Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategy for Business Growth

Most podcast hosts chase “growth” without understanding how a podcast funnel actually works. And if you’re only looking at downloads or list sign-ups, you’re missing the two earlier moments that decide whether anyone ever hits play in the first place. So let’s fix it. 

I’m breaking down the three conversion points that determine your podcast’s ability to attract new listeners, keep them listening, and drive revenue long-term. You’ll...

Amy Castro had already rebranded her podcast once, and her show still wasn’t reaching the right people. So she made one simple shift in how she positioned her show that landed her a Top 10 chart debut in her category with hundreds of new downloads in a single day.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Amy uncovered the gap keeping her from new listeners, and how you can make the same change to start attracting people who are already sear...

Most podcasters think growth comes from hustling guest appearances or endlessly turning episodes into short-form videos for social media. But guesting eats up hours you don’t have, and social posts won't grow a show. So when you’re an independent podcaster without a big budget for ads (and without a lot of extra time), what actually works?

Lauren Passell of Tink Media is back to reveal one of the most overlooked organic strateg...

Podcast growth won’t come from convincing the same people who already know, like, and trust you to finally listen. Real podcast growth comes from turning strangers into listeners. But with no budget for ads and no time for social media, how do you actually make that happen?

In this episode, Lauren Passell of Tink Media breaks down the audience-borrowing strategy smart hosts use to get their shows discovered, recommended, and shared ...

Should you put episode numbers in your podcast titles? Some podcasters swear it makes episodes easier to find. Others argue it kills discoverability. And turns out, this one simple choice could shape how listeners see your entire show.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the pros and cons of episode numbers and showing you the simplest way to help listeners navigate your show without wasting valuable title space or hurting your podca...

What happens when you’re doing everything “right” (publishing weekly, emailing your list, sharing your episodes) but your podcast still isn’t growing? After a year of following the industry’s “just stay consistent” advice, Anne Rajoo was still trapped in 100-download jail no matter how many posts or promos she put out. With limited time and zero desire to live on social media, she needed a smarter path to podcast growth. 

In this Fi...

Every podcaster wants the same thing: a podcast that grows quickly, without eating more of your time, draining your energy, or demanding a marketing budget you don’t have. The truth? There's no single “fastest way” to grow your show. If there were, every podcast would already be successful, and you wouldn’t still be asking this question. But there IS a repeatable podcast marketing system that makes growth not only possible, bu...

What happens when the podcast you’ve worked so hard to build isn’t holding people’s attention? After her “perfect” launch — charting, downloads, glowing feedback — Dr. Annie Campanile quickly realized her show wasn’t nearly as shareable as she thought. So she made one gutsy change in her positioning, and nearly doubled her downloads in just 7 days.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Annie uncovered the disconnect that made her podcast...

What if the real driver of podcast growth isn’t how consistent you are or how well you market your show? There are 5 invisible mechanics every top podcast has in common, and the degree to which your show grows depends on how well these mechanics are working under the hood.

Alex Sanfilippo, the founder of PodMatch, has spent years studying what today's top podcasters do differently, and he's joining us back to break down th...

If your podcast isn’t growing, it might be tempting to blame your marketing. But before you spend more time or money there, it’s time to take a hard look at your content. Because no marketing plan in the world can fix a show people don’t want to binge. 

Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch, is here to show you how to change that. From making your content “infotainment,” to drafting narratives that hold attention, to structuring inte...

Most podcasters have no idea if their podcast SEO is working. You don’t want to spend hours optimizing your show only to stay invisible in search. The good news? Podcast SEO gives you both the thrill of quick wins and the payoff of long-term podcast growth when you know how to track it.

In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how to tell if your podcast SEO is paying off, the three metrics you need to track, and the tools ...

One in two podcast listeners discover new shows through search inside Apple and Spotify… which means, if your show isn’t showing up in search, you’re handing half your audience to someone else.

In this episode, we’re fixing that. I’m back in the studio with Irene Picco from Ausha to share the 5 best Podcast SEO practices that get your show ranking where listeners are already looking for content like yours, so every episode becomes a...

41% more downloads in just 30 days. No podcast ads. No podcast guesting sprint. Just Podcast SEO done right.

In this episode, I’m joined by Irene Picco from Ausha, widely recognized as the global leader in tracking podcast SEO performance. Irene and I first unpacked this data live from stage at Podcast Movement, and now we’re giving you the inside look at the Podcast SEO experiment that helped this show climb 99+ search positions, r...

“Just stay consistent and make great content” is the podcast industry’s favorite advice, and it’s exactly why most shows never grow. It doesn’t matter how good your content is if no one can find it. And if your podcast isn’t showing up in search, you’re missing out on 54% of the listeners who are finding new shows that way every single day.

In this episode, I’ll show you how Podcast SEO makes it easier than ever for niche shows to g...

Taylor Swift’s engagement dominated headlines, but the real story is what it revealed about fan psychology. To outsiders, it might look like an obsession. In reality? This "crazy" fan behavior all boils down to simple human psychology. And it’s the same psychology you can use to get your listeners binging your podcast every week.

In this episode, I'm breaking down five simple but powerful shifts that will help you tur...

Taylor Swift’s engagement isn’t just celebrity gossip, it’s the biggest podcast marketing lesson of the year.

Swifties aren’t only streaming her music, they're buying the exact Ralph Lauren dress she wore in her engagement photos and crashing ticket servers because they feel like they know her (even though in reality, they don’t).. That’s not hype, it’s human psychology. And nowhere do you have a bigger opportunity to tap into ...

You’ve niched down (at least, you think you have). You’ve defined your ideal listener, picked a category, maybe even reworked your show description and cover art (twice). But deep down, you’re wondering… have I niched down too far? Or not far enough?

In this Fix My Pod session, I help Anthony uncover the subtle red flags that were keeping listeners from hitting play on his content, and show you how to spot (and fix) the same signs i...

Hot topics get clicks. But what about the episodes you want to record, even if they’re not “trendy” or SEO-friendly? It's a smart question, and it begs an even bigger one: how do you make every episode sound like a must-listen so listeners can’t help but hit play, no matter what you’re talking about?

In this episode, I’m answering both and showing you how to strike the right balance between trending topics and thought leadershi...

Think your podcast doesn’t need to solve a problem? In this episode, fellow podcast host and wine educator Kristi Mayfield shares how uncovering the problems her listeners cared about turned her “just for fun” show into a Top 100 podcast that’s now positioned to drive real revenue—and how you can do the same.

We’re breaking down how to find the problems your show solves, why they don’t have to be deep or life-changing to hook listen...