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FAQ ​

What are the pricing plans for PodSEO? ​

PodSEO offers multiple plans to fit different needs — from independent podcasters to agencies managing multiple shows. Each plan includes different features, such as keyword tracking limits, access to visibility insights, and competitor discovery tools.

You can find the full breakdown of our pricing and features on our Pricing Page.


Is there a free version of PodSEO? ​

Yes! PodSEO offers a free version with specific limitations — perfect if you're just getting started. Here's what you get:

Free Plan Includes:

  • Keyword Strategy: Up to 5 tracked keywords in total, of which a maximum of 3 can be Primary
  • Show Visibility: In Organic Visibility, you see every keyword row with its rankings and search volume; your 3 best-ranked keywords are shown in clear and the others are masked (upgrade to see them all)
  • Planner: Title and Author metadata alignment (Cover Art, Description, and Episode analysis require upgrade), with up to 3 active planned episodes
  • Competitors: Track up to 2 competitors
  • Credits: 10 monthly credits for actions such as episode analysis and clip creation
  • LUCIA AI Chat: 5 messages per month
  • Keyword Tracker: Full access to tracking charts and historical data
  • Basic Platform Data: Rankings across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music

Paid Plan Benefits:

  • Full Visibility: Unlock all keyword rankings in Show Visibility
  • A much larger keyword allowance: Podcaster 100, Producer 500, Agency 50,000 tracked keywords in total (the 3-Primary cap stays the same on every plan)
  • Complete Metadata Analysis: Full AI-powered recommendations for Cover Art, Description, and Episodes in the Planner
  • Advanced Features: Enhanced competitor discovery and premium analytics

When you're ready to unlock the full platform, you can upgrade at any time. Learn more on our Pricing Page.


What's the difference between Primary, Secondary, and Monitored keywords? ​

Primary Keywords (maximum 3 per podcast on every plan):

  • Your most important target keywords for optimization
  • Generate the deepest analysis and recommendations
  • Should represent your core podcast topics

Secondary Keywords:

  • Support your primary keyword strategy
  • No separate tier cap — they count toward your account's total keyword allowance
  • Provide broader topic coverage and discovery opportunities

Monitored Keywords:

  • Keywords you want to monitor but not actively optimize for
  • No separate tier cap — they count toward your account's total keyword allowance
  • Perfect for competitive intelligence and market monitoring

How the allowance works: each plan has one total keyword allowance shared across every podcast in your account (Free 5, Podcaster 100, Producer 500, Agency 50,000, Enterprise 500,000). Primary, Secondary, and Monitored keywords all draw from that pool; the only per-tier rule is the three-Primary cap per podcast. Adding a second podcast does not add a second allowance.

Learn more about building your keyword strategy in our Keyword Strategy guide or follow our step-by-step PodSEO Workflow.


How often should I check my metadata alignment? ​

We recommend reviewing your metadata alignment in the Planner:

  • Initially: After adding your podcast and setting up your keyword strategy
  • After Changes: Whenever you update your cover art, description, or add new episodes
  • Monthly: As a regular optimization check to discover new opportunities
  • Before Big Launches: Prior to major episode releases or series launches

Click "Get AI suggestions to improve" in the Planner's Metadata/Keyword Alignment card for personalized recommendations based on your current keyword strategy.


Why do I see different rankings on different platforms? ​

Each podcasting platform runs its own search, and none of them publishes its full ranking formula. What they do say:

Apple Podcasts: Search is ordered by metadata (show name, channel name, episode titles), popularity (followers and plays), and engagement from search results. Ratings and reviews aren't a direct search input, but they reflect the listening and follows that are. In PodSEO's observations the Author field also appears to matter more than most creators expect on Apple. Spotify: Recommends searchable titles and descriptions (first 250 characters), transcripts, chapters, and topic/guest tags; click-through from search influences relevance. Amazon Music and YouTube Music: Neither publishes search guidance for podcasts; YouTube Music behaves like a video platform with its own search and recommendations.

This is why PodSEO tracks all major platforms — what works on one platform may need adjustment for others. Use Show Visibility to see your performance across all platforms, Competitive Analysis to see how competitors rank, and the platform algorithm guide for what's documented versus assumed.


Why are my rankings different from what I see in my own podcast app? ​

PodSEO collects rankings as a neutral listener in the United States sees them. Your own app shows results for your device's country, language, and sometimes your listening history, so small differences are normal. If your audience is mainly outside the US, paid plans let you add search countries per podcast in Settings → Podcasts and switch between them in Keyword Tracker (Podcaster 1 additional country, Producer 5, Agency 10, Enterprise unlimited). Search countries are separate from chart countries and review storefronts.


What does keyword search volume mean? ​

Search volume tells you roughly how many times a month people search for a keyword. PodSEO shows it as one of six levels, drawn as a 6-step green meter, each with a round monthly range:

LevelSearches per month
Very nicheUnder 100
Niche100–250
Small250–1K
Medium1K–2.5K
Popular2.5K–10K
Very popular10K+

In narrow table columns you see the meter only: hover over it (or focus it with the keyboard) to read the level and range, for example "Small · 250–1K searches/mo". Wider spots, such as the keyword search dropdown in Keyword Strategy and the Keyword Tracker cards on mobile, show the range next to the meter. A clock icon means the keyword hasn't been measured yet; its level fills in after the next periodic check.

Volume isn't good or bad on its own. A popular keyword brings more searches but usually more shows competing for them, while a niche keyword brings fewer searches that are often easier to win and come from listeners who know exactly what they want. Use volume together with Difficulty and Popularity (how crowded the keyword is) to pick the right mix for your show.


How long does it take to see results from optimization? ​

There is no fixed timeline, because platforms don't publish how quickly they re-index metadata or how heavily they weight popularity signals. What you can expect:

Soon after a change:

  • Your updated title or description appears on the platforms once your host's feed refreshes and each platform re-fetches it (usually hours to a few days)
  • New keywords begin tracking in PodSEO with the next ranking collection

Over the following weeks:

  • Metadata-driven position changes for the keywords you targeted often show up within a few weeks; watch them in Keyword Tracker
  • Popularity-driven movement (followers, plays, completions) builds more slowly and depends on how many new listeners your episodes attract

Rather than waiting for a promised milestone, compare each keyword against its own starting position, give a change at least a few weeks and a new episode or two before judging it, and keep applying recommendations consistently. The analytics guide explains a review routine.


What happens after I add a podcast? ​

When you add a podcast, PodSEO sets up your baseline across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music — capturing your current rankings, the keywords you already appear for, and similar podcasts in your category. This gives you a starting point to measure your optimization efforts against.

Your dashboard will populate as this information becomes available, and you'll be notified when everything is ready to explore.


Can I track keywords I'm not currently ranking for? ​

Yes! Use Monitored Keywords to monitor any keyword, whether you're currently ranking or not. This is perfect for:

  • Competitor Analysis: Track keywords your competitors rank for
  • Market Research: Monitor emerging trends in your niche
  • Future Strategy: Watch keywords you plan to target later
  • Performance Goals: Track progress toward ranking for new terms

Monitored keywords don't count toward the three-Primary cap, but they do count toward your plan's total keyword allowance, and they provide valuable competitive intelligence. Learn more in our Keyword Strategy guide or explore competitor discovery tools to find new keywords to track.

Can PodSEO show how my podcast performs on YouTube? ​

Yes. Connect your podcast's YouTube channel and activate YouTube Insights (sidebar → YouTube). You'll see your channel's views, watch hours, subscriber change, where your views come from, and the real searches that bring viewers to your videos, compared with the keywords you track in PodSEO. PodSEO also matches your videos to your podcast episodes and suggests tracked keywords to add to your video titles.

The connection is read-only: PodSEO never edits your videos. It's the same connection used to publish Shorts from Social Publishing. YouTube Insights is available on every plan; the free plan covers channel performance, one search term, and your latest episode, while paid plans unlock every search term and your recent episodes.

YouTube vs YouTube Music: YouTube Music is the podcast directory inside the YouTube Music app, and PodSEO tracks your podcast rankings there like on Apple and Spotify. YouTube Insights is about your YouTube channel and its videos.


Need More Help? ​

For account questions, see Billing and Account Settings and Teams and Organizations. Client reporting and approvals are covered in Agency Workspace.