Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) in SEO: What You Need To Know
In this article, you will learn more about Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels), their importance for SEO and how they contribute to Brand SERP Optimisation.
What are Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) in SEO?
Simple Definition of a Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel)
A Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) in Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) displays a collection of podcast episodes in relation to the user’s search query. Podcast Boxes appear for many different types of search query, especially queries that focus on topics where Google’s algorithms deem that the user is researching a topic. Episodes from famous podcast series such as WTF with Marc Maron.
At Kalicube, this Rich Element (SERP feature) is called a “Podcast Box” rather than a carousel, as they can sometimes appear in both carousel and box formats.
You can find more about Google Podcasts and how podcasting works on Google in this article.
What Does a Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) Look Like?
The Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) displays three blocks of podcast episodes. Each block contains the title, publication date, and a thumbnail. The box is in the format of a carousel with navigation arrows to scroll horizontally through up to a dozen episodes.
If the search query is not specific to one podcast, the Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) will generally contain sample episodes from multiple podcasts that relate to the query.
Here is an example of a Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) for the generic search “best digital marketing podcasts”.
When searching a podcast name, or if the intent is specific to a particular podcast, the Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) contains the latest episodes from that podcast.
Here is an example of a Podcast Box in a search result for “Kalicube Podcast”.
Clicking on an episode will take the user to the Google Podcasts search results page, which includes a brief description of the episode and allows the user to listen to the podcast directly on Google Podcasts.
How Do I Appear in a Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) In Google SERP?
Podcasts are distributed by their publishers using RSS feeds. A podcast RSS feed is a file on the podcast’s own website that provides a list of episodes that podcast players and platforms such as Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, PodBean, Podchaser can use to allow their users to listen to the podcast in question. The RSS feed includes information about the podcast series such as the show title, author, visuals etc, plus detailed information about the episodes, including title, description, timing and visuals.
Google uses its own platform (Google Podcasts) to populate Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) in its SERPs. So, to be featured in Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) in SEO, your podcast needs to be indexed in the Google Podcast directory. If a podcast is not in Google Podcasts, it cannot appear in Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) in Google search results.
Here is an article about RSS feed guidelines for Google Podcasts.
How Do Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) Fit Into Brand SERP Optimisation?
When a user searches a podcast name, then the Search Engine Results page they see is called a Podcast Brand SERP. If the podcast is listed in Google Podcasts, then that Podcast Brand SERP will generally contain Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) containing the latest episodes from the podcast.
In the case of Brand SERPs for people and for companies: If the podcast is published from the official website of the person or company, then the Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) will appear if Google’s algorithms deem them to be highly relevant to the brand’s audience. If the podcast is published on another site, then in addition to Google’s evaluation of the relevancy, Google needs to have understood the relationship between the person or company and the podcast.
Here, for example, Google is able to show Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) for “With Jason Barnard” (the podcast), “Jason Barnard” (the host) and “Kalicube” (the publisher).
Having Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) on your Brand SERP (as a person, company or podcast) supports the impression that you have a credible and effective online presence, especially with your audience (who share your interests).
Importantly, once Google shows Podcast Boxes (Podcast Carousels) on a Brand SERP, then the contents will update with the latest episodes within a day of publication. This offers direct control of what your audience sees when they google your brand name, which is very positive for Brand SERP Optimisation.
While a Podcast Box (Podcast Carousel) is essential for the Brand SERP of well-known podcasters and podcast shows, other brand owners or individuals can also benefit from publishing podcast shows. Adding this to your marketing mix can help you promote your brand and expand your audience… and perhaps increase sales further down the line.
Having Podcast Boxes on your Brand SERP (as a person, company or podcast) supports the impression that you have a credible and effective online presence, especially with your audience (who share your interests).
Jason Barnard, The Brand SERP Guy
Kalicube Solutions
- You can learn more about Brand SERPs and how you can control yours and ensure that you keep your potential clients focused on an accurate and convincing depiction of you with The Fundamentals of Brand SERPs for Business by Jason Barnard;
- You can browse our free resources (hundreds of articles, case studies and how-to’s to help you optimise your Brand SERP and manage your Knowledge Panel;
- You can sign up for the Kalicube Academy where you can learn more about Rich Elements and how to trigger them in your Brand SERP. We also offer in-depth video-driven courses, resources and quizzes that make optimising your Brand SERP and managing your Knowledge Panel a relatively simple task;
- You can opt-for the done-for-you Brand SERP and Knowledge Panel solutions where we do the hard work, identify the solutions and ensure that you achieve your goals and get Google “dancing to your tune.”
