Podcast marketing agency Ausha has conducted research that reveals tactics for influencing Apple Podcasts’ search result rankings. The study, powered by Ausha’s technology, provides podcasters with insights into climbing the ranks on Apple’s highly competitive platform, Podnews reports.

Ausha claims that “40% of listeners discover new podcasts directly on their listening apps, thanks to the search bar. Mastering keyword search and being visible to Apple and Spotify algorithms has never been more crucial!”

According to the company, understanding Apple Podcasts’ algorithm has relied on the company’s official guidelines, which highlight three critical factors impacting search positions: metadata, listener behavior, and popularity. By analyzing over 1,000 keywords and more than 7 million search results, Ausha’s study uncovers concrete elements that affect a podcast’s ranking.

The research finds that 97% of the top 10 podcasts effectively utilize their main keyword in metadata. Additionally, 65% prominently feature the searched keyword in their show title. Incorporating the primary keyword into the show name can elevate a podcast by an average of 5 positions in search results.

Using the keyword at least 5 times in the show description boosts the ranking by an average of 9 positions. Including it at least 5 times in episode titles leads to an average gain of 7 positions. Repeating it 6 or more times in episode descriptions increases the standing by 7 positions on average.

The study uses Ausha’s PSO Control Panel, a tool that aims to help podcasters improve their ranking for specific keywords across various podcast apps. The PSO Control Panel is a feature available through paid Ausha plans. The company claims podcasters like Amy Wilson, host of “What Fresh Hell,” and Sandra with her French podcast “Naissance d’une maman,” have seen increased visibility for certain keywords after utilizing this tool.

Amy’s podcast climbed to #15 on Spotify for “Parenting” and debuted at #26 on Apple and #14 on Spotify for “Moms” after using the Control Panel. Sandra’s show saw a 23% download increase in just one week after applying Ausha’s metadata optimization insights.

Odile Beniflah, Ausha’s Head of U.S. Operations, hosted an engaging webinar on March 20 revealing insights about leveraging the PSO Control Panel to become #1 in Apple Podcast search results.