look for in a hosting platform:

• Unlimited storage and bandwidth: So you’re never restricted.
• One-click distribution: Easily get your show on every major platform.
• Audio-to-video conversion: Some hosts (like RSS.com) auto-generate YouTube-friendly videos.
• Useful analytics: Track episode performance and audience growth.
• Podcasting 2.0 features: These tools improve discoverability and functionality.

Cost of podcast hosting: Free can be expensive

Expect to spend $10–$20/month for quality podcast hosting. For many marketers, this cost is worth it to make sure you get full distribution and to protect all of your recording history. 

Free hosts often come with restrictions that can limit growth, control, and branding.

Sure, you could put your podcast straight onto Spotify, but it may limit the number of shows it stores or could even remove it altogether in the future. 

Plan your first episode

Your first episode won’t be perfect. That’s expected. Your tenth might not be either, and that’s okay. Humans want to connect with humans, and often that imperfection just makes you look more trustworthy. 

The biggest mistake new podcasters make is waiting until everything’s perfect before they hit publish. Your audience doesn’t want polished perfection, they want your perspective, your experience, your voice.

Format decisions:

• Solo vs. interview vs. co-hosted: Start with solo. It’s easier to control and schedule. You can always add guests later when you have a larger audience.
• Episode length: Aim for 15–45 minutes. Shorter episodes often perform better early on.
• Scripted vs. conversational: Outline 3–5 talking points, but don’t script every word. Sound natural.

Basic episode structure:

• Hook: One compelling reason to keep listening
• Main content: 3–5 key points
• Call-to-action: What do you want listeners to do next?

Practice your intro and outro as they’ll become familiar bookends to each episode.

Pick one CTA per episode:

• Visit your website
• Subscribe
• Leave a review 

Show logistics

The secret to consistency is to treat this exercise like part of your job so it doesn’t become an afterthought.

Block 5 focused hours one day each week to:

• Host and prep interviews
• Record 1–2 episodes
• Handle outreach, editing,publishing, and distribution

Context-switching kills creativity. Give podcasting its own focused window so you feel focused on the mic.

Tips to stay consistent

• Batch record: Knock out 3–4 episodes at once to stay ahead.
• Create a simple content calendar: Plan your next 5 episodes so you’re never scrambling.
• Think in campaigns and roadmaps, not task-by-task: A theme or structure can help build momentum. 

Keep it simple: Go live

Don’t over-edit your early episodes.

Focus on clear audio and valuable content. Your editing skills will improve with practice.

Simple is better, especially when you're starting out.

Launch and promote your podcast

When you’re ready to go public:

Pre-launch checklist:

• Upload your first episode to your host
• Submit your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music (the right hosting platform will do this for you)
• Create basic cover art (simple, legible, and thumbnail-friendly)
• Write keyword-friendly episode descriptions (that sound natural) 

Promote with purpose and follow through 

• Use your existing content ecosystem: Mention your podcast in blog posts, newsletters, YouTube videos, wherever you’re already serving content to your audience.
• Leverage your network by sending a personal email to friends, colleagues, and clients. .
• Build with others: Comment, share, and connect with other podcasters in your niche, and see them as collaborators instead of competitors.

Topics that get shares and listens

You likely have SEO opinions, perspectives, and knowledge that you haven’t shared yet. Dig into those unique angles and you’re bound to come up with plenty of topics. Interviewing your customers alone can make up an entire calendar of guests. 

Just start

You’ll learn more from releasing one imperfect episode than from a month of overthinking the approach.

• Start with what you have
• Record your first episode this week
• Upload it

Every great podcaster started where you are now, with an idea and the courage to press record.

And if it doesn’t feel sustainable, or it’s just too uncomfortable, there’s always video ;)