Content: Podcast

Guides podcast strategy, content creation, distribution, marketing, and SEO. Podcasts compete in a crowded space (3M+ active shows, 500M+ listeners globally); discoverability is the primary challenge. Discovery channels: ~32% search engines, ~28% podcast apps, ~24% social media, ~16% word-of-mouth.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read for audience, positioning, and content strategy.

Identify:

1. Stage: Planning, launching, growing
2. Format: Interview, solo, co-hosted, narrative
3. Niche: Target audience, listener personas
4. Goals: Downloads, authority, lead gen, repurposing

Content Strategy

Element	Guideline
Niche focus	Define audience through listener personas; tailored content cuts through noise
Quality over gimmicks	Sticky, unique, valuable content; most hosts see major growth after 5–6 months of consistency
Episode structure	Intro, main content, CTA; consistent format aids retention

Distribution & Discovery

Channel	Share	Optimization
Search engines	~32%	Transcripts, show notes, SEO-optimized titles/descriptions
Podcast apps	~28%	Title, description, cover art; category selection
Social media	~24%	Clips, quotes, repurposed content
Word-of-mouth	~16%	Cross-promotion, guest appearances

Multi-channel: Repurpose across platforms to multiply discovery surface.

SEO for Podcasts

Search engines cannot listen to audio. Text-based content is essential:

Element	Guideline
Transcripts	Full or key-moment transcripts; indexable, accessible
Show notes	SEO-optimized; pull organic search traffic; include keywords naturally
Titles	≤60 chars; keywords; engaging language
Descriptions	Episode-specific; keywords; voice-search friendly
Backlinks	Build links to show notes, guest posts, directory listings

Schema: Use PodcastEpisode and PodcastSeries for rich results. See schema-markup for implementation.

Cross-Promotion & Partnerships

Tactic	Use
Feed drops	Swap episodes with similar-sized podcasts
Ad swaps	Promote each other's shows
Guest appearances	Tap into pre-existing engaged audiences

Repurposing

Format	Use
Clips	Short-form for social (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, X)
Blog posts	Expand show notes; pillar content
Newsletter	Episode summaries, key takeaways
Quotes	Pull quotable moments for social

Output Format

• Strategy (niche, format, distribution mix)
• SEO checklist (transcripts, show notes, schema)
• Launch checklist (cover art, description, category, RSS)
• Repurposing plan (clips, blog, newsletter)

Related Skills

• schema-markup: PodcastEpisode, PodcastSeries schema
• video-marketing: Video content; podcast-to-video repurposing
• copywriting: Show notes, episode descriptions, social copy
• content-marketing: Content strategy, repurposing framework
• youtube-seo: If publishing podcast to YouTube