ℹ️ Please Note: Google Podcasts indexing may take several days
For all new shows created on Simplecast or for shows moving to Simplecast from another podcast hosting provider, it can take several days for Google Podcasts to index the show. Google will find your show so please give it up to 5 business days after you published at least one episode in your RSS Feed and have added the show to Google Podcasts Manager if you are not seeing your show in the Google Podcasts directory.
How Get Your Show on Google Podcasts:
Introduction:
The process for getting your show on Google Podcasts is a little unique compared to submitting your show to Apple Podcasts and the other major directories. Google is constantly 'crawling' the internet looking for podcast RSS Feeds on websites and when it locates an RSS Feed that meets the requirements, Google will index the show for Google Podcasts. Although Google does most of the work automatically, there are some action steps for you to take as outlined in this article.
How Long does it take to get indexed by Google?
If you have a brand new show, it could take Google several days to locate your RSS Feed, but it is possible to be proactive and tell Google about your RSS Feed by publishing your RSS Feed using a Google Developer tool and this will tell Google to 'crawl' your website and initiate the indexing process. See Step 3 below for instructions.
How To Tell Google Your Preferred RSS Feed (Change Feed)?
Sign into Google Podcasts Manager
Click on the ⚙️Gear Icon (Settings)
Select 'Feeds'
Click 'Change served feed' at the bottom left of the pop-up window
Choose existing feed from the list if you have already verified ownership or enter a new RSS Feed URL and complete the steps for ownership verification immediately (confirmation emails are usually sent to the email address in the RSS Feed).
Note: If the feed is brand new, Google may need some time before you can request it, but you should see a warning and you can try again in 36-48 hours.
Requirements For Google Podcasts:
• Google account to sign in to Google Podcasts Manager
• A link to the show's homepage in the RSS feed (Google needs to find RSS Feed)
• At least one published episode
• Simplecast RSS Feed URL
The Overview of Action Steps:
Step 1: Add Show/Verify Ownership in Google Podcasts Manager
Step 2: Check to See if Show is already Indexed by Google (you will see your Google Podcasts URL in green if indexed. You will see a red error message if not indexed)
Step 3: Force Index or Publish Show on Google if not yet indexed from Step 2 (wait for approximately 48-72 hrs and then proceed to Step 4)
Step 4: Generate a Direct Google Podcasts Link to Your Show after it is indexed
Step 5: Add a Google Podcasts Listen & Subscribe Badge (to Simplecast sites and embed players)
1. How To Add Show/Verify Ownership in Google Podcasts Manager
Add new or existing shows and verify ownership in Google Podcasts Manager, where you can also add users, and view listener data about your show on Google Podcasts.
Open a Web Browser such as Google Chrome
Click Start Now or Sign In
Enter Google Email Address & Password
Enter Your Simplecast RSS Feed
Click on Next Step
Preview the Feed (changes can be made in 'Show Settings' in your Simplecast dashboard)
Click on Next Step
Send Verification Code (if the email address in the RSS Feed is different than email used in Google Podcasts Manager)
Verify Ownership
Click Submit
Ownership Verified
Click Get Started
Google Podcasts Help Center:
https://support.google.com/podcast-publishers
Watch Video Tutorial:
2. Check to See if Show is Already Indexed by Google
Open the Google PubSubHubbub site
Enter RSS Feed URL in the Publisher Diagnostics field and click Get Info
If indexed, you will see the last crawl date and time and version of your feed.
If not indexed, go to Step 3 (Publish your feed on Google)
3. Force Index or Publish Show On Google
Note: This step will publish your RSS Feed on Google and tell Google to crawl your site and start the indexing process. It still may take several days before your show is indexed, but this may expedite the process.
Open the Google PubSubHubbub site
Enter RSS Feed URL in the Topic URL field and click Publish (although it looks like nothing happened, that is all you need to do and then just wait a couple of days).
4. Generate a Direct Google Podcasts Link to Your Show
Open Google’s link generator tool to get a link to your podcast on Google Podcasts
Enter RSS Feed URL in the Generate a direct link field and click Generate
You will see a message in green if the podcast link was generated.
Copy Google URL to the clipboard (cmd or ctrl + c)
Note: If you see an error message in red when trying to generate the Google Podcasts link for your show, it just means Google has not found and indexed your show feed yet. (If you already did Step 3 to Publish Feed, just wait a few days)
5. Add a Google Podcasts Listen & Subscribe Badge
This step will add a Google Podcasts Listen & Subscribe badge to your Simplecast website and on the Simplecast web embed players.
Sign in to your Simplecast Dashboard
Click on the GEAR ICON in the upper lefthand corner dropdown menu
Select DISTRIBUTION from the lefthand side menu
Click to expand the Google Podcasts box
Paste/Enter your show's Google Podcasts URL in the Step 2: Enter URL text field to add a Google Podcasts badge to your show's Simplecast site and web players.
Click SAVE in the top-right corner
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If You Have Your Own Custom Website (Not a Simplecast Site):
Google requires that the show's website have a link to the show's RSS feed in the site's head section. All Simplecast sites meet this requirement, but if you are using your own website, you'll need to make sure to include the required link to ensure Google finds and adds your show to Google Podcasts. Here are instructions for how to ensure your site meets Google's requirements.
Related Articles:
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Still have questions? We'd be happy to answer them. You can reach our Support Team at support@simplecast.com!