Important Apple Podcasts Update

This is worth five minutes of your time – your show title may need urgent action.

A few weeks ago, Apple Podcasts began removing shows that have what they’re calling “keyword stuffing” in the title.

Keyword stuffing is when your title includes the name of your show AND any additional information that may help it be found in an Apple Podcasts search – such as name dropping. Many podcasters do this to ensure their show comes up in specific searches on Apple Podcasts, and they are now cracking down on show owners who are trying to ‘stuff the system,’ so to speak.

Warnings are being sent by Apple Podcasts, so if you get an email from Apple, pay special close attention and see if it has this language:

Your show does not comply with the below Apple Podcasts requirement:

-Irrelevant content or spam

Please remove the additional metadata from the title tag.

Not sure if your show title is in need of a change? Firstly, and this is always good advice: when in doubt, do without. But if you want to know for sure, here are some examples of show titles that need to be changed:

• The Goat Podcast: everything you want to know about goats, goat milk, raising goats featuring interviews with Goat Mama, Mr. Totes Ma Goats, Goatalicious and more
• Build Your Best Life | Self Care, Fitness, Mental Health by David Brent

Here are some examples of the above, fixed:

• The Goat Podcast by Goaty Goaterson
• Build Your Best Life by David Brent

As you can see, it’s best if you remove ALL keywords, even text that may look like a tagline, just to be on the safe side. You don’t want Apple whipping your podcast offline, after all.

Some common questions:

I changed my title, but my episode titles also have names in them. What should I do?
In this case, names of your guest are perfectly acceptable in episode titles. Just don’t add extra ones.

What should I do if I receive this notification?
Go into your Podcast Websites Dashboard, and under show settings, change the title of your show to JUST the title and no further explanation.

What if my show has already been removed?
In this case, you can make the changes to the show title and then resubmit your show into Apple Podcasts. They have not removed your subscribers and feed altogether, just from being found in a search. If you need any help, contact your Podcast Websites support team through your Dashboard

Going forward, our best advice is not to do any type of “keyword stuffing” whatsoever – in your title, your episode titles, your description, or otherwise. Your show’s success should not be based on the Apple Podcasts ranking, nor will it be defined by how many people are finding you in search.

For better success measurement and results, focus on building your audience by marketing your show on different channels. Our Podcast Success Academy has tons of tips and downloads about ways your show can stand out in a crowd, without stuffing the system.

Take a look in there for ways to grow your audience that have nothing to do with Apple Podcasts, and rest assured you’re growing a well-rounded show with an audience that found you from good old-fashioned marketing.