If you’re new to podcasts, the world is changing right before your eyes.
According to recent surveys and statistics compiled by podcast media, including Spotify, Google (YouTube), iTunes, and Stitcher, it’s estimated that 155 million people in the US have seen a podcast.
In Canada, 36% of the country’s residents have watched or listened to a podcast in the past month, while 30% of Australian residents have done the same.
So, it’s clear that it’s a great content format to keep people engaged and informed.
And if you are a marketer working directly with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you can listen to the best SEO podcasts out there to improve your game.
Here is our list of the top examples we could think of.
But first: Why Podcasts are so Popular
We can’t compare podcasts to songs on the radio, but the medium is similar.
You don’t have to watch a podcast. Just listening can be a constructive, active form of learning. And podcasts are very entertaining and perfect for multitasking.
While nearly half of all marketing videos run less than sixty seconds, the average podcast is 42 minutes.
You can watch part of the show, listen while in traffic, do outdoor chores, or clean the house. The massive uptick in sales of headphones and earbuds hasn’t been fueled exclusively by music listeners.
When dealing with an ever-changing business subject like SEO, podcasts bring flexibility and weight that words on the page can’t always convey.
And, since the subject is vast, listening can enhance your knowledge and keep you up to date on definitive changes in the industry.
So, which broadcasters offer the best SEO podcasts? Several, and here’s our comprehensive list — in no particular order.
#1. Edge of the Web
- Hosted by Erin Sparks — available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.
- Produced weekly, Edge of the Web focuses on SEO and Digital Marketing with an hourly program.
- Video podcasts.
- There are more than 400 podcasts to choose from in Edge of the Web libraries.
Sparks is engaging, informed, and often humorous. He’s always cutting-edge.
The host invites high-profile business guests to join him in discussions involving content marketing, Google global search, social media, audit tools, and SERP.
#2. Marketing School Podcast
- Hosted by Neil Patel and Eric Siu — available on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Stitcher.
- Produced several times each week, Marketing School focuses on digital marketing, but SEO is the main thrust of the five to ten-minute podcasts.
- Video podcasts.
- There are over 1900 podcasts available for your listening and viewing pleasure.
Patel is the founder of companies like Quicksprout and Kissmetrics, so he’s heavily invested in digital marketing.
His website, Ubersuggest is all things SEO and keywords. Fortunately, there’s some humor there between Patel and Siu as they discuss the past few days’ most essential SEO news.
Siu brings further authenticity to the subject. He always includes information for new website owners and those who have been on the digital express for years.
Take some notes to get the most out of any podcast (aside from bookmarking the episode). You shouldn’t drive and write or text, but you can use your notes app on your phone at a light.
Then later, you’ll hear your excited voice with that new plan or idea that spawned during an episode of Marketing School.
#3. SEO 101
- Hosted by Ross Dunn and John Carcutt — available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, iTunes, and YouTube.
- Originally part of WebmasterRadio.FM, SEO 101 hits the subject hard but in a friendly manner.
- Audio-only podcasts.
- Check out the more than 400 podcast episodes.
Dunn and Carcutt have been working with SEO for nearly 25 years. Their combined knowledge makes it easy to listen to the format and keeps episodes keyed to SEO.
You don’t have to be an expert to listen and learn. They repeatedly promise to teach SEO from the basement to the attic, even as the ground rules change regularly.
Because Google is such a heavy hitter in SEO, the show includes updates and trending information about the latest Google algorithm changes and updates.
The bi-weekly podcast includes industry experts such as Google’s John Mueller, Metamend’s Richard Zwicky, and many others.
Remember that episodes can be saved to share with coworkers. Then, the subject matter can bring lively discussion between your team members.
#4. Search News You Can Use
- Hosted by Marie Haynes — available on Listen Notes, iTunes, and YouTube.
- Produced weekly, Search News You Can Use is an ever-changing landscape of SEO ideas presented in 45-minute segments.
- Audio-only episodes.
- You’ll find nearly 200 podcasts to update your SEO knowledge.
Marie Haynes spends much of her episodes on Google and their changing environments.
As the world’s dominant search engine, aligning your websites and SEO practices with the big kid on the block makes sense.
Haynes shows often include guests and hit specific topics such as algorithmic expectations, ranking fluctuations, and CMS platform rankings.
For new SEO practitioners, the topics may be intimidating, but Marie explains them carefully so we can all follow the logic and the great results that come.
Some podcast episodes may offer topics you might not be interested in or ready to implement, so don’t be afraid to skip sections or entire episodes.
#5. Search Off the Record Podcast
- Hosted by John Mueller, Martin Splitt, and Gary Illyes — available on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.
- Presented monthly, Search Off the Record runs about 40 minutes on SEO, website monetization, Javascript, and much more.
- Audio-only episodes.
- More than 40 episodes are available.
If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty of Google SEO, this is the place.
You’ll get to hear Mueller, Splitt, and Illyes take turns tackling Google search terms, practices, and how JavaScript gets treated by the largest search engine company in the world.
And since the hosts are Google Webmasters, the advice and secrets are informative, accurate, and often surprising.
The hosts are easy on the ear, have fun telling stories about their daily life at Google, and share what’s trending in the SEO world with insight you can’t get anywhere else.
The best part is knowing that these hosts know SEO, and they know the thinking behind the changes that have significantly impacted website owners over the past two decades.
Their advice is action-based and practical. When understood, web admins can tailor their keyword and search approach to just what Google is looking for with each coming change.
#6. The Recipe for SEO Success
- Hosted by Kate Toon — available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, SunCloud, and Spotify.
- New episodes of The Recipe For SEO Success appear randomly, but about each month, and run 30-40 minutes.
- Audio-only.
- There are 28 videos available.
Kate Toon refers to herself as a misfit entrepreneur, and she refers to business practices in simple terms.
Her podcasts are geared at small business owners and those who run e-commerce sites and blogs. Roughly translated, that means those who aren’t yet experts.
Specifically, Kate breaks down SEO into tiny, bite-size morsels we can all digest while implementing it on our sites.
Guests include SEO-experts interviews, and each podcast is noted explicitly as Newbie or Techie, so you can start with the easy stuff and grow with the program.
Two of her latest episodes include Harnessing the Power of Google Search Console and Keeping Up with Keyword Research.
If you’re new to SEO, those two podcasts will likely transform your thinking about your future success on the web.
Wrap Up
Now that we’ve outlined some of the critical aspects of SEO implementation and detailed the best SEO podcasts, you can pick and choose from our list and get a jump on your competition.
Don’t be afraid to give their best advice a try, whether it’s coming from Best Selling author Neil Patel at Marketing School Podcast or straight from the Google Webmasters at Search Off the Record Podcast.
All of the podcasts here will turn you into the well-informed SEO manager you need to be.
If you want to be an SEO expert, don’t be afraid to include this Search Engine Optimization eBook in your reading.
SEO is the most critical part of keeping search engines accurately aware of your website and what it has to offer.
