Libsyn Live Event 11: iTunes Search, New & Noteworthy and Where Your Stats Are Coming From

[youtube]http://youtu.be/nJVxXZPpnpY[/youtube]

LINK TO MP3

How it the world does iTunes Search work and is getting into New & Noteworthy all that?

This episodes stemmed from the types of questions that we often get both individually and at Libsyn support regarding iTunes search results as well as that coveted New & Noteworthy status.

▸ We debunk myths – particularly the New & Noteworthy myths (IT’S NOT 8 WEEKS PEOPLE!!!)

▸ We dive into what really helps you show up on search results in iTunes. The exact algorithm revealed (or as close to exact as we can.)

▸ Website SEO, podcast stats, definition of what download numbers mean and how to cross reference your numbers to see what they mean.

iTunes SEO, metadata, and figuring out crazy spikes!

Time codes are for the video

  • 2:30 Introduction of what’s coming on the show
  • 3:00 Re-cap of Libsyn Live 10 and why we are addressing these topics
  • 3:45 The iTunes search algorithm broken down
  • 6:50 An example of how the iTunes algorithm works <== You need to listen to this!
  • 11:55 The keyword field within the Libsyn Dashboard and what it means for iTunes.
  • 14:00 The big difference between Google vs iTunes search a la Ms. Ileane.
  • 15:07 Q – How do you get a rough idea of how many people have subscribed to your podcast from the amount of downloads that you get?
  • 17:10 Metadata – what it is – for your podcast.
  • 17:30 Show level metadata, show description metadata from within Libsyn plus where to find your Libsyn RSS feed metadata.
  • 19:20 Why making sure you have the proper rating for your show is super important.
  • 19:50 Episode level metadata broken down.
  • 20:58 iTunes is EXTREMELY picky about artwork – and what can happen if your podcast artwork and episode level artwork is not up to snuff.
  • 22:40 Running through the iTunes artwork requirement, because you need to know this!
  • 23:34 Your new show will NOT be accepted by iTunes if you do not meet artwork requirements, and if your show is already in iTunes it will not update – learn why here.
  • 25:43 Check out a walkthrough of the parental controls within iTunes and how that affects search results.
  • 28:09 Destroying the MYTHS about how to get into New & Noteworthy #DispellTheMyth
    • It is NOT true that you only have 8 weeks in New & Noteworthy
  • 30:05 A breakdown of current N&N shows that dispell what “experts” are saying about how gets you to New & Noteworthy and what keeps you there.
  • 31:53 How DOES being in New & Noteworthy affects your stats. #TruthTelling
  • 34:10 In the LONG TERM New & Noteworthy almost has no effect at all in podcast growth.
  • 35:30 The X Factor to really leveraging being featured on New & Noteworthy.
  • 37:41 Q – How can you tell how many weeks a show has been in New & Noteworthy?
  • 40:40 Q – How do you get featured in the main section of New & Noteworthy?
  • 41:50 N&N vs Top Podcasts what’s the scoop between those?
  • 43:43 Every time you think you have iTunes figured out there are a handful of featured podcasts that break it.
  • 44:15 Apple loves pretty artwork – duh.
  • 44:37 Using social media helps more than iTunes for super niche podcasts – via Jason Bryant.
  • 45:50 Sometimes you don’t see much of a boost when you are featured for months! via Patrick Keller
  • 49:19 Search in other directories and other places besides iTunes: Google, Bing, and your webpage.
  • 50:00 How shownotes can enhance searchability for your podcast with examples and explanation.
  • 54:15 Writting out transcripts can also be a good strategy for searchability.
  • 55:40 Why Alt Tags can help for searchability.
  • 56:37 Generating a site map and why it’s important.
  • 58:19 Get the scoop on www. not being required! OMG. And how that could affect your search results.
  • 1:01:30 The other directories that you should get your show in!
  • 1:02:20 FYI: you don’t upload your media files into podcast directories, you submit your feed into them and then they pull from it.
  • 1:04:30 What do search engines say about having content in two different sites like the Libsyn blog vs your self hosted site.
  • 1:07:20 Q – Will Libsyn be at NMX?
  • 1:07:45 Q – What kind of information do you get with advanced stats? WE DO NOT PROVIDE SUBSCRIBER COUNTS AND WHY.
  • 1:09:00 How to gage a subscriber count for your podcast via your stats.
  • 1:16:13 A breakdown of stats for Libsyn: technology, traffic sources and geographic
  • 1:20:40 What is a “referrer.”
  • 1:22:40 Following your own data to figure out where an unexpected spike in downloads came from.
  • 1:24:10 Spikes – definition – and why it’s a “so called spike” and the real definition of a technical spike.
  • 1:27:32 Where support will look when you email in regarding a spike – PLUS you get a walkthrough of the process support takes to find out where spikes are coming from.
  • 1:32:50 How to cross reference data with spikes of downloads and how to trace back if your marketing is working.
  • 1:34:04 Elsie exits! Holy monkeys!
  • 1:34:55 Bots are not always bad! Krystal breaks it down and explains why.
  • 1:37:30 We cannot analyze your numbers for marketing purposes – we cannot tell you how to market because we don’t know your market.
  • 1:37:47 The only thing that support can do is to make sure your numbers are technically accurate.
  • 1:40:30 Remember Google Analytics gives you great info but not all the info – your host will also give you logs that can serve you alongside – use both – compare and contrast.
  • 1:41:30 Downloads do not equal web site hits – there is no correlation.
  • 1:44:00 Webmaster tools #FTW – sign up!

Links and Resources Mentioned!


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