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:

• Stage: Planning, launching, growing

• Format: Interview, solo, co-hosted, narrative

• Niche: Target audience, listener personas

• 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