Podcasts, previously known as audioblogs, started rising in popularity in late 2004. With over 4 million registered podcasts globally and 82 million adult podcast listeners in the U.S., they’ve become one of the most powerful platforms for sharing stories, insights, and expertise.

But here’s the exciting part for your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy: podcasts aren’t just about listening—they’re a goldmine for building high-authority, relevant backlinks.

By appearing as a guest on podcasts, you can elevate your brand’s online presence, connect with engaged audiences, and secure backlinks from highly credible sources.

In this article, we’ll explain podcast link building and provide a step-by-step guide to getting it right. We’ll also share some tips if you’re considering launching your own podcast to build links.

What Is Podcast Link Building?

Podcast link building is a digital marketing and SEO strategy that leverages podcast appearances to generate high-quality backlinks to your website.

It involves being featured as a guest on podcasts within your industry or niche, where the podcast host typically includes a link to your website in the show notes, episode description, or on their website.

Below is an example of podcast backlinks from the Marketing Insights podcast by McGraw Hill. In their episodes, they often include descriptions with backlinks to relevant resources and the guests featured on the podcast:

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What Are the Benefits of Including Podcasts in a Link-Building Strategy?

By participating as a guest on podcasts and securing backlinks from their show notes or websites, you achieve a wide range of benefits that extend beyond traditional link-building strategies. Let’s take a closer look at some of these benefits:

✅ Boosts SEO performance

Let’s look at the most obvious benefit first. Podcast backlinks contribute to improved SEO metrics, helping your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Quality backlinks help increase your domain authority (DA), which is a critical factor in improving rankings. In fact, high-quality backlinks are one of the top three ranking factors in 2025.

Regularly acquiring backlinks from podcast websites signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant, improving crawl rates and indexing.

Crawl rates refer to how often search engine bots visit your site to discover and update its content. And indexing is the process of adding a webpage to a search engine’s database so it can appear in search results.

Additionally, when your podcast appearance is focused on a specific topic, the show notes and backlink anchor text can target relevant keywords, further boosting your SEO.

✅ High-quality backlinks

Podcast appearances can provide highly valuable backlinks. Many podcasts have websites with high domain authority, meaning they are well-established, reputable, and trusted by search engines.

When you acquire backlinks from these sites, it signals to Google that your content is also trustworthy and valuable. This can improve your own website’s authority, credibility, and search rankings.

According to Ahrefs, the website for the Marketing Insights podcast by McGraw Hill that we mentioned earlier has a domain rating (DR) of 82:

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Podcast show notes often include contextual links to your website, which are more impactful than generic links. These are particularly beneficial if the podcast is closely related to your niche.

Finally, high-quality backlinks from a trusted podcast page signal to search engines that your site is credible, helping improve your domain authority and rankings.

✅ Increased brand visibility

A study by the BBC shows that podcasts can grow brand awareness and visibility by 89%.

Appearing on a podcast allows you to showcase your expertise and introduce your brand to a new audience. This leads to:

➡️ Expanded reach: Podcasts often have loyal and engaged listeners. By guesting on a podcast, you can tap into an existing community and expose your brand to potential customers.

➡️ A lasting impact: Podcasts are typically evergreen content, meaning episodes remain available indefinitely. Your interview could continue attracting listeners and traffic to your website long after it airs.

Over 74% of podcast listeners tune in to learn new things, so this is the perfect platform to share your expertise and gain visibility.

✅ Targeted traffic to your website

Podcast audiences are often highly niche-specific, making them more likely to be interested in your products, services, or expertise.

Because podcasts attract a targeted audience, the traffic you receive from podcast backlinks is usually more relevant, resulting in higher-quality leads.

Additionally, listeners who visit your website through a podcast backlink are likely to have already developed a level of trust and interest in your expertise by listening to you, making them more inclined to convert.

✅ Builds authority and credibility

According to Spotify, 63% of people trust their favorite podcast more than social media influencers.

Being featured on a podcast positions you as an expert in your industry. This credibility can have both immediate and long-term benefits, including:

➡️ Thought leadership: Sharing valuable insights and knowledge on a podcast helps establish you as a thought leader, enhancing your reputation in your field.

➡️ Social proof: A portfolio of podcast appearances serves as social proof, demonstrating your expertise to potential clients, customers, or collaborators.

➡️ Networking opportunities: Building relationships with podcast hosts and their audiences can open doors to other opportunities, such as further backlinks.

✅ Builds a diverse backlink profile

A study of over 11 million Google Search results found that websites with a higher number of distinct root domains tend to rank higher.

Search engines value a diverse backlink profile, which includes links from various sources such as blogs, news outlets, and podcasts. There are two upsides to this:

➡️ Natural link building: Backlinks from podcasts appear natural because they are typically accompanied by genuine discussions of your expertise or services.

➡️ Domain variety: Podcasts often link to your site from domains like Apple Podcasts that you might not reach through other link building strategies, increasing the diversity of your link profile.

In fact, the Apple Podcasts website has a domain rating of 97, making it an excellent site to secure backlinks from:

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A 10-Step Guide to Podcast Link Building

The below step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process of podcast link building so you can secure these powerful backlinks:

1) Understand your goals and target audience

The first step in podcast link building is to define your goals and identify your target audience and niche.

Knowing what you want to achieve will shape your strategy. Are you looking to improve your website’s search engine rankings, increase traffic, build brand awareness, or generate leads?

Once your goals are clear, focus on understanding the audience you want to reach. Identify their demographics, interests, and challenges.

For example, 50% of monthly U.S. podcast listeners are between 12 and 34, 43% are between 35 and 54, and 22% are over 55.

Additionally, around half of monthly podcast listeners have a full-time job, 17% have a household income between $100,000 and $150,000, and 28% have a university degree.

This understanding will guide you in finding podcasts whose audience aligns with your expertise or services.

2) Research and identify relevant podcasts

Finding the right podcast is crucial for successful link-building. Begin by researching podcasts that cater to your niche or industry.

For example, comedy, news, and society and culture are the most popular genres for listeners over 18.

You can use tools like Listen Notes, Podchaser, or Chartable to search for relevant shows based on keywords or categories.

Look for podcasts that regularly publish show notes or episode descriptions on their websites since these are the most common places to include backlinks.

When reviewing potential podcasts, ensure they provide backlink opportunities by checking their website’s existing show notes or descriptions for guest links.

Additionally, you should evaluate the quality of each show’s podcast content by considering metrics such as:

📈 Episode frequency.

📈 Listener reviews.

📈 Social media following.

📈 Audience size.

This will help you determine the impact and reach that these podcasts earn. For example, a podcast that consistently releases episodes will likely have an engaged audience and maintain a strong domain authority.

Tools like Podkite and Rephonic can help you analyze the above audience insights.

3) Prepare a compelling outreach strategy

Once you have your list of potential podcasts, the next step in the link-building process is to create a personalized outreach strategy.

Podcast hosts receive tons of guest appearance requests, and only 8.5% of link-building cold emails generate results, so your pitch needs to stand out.

Start by crafting a tailored email that mentions specific episodes you enjoyed or insights you found valuable.

Next, highlight how your expertise or story aligns with the podcast listeners’ interests and propose a few topics you could discuss during your appearance.

It’s also important to showcase your credibility by sharing your qualifications, achievements, or previous media appearances.

Conclude your email with a polite call-to-action (CTA) offering to work around their schedule for an interview.

Below is an example of the type of outreach email you could send:

Hi [Host Name],

I’m [Your Name], [Your Title/Expertise], and I’m a big fan of your podcast, [Podcast Name]. I especially enjoyed your recent episode on [Topic], where you [specific insight from the episode].

I’d love to contribute to your show by discussing [Your Topic], sharing insights on [specific value for their audience], and providing actionable advice your listeners can implement.

Let me know if this sounds like a good fit—I’d be happy to work around your schedule.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

[Your Name]

4) Prepare for your podcast appearance

Once your pitch has been accepted, take time to properly prepare for your appearance.

Begin by researching the podcast’s tone, format, and audience preferences. Listening to recent episodes will help you understand the host’s style and anticipate the types of questions they may ask.

Outline the key points you want to make, focusing on topics that align with your goals and demonstrate your expertise.

You should also prepare a specific resource or landing page on your website that the podcast host can link to in their show notes or on their website.

This page should offer value to their audience and include a clear CTA, such as signing up for a newsletter or downloading a free guide.

On an episode of The Diary of a CEO, Stephen Bartlett interviews an award-winning entrepreneur, Daniel Priestly. The show notes direct listeners to a specific landing page on Daniel’s website that he uses to capture leads:

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When you click “Grow Your Business,” you’re directed to a page where Daniel captures contact information in exchange for a free workshop:

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Finally, ensure you have the right recording setup, including a high-quality microphone, headphones, and a quiet environment.

5) Participate in the podcast interview

When it’s time for your interview, focus on delivering as much value as possible to the audience.

Speak naturally and confidently, and share stories and examples that make your points more relatable.

Avoid being overly promotional, but you can strategically mention your website, product, or resource when it fits organically into the conversation.

Building rapport with the host is also important, as it can lead to repeat invitations or introductions to other podcasters.

6) Ensure backlink inclusion in show notes

After recording your podcast episodes, follow up with each host or producer to confirm that your backlink will be included in the show notes or episode description.

Share the exact URLs you’d like them to use and provide a brief description for each link.

If possible, request that the anchor text includes relevant keywords to enhance the SEO value of the backlink.

In an episode of the 99% Invisible podcast, they use detailed anchor text in their show notes when directing listeners to resources and guest profiles:

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Once the episode goes live, review the show notes to ensure the links to your website are correct and functional.

7) Promote your podcast episodes

Promoting your podcast appearance benefits both you and the host by increasing the episode’s visibility and engagement.

Share the episode on your social media channels and tag the host to encourage interaction.

Below is a LinkedIn post from Gianluca Gambatesa, effectively promoting her appearance on a podcast called Leadership Anywhere:

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You can also include the podcast link in your newsletter, highlighting key takeaways from the episode and encouraging your audience to listen.

Embedding the episode on your website, creating a blog post, or developing a resource page summarizing your discussion is also a good idea.

8) Track and analyze your results

To measure the effectiveness of your podcast link-building efforts, you need to use analytics tools to track the performance of your backlinks and the traffic they generate.

Google Analytics can help you monitor referral sources, while tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush allow you to assess the SEO impact of your podcast backlinks.

If you linked to a specific landing page, track conversions such as downloads, signups, or sales.

Over time, monitor your domain authority, organic traffic, and keyword rankings to evaluate the overall success of your strategy.

Additionally, if you get around 25 to 30 downloads a month, you’re already in the top 50% of podcasters.

9) Build relationships for future opportunities

Podcast link-building isn’t only about earning backlinks; it’s also an opportunity to build meaningful relationships that could benefit your business.

After your appearance, send a follow-up email thanking the host for the opportunity and offer to collaborate again in the future.

Ask if they know of any other podcasts that might be interested in featuring you as a guest. You should also stay engaged with the host and their audience by sharing other episodes or interacting with their content on social media.

10) Scale your podcast link-building strategy

Once you’ve successfully appeared on a few podcasts, you can scale your efforts to expand your backlink profile.

Create a database of all the podcasts you’ve appeared on, noting key details such as the host’s name, audience size, and backlink placement.

As your authority grows, target larger podcasts with bigger audiences and higher domain authority.

Additionally, consider expanding the range of topics you can discuss to appeal to a broader selection of podcasts.

Over 35% of Americans listen to more than 10 different podcasts per month, meaning you could reach your target audience via more than one show.

Tips for Starting Your Own Podcast for Link Building

Launching a podcast can be a highly effective way to build backlinks, boost SEO, and establish authority in your industry.

Creating engaging, high-quality podcast content can attract collaborations, foster relationships, and naturally earn backlinks from various sources.

However, as there are 111,000 new podcasts published every three days, you’ll need to follow some best practices to be competitive.

Below are some tips for creating a podcast as a link-building tool:

🎤 Choose a specific niche: Focus your podcast on a specific topic that aligns with your business and audience interests to attract relevant listeners and backlink opportunities.

🎤 Feature the right guests: Invite industry experts or influencers as guests on your podcast. They’ll often share the episode with backlinks to your podcast on their own platforms.

🎤 Create SEO-optimized show notes: Write detailed episode summaries with relevant keywords and include links to your website or resources mentioned during the episode.

🎤 Promote collaboration: Collaborate with other podcasters or businesses for cross-promotion, creating more opportunities for mutual backlinking.

🎤 Leverage your content: Repurpose podcast episodes into blog posts, infographics, or video and audio content that link back to the original page, maximizing reach.

🎤 Encourage sharing: Make it simple for listeners and guests to share episodes by providing ready-to-use links and promotional assets.

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