The Podcast Asset Most Businesses Are Ignoring (And How to Fix It in Seven Steps)
You're recording great episodes. You're putting in the time, booking the guests, and doing the editing. And then you spend five minutes copying your episode title into a text box, adding a couple of bullet points, and hitting publish.
That five-minute shortcut is costing you every listener who would have found you through a search.
Show notes are not a formality. They are the single most underused SEO asset in podcasting—and most podcasters treat them like a chore. In this episode, Mark Hunter, co-founder of Podcast Studio Glasgow, breaks down exactly what great show notes look like, where they should live, and how to write them in a way that compounds your search traffic episode after episode.
What's in This Episode
What show notes actually are — and what they're not A two-line description on Spotify is not show notes. That's metadata. Real show notes include a proper episode description, guest credentials, timestamped segments with actual detail, key takeaways, every resource and tool mentioned, and a clear call to action. The difference between good and great comes down to one thing: searchability.
Why podcast apps are the wrong place to host them Most podcasters publish on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave it there. That hands all the SEO value to someone else's platform. The right move is to host your show notes on your own website as a blog post, with the podcast player embedded. Your domain builds the authority. Your internal links keep visitors exploring. And when a listener wants to sign up to your list or download your guide, they're already there — no friction, no detour.
One line worth remembering: podcast algorithms change. Search traffic from your own website doesn't.
The seven-step process for writing show notes that actually work
Research search intent before you record — find the term your audience is already typing, then structure your episode around it
Write a meta description that promises an outcome — 155 characters, specific result, not "interview with a marketing expert"
Open with the problem, not the guest — start with the pain your listener is experiencing right now, not "today I'm joined by..."
Write proper timestamps — not "15:00 — customer success" but "15:00 — how to identify customers at risk of leaving 30 days before they go"
List every resource with context — books, tools, studies, guest profiles; each one is a signal to Google and a reason for a reader to stay
Write a standalone summary section — 300 to 400 words capturing the episode's core argument; your second anchor for search
Add a transcript or pull quotes — full transcripts are gold for SEO; even five or six strong pull quotes add significant indexable content
Five SEO benefits that compound over time
Long-form authority — a 2,000-word blog post with embedded audio beats a 150-word podcast app entry in search every time
Keyword multiplication — one episode can rank for dozens of related queries across the headline, timestamps, and resource sections
Internal linking — three to five links per show note post strengthens your entire site architecture
Owned media — you're building traffic that belongs to you, not Spotify
Conversion integration — lower friction from discovery to action when everything lives on your own site
The mistakes most podcasters are making right now Treating show notes as promotional copy. Only publishing on podcast platforms. Writing timestamps that don't answer anything. Forgetting internal links. Not formatting the core answer clearly near the top, where Google can find it.
Timestamps:
00:00 Why your show notes are silently killing your podcast growth
00:42 What real show notes look like — and why Spotify descriptions don't count
01:36 Why hosting your show notes on your own website changes everything for SEO
03:01 The seven-step framework for writing show notes that rank on Google
05:02 How to get a full transcript from your recording — and why it's SEO gold
05:41 Five SEO benefits that compound with every episode you publish
06:45 The mistakes most podcasters are making right now (and how to stop)
07:40 Where to start today — one episode, 30 days, measurable results
Key Takeaway
The effort is real — expect an extra hour or two per episode done properly. But every episode you publish becomes a searchable page that works for you indefinitely. Start with your best-performing episode. Rewrite the show notes using the seven steps above. Publish it as a blog post on your own site. Then watch what happens to your search traffic over 30 days.
Take the Next Step
Ready to take your podcast to the next level? When you record at Podcast Studio Glasgow, you receive a full text transcript of your entire session — quotes, timestamps, and all the raw material you need for great show notes, ready to go.
Book your session at podcaststudioglasgow.com
Not ready to book yet? Head to the blog for free resources, guides, and our full library of podcasting tips — including the detailed written version of everything covered in this episode.
Download our free eBooks for podcasters Free resources →
References and Further Reading
Full show notes guide — the detailed written version of this episode, including the seven-step workflow table, tool recommendations, and SEO benefits breakdown
AI tools for podcast transcription and editing — the article covering AI transcription tools referenced in the episode
Getting the most from your podcast recording — a broader guide to maximising what you produce from every studio session
About Podcast Studio Glasgow
Scotland's longest-running professional podcast facility, based at 279 Abercromby Street, Glasgow's East End. Multi-camera setups, cinema-grade cameras, full transcripts included, and post-production packages available so your team doesn't have to handle any of it.
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