April 25th, 2010 by Nick

Podcasts are basically audio files which can be downloaded instantly from your website – usually for free. Podcasts are great as they can generally be listened to on most forms of MP3 player, or even burnt to CD to enable them to be taken away and listened to time and time again at a person’s own convenience.

When people initially think of podcasts they probably conjure up images of radio shows or gigs and events, where people can simply download the best parts of these shows. However, podcasts should not be underestimated for their SEO potential and can be used for a variety of purposes, particularly within the business world.

If you are a website specialising in a particular service or product, then you can use podcasts as training methods. Podcasts can be almost interactive too, so you could be running online workshops, for instance; or simple tutorials. If you are looking to drive traffic online and ultimately create a loyal customer base, considering podcasts are part of your search engine optimisation could be crucial.

The use of podcasts really can give you an edge over your competitors, but only if the content is relevant and interesting enough. SEO link building can also be utilised, as links to where podcasts can be downloaded could be included – or even incorporating keyword links in podcast tags.

Some of the benefits in offering podcasts as training methods as opposed to online tutorials or printed copy, is that they are a lot easier for the consumer to absorb. Thus, said consumer is much more likely to find your information appealing and re-visit your site.

When creating podcasts, you do not want them to be too long, as modern consumers are looking for small amounts of content that don’t require limitless amounts of concentration. It also benefits you as a company in terms of search engine optimization if you can split your podcasts into sections, as it means that visitors to your site are then required to return when they need the next stage. One way to do this effectively it to release a new podcast on a weekly or monthly basis – whichever is relevant – and you can even set up reminders to consumers telling them that your new podcast is ready to download.

There are a few search engine sites which are dedicated to people looking for podcasts to download. Podcastalley, podcastsearch and podscope are all popular search engines which people use when they are looking for a particular type of podcast, so aim some of your SEO link building at these sites to get the most out of it.

The power of the podcast as an SMO tool is greater than you think. Think about it; if a podcast is being downloaded and then taken away and listened to throughout the week, your website or company is at the forefront of that person’s mind even when they are not on the web. If a person finds your podcast particularly useful or entertaining then they will naturally be intrigued to see what else you have to offer. This probably sounds like a strange way to go about driving people to your site, but when people find something they like, they generally stick to it; so gaining a loyal customer base is not going to do you any harm.

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