Nowadays, brands are constantly seeking innovative ways to engage their audience, build trust, and establish authority. One of the most effective and scalable mediums today is podcasting — specifically, video podcasting. With platforms like YouTube, Spotify Video, and Apple Podcasts supporting video, brands can leverage this format not only for content delivery but also for search engine optimisation (SEO) and long-term organic traffic growth.
Starting a video podcast as a brand is more than just turning on a camera and talking. It requires strategy, technical planning, production quality, and an understanding of how video and audio content feeds into broader SEO efforts. In this SEO Premier Blog, we will walk through how brands can create a compelling video podcast and explore the SEO implications and tasks that follow to maximize reach and drive sustainable traffic.
Understanding the Value of a Video Podcast for Brands
Video podcasts are uniquely positioned at the intersection of audio, visual, and searchable content. While traditional podcasts are valuable for on-the-go listening, video adds an extra layer of engagement: facial expressions, branding visuals, product demos, and more!
For brands, this medium offers several advantages. It allows for repurposable content, cross-platform distribution, and more discoverability, especially on video-first platforms like YouTube, which doubles as the second-largest search engine in the world. Moreover, video podcasts can be used in various parts of a marketing funnel, from awareness to conversion, which provides a versatile content asset. Additionally, video podcasts tend to increase session duration on owned channels, such as websites, which can positively impact search rankings. They also generate engagement metrics like comments, likes, and shares, all of which contribute to a stronger digital presence.
Planning Your Video Podcast: Strategy and Technical Setup
Before diving into production, brands need a well-defined strategy. This includes identifying the target audience, determining the value proposition of the podcast, and aligning content topics with broader brand goals. For example, a SaaS brand targeting marketing professionals might produce a podcast interviewing industry experts, discussing trends, and offering tactical insights, all while subtly showcasing how their platform supports marketers.
Next comes the technical setup. For video podcasts, quality matters. Viewers expect clear video and crisp audio, and failing to meet this expectation can negatively affect viewer retention and perception of the brand.
At a minimum, brands will need the following:
A high-quality camera (DSLR, mirrorless, or even high-end webcams)
Professional-grade microphones
Lighting equipment to ensure well-lit video
Recording software or hardware (such as OBS Studio, Riverside.fm, or Rodecaster Pro)
Video editing software for post-production (Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve)
Beyond equipment, it’s important to design a visually branded set or backdrop. This could include your logo, brand colors, and subtle visual elements that reinforce brand identity without being distracting.
Recording and Editing with SEO in Mind
Even during the production phase, it’s critical to think about SEO. While SEO often refers to optimization after content is published, the reality is that how you record and structure your podcast can influence how well it performs.
For instance, ensure that the topic and keywords you want to target are naturally incorporated into your dialogue. If your brand wants to rank for “email marketing strategies for startups,” make sure this phrase and related terms are spoken during the episode. Why? Because platforms like YouTube and Google increasingly use speech-to-text processing to understand video content.
Also, consider structuring your podcast in a way that’s easy to segment. This allows for the creation of clips or highlight reels, which can be optimized individually, giving you more opportunities to rank for different keywords or appear in different search results.
When editing, keep intros concise and engaging, especially for YouTube, where the first 30 seconds are critical. Use captions for accessibility and SEO, and ensure that your video is formatted for the platform (16:9 for YouTube, for example).
Publishing: Titles, Descriptions, and Metadata Optimisation
Publishing your video podcast is where the SEO rubber meets the road. Brands must take full advantage of metadata optimisation to help search engines and platform algorithms understand and properly categorise the content.
Start with a keyword-rich title. The title should accurately describe the episode’s content while incorporating the target keywords. For example: “Email Marketing Strategies for Startups: Interview with Growth Expert Jane Doe.”
The description should also be thorough. Include a summary of the episode, key points discussed, guest bios, and links to any resources mentioned. Importantly, include timestamps for key segments, which helps with user experience and can enable “key moments” features in Google Search or YouTube.
Don’t you forget about tags on platforms like YouTube. These are secondary ranking signals but can still help with discoverability. Also, use a compelling thumbnail — ideally branded and visually consistent across episodes — as this significantly influences click-through rates.
Finally, transcribe the episode and include the full transcript in the video description or on your website. This not only aids accessibility but also provides a text-rich resource that search engines can crawl, increasing the likelihood of ranking for long-tail keywords.
Repurposing Podcast Content for Organic Reach
One of the key SEO advantages of video podcasts is the ability to repurpose content. Each podcast episode can fuel multiple content types, each with its own SEO value.
First, create blog posts based on the podcast. This could be a summary, a list of key takeaways, or a deep dive into a specific topic discussed. Embed the video in the post, include the transcript, and optimise the post with relevant keywords, headers, and internal links.
Next, slice the video into short clips for social media. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, and TikTok are valuable for distribution and engagement, and they often drive traffic back to the full episode or your website.
You can also use quotes or insights from the podcast to create infographics or email newsletters, all of which can link back to the original content, boosting SEO through increased dwell time and backlinks.
SEO Tasks Post-Publication: Promotion, Backlinks, and Analytics
Once the episode is live, SEO tasks shift toward promotion and link building. Share the episode across your social media channels and encourage guests to do the same, tapping into their networks for added reach.
Email outreach can also be effective. Reach out to industry blogs, newsletters, and media outlets that might find your episode relevant. Aim to get backlinks to your episode’s landing page, which will boost its authority and search visibility.
Consistently monitor analytics using tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, and YouTube Studio. Track metrics like traffic sources, session duration, bounce rate, and keyword rankings. Use this data to refine future episodes — for example, if certain topics or formats perform better, lean into them.
Also, consider optimising older episodes. Update titles, descriptions, and tags based on new keyword research or performance insights. Evergreen content can continue driving traffic for years if maintained properly.
Conclusion
Starting a video podcast as a brand is both a content initiative and an SEO investment. By planning strategically, producing with quality and search in mind, and executing consistent SEO tasks post-publication, brands can build a sustainable, organic traffic channel that pays dividends over time.
From audience engagement to search engine visibility, the rewards of video podcasting are significant — but only if approached with both creativity and technical discipline. For brands ready to step into this space, the opportunity is wide open.
