Here are my notes from the “Podcast & Audio Optimization” session Tuesday morning.

Podcast & Audio Optimization

Amanda Watlington, Searching for Profit
Rick Klau, FeedBurner
Daron Babin, Webmaster Radio

Amanda Watlington

Podcasting - audio when and where you want it; computers, ipods, and eventually phones

5 Reasons to Podcast
- direct channel with customers
- extends reach
- adds new media outlets
- facilitates marketing communitcations
- (missed last one/too fast)

Must Optimize! - no matter who your audience is or your intent is

Getting Started:
- decide if you’re doing a podshow or a standalone, one-off podcast
- doing a show? research what names are available
- research appropriate iTunes categories
- write audio tags in advance

Step 1: optimize audio (title, album, artist, year, etc.)
- memorable file names are a good idea
Step 2: optimize web site - each episode/show gets its own page
- promote your schedule as a way to attract listeners/subscriptions
- include a player for listening online
Step 3: optimize feeds
Step 4: submit!
- track & monitor submissions

Beyond Search Engines
1. Power of content — interviews draw listeners
2. PR and word-of-mouth — links to podcast in press releases, etc.
3. Use marketing communications to drive listeners.
4. Promote podcast on your web site.
5. Blog about the podcast.

Daron Babin

Podcasting - is it worth it?
- production time
- cost of production (human resources)
- equipment (need high quality audio)
- encoding is a pain in the….
- analytics — Daron uses Feedburner
- bandwidth

People will listen if you are compelling. They want to be entertained and educated. Originality + passion = downloads.

Prepare for growth - research hosts and content delivery networks (CDN). Discuss analytics tools with host/CDN.

Transcribe everything!

Rick Klau

- not everyone uses iTunes; iTunes has 2/3rds of market; none of next 4 user agents are dedicated podcatchers
- metadata is critical for discovery
- subscription process sucks — producers have obligation to educate and explain how subscribing works, benefits of, etc.

Consumption happens everywhere — even TiVo and Xbox can grab RSS feeds & podcasts.

Podcast Directories - important source of listeners.

On-page optimization - the audience doesn’t generally understand how podcasts work, how subscriptions work, etc.

If you don’t have resources to do full transcription, do detailed show notes — good for SEO.

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