One Secret to Getting More Downloads of Your Podcast
In this episode, we reveal one powerful secret to increasing your podcast downloads: writing better episode titles. Many podcasters struggle with discoverability—not because of their content quality, but because their titles don’t invite clicks. Titles act as your show’s headline, just like YouTube creators rely on titles and thumbnails. By making your episode titles keyword-rich, using long-tail search terms, and front-loading the value in the first few words, you can dramatically boost your visibility and attract new listeners. We also cover why vague titles like “Episode 14 with John” don’t work unless your guest is a household name, and how rephrasing them into specific, curiosity-driven promises can transform your results. Consistency builds trust, and trust builds downloads.
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Sample Transcript
Welcome to this episode, where I’m going to share one secret to getting more downloads of your podcast. A lot of podcasters struggle with discoverability. You can have the best content in the world, but if people don’t click on your episode in the first place, they’ll never know how good it is.The secret is in your episode titles. Think about YouTube — creators there obsess over titles and thumbnails because they know that’s what drives the click. Your podcast episode title plays the exact same role. If your titles are vague, like “Episode 14 with John,” nobody’s going to be interested unless John is famous. But if you rewrite that same episode as “How to Land Your First Freelance Client in 30 Days,” suddenly it speaks to the listener’s need and curiosity.Make your titles keyword-rich, like blog posts. Use long-tail keywords that people actually search for. Instead of “Marketing Tips,” write “5 Proven Marketing Tips to Double Your Email Subscribers in 2025.” That makes your episode show up in search results on podcast apps, Google, and even social media shares.Another trick is to front-load the value in the first few words. Listeners often scan quickly — if the first three words don’t grab them, they scroll past. Numbers, strong verbs, and promises of transformation usually work best.And here’s the last piece: consistency. If every title clearly tells the listener what they’ll learn or what problem will be solved, you train your audience to trust that clicking on your episodes is worth it. That trust compounds into more downloads over time.So the secret is simple: write better titles. Treat them as headlines, not afterthoughts, and your downloads will grow.
