Why ChatGPT Is Your New Podcast SEO Sidekick

Most podcasters think of ChatGPT as a task-doer, not a thought partner. But what if it could actually brainstorm with you the way a creative friend would? It understands and works with language, so ChatGPT can help speed up and sharpen your podcast SEO process.

So, think of Chatty (my nickname for ChatGPT) as your secret ingredient for blending creativity with smart, data-driven insights. Once you learn how to massage your ideas with it, the process of creating becomes easier and a lot more fun.

In this series, we’ll explore how to use ChatGPT to craft standout episode titles, flavorful show notes, and more, all while taking advantage of its powerful language and data know-how.

Using ChatGPT to Find the Right Keywords (and the Ones You Missed)

One of the biggest challenges for indie podcasters is that we’re often too close to our own creations to see them objectively. We simply do not have enough time to think clearly about our own episodes. When you use ChatGPT with your podcast episode transcripts you’re essentially using an external brain that bases its output on data alone. That’s freeing and efficient at the same time. 

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can scan your transcript to identify key words. It can also search for terms people actually use to find similar content. For example, if the word “expat” was a key topic in your episode you’d probably pick it as a key word for your podcast text (episode title, tags, show notes, etc). However, when you run your podcast transcript through ChatGPT it may pick up “expat” but also suggest “move abroad” or “live overseas” which are also popular key words often used in texts that the term “expat” is used in. 

From Podcast Chaos to Clear, Clickable Show Notes

Podcasts have so many layers: information, stories, emotions, and all those little details that make an episode feel real. With all that going on, it’s not easy to write a show note summary that captures everything. A good one should hit the main ideas, the emotional vibe, and the keywords that help people actually find your episode. That’s a lot to think about, especially if you’re on a tight weekly schedule. No wonder show notes sometimes end up as dry recaps or highlight reels that miss what the episode is really about.

This is where ChatGPT can help. It’s built to recognize patterns, and patterns are complex by nature. When it’s not hallucinating (I’ll give tips to avoid this later in the series), it’s surprisingly good at sorting through the noise and pulling out what matters. You can use that to your advantage by having it turn your transcript into something more than a summary. Something clearer, catchier, and more searchable.

For example, I like to use the Smart Brevity formula from Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Axios. It’s a communication style that delivers the key point first — what’s happening and why it matters — in as few words as possible. Axios developed it after discovering that readers were only spending about 26 seconds on each story. Twenty-six seconds! So they lead with the essentials and then offer a link for anyone who wants to dive deeper. I figured if even a major news outlet’s audience only reads for that long, podcast listeners skimming show notes probably do the same.

I drop that formula into ChatGPT along with the episode transcript and ask it to write a draft. Then I massage it to sound more like me. It’s quick, it’s efficient, and the result is a short, keyword-friendly summary that still feels human.

How ChatGPT Nails the Subtle Keyword Differences Across Platforms

Strong keywords show up everywhere online—but how they’re written can change depending on where they’re used. The keywords in your audio metadata won’t sound the same as the ones in your chapter titles or YouTube timestamps. Each has its own tone and rhythm, and learning those nuances takes time.

That’s where ChatGPT can save you hours. Because it’s been trained on massive amounts of language data, it already “knows” how keywords tend to appear across different contexts. When you use it to help with your episode tags, chapters, or timestamps, you’re tapping into that collective knowledge base without needing to research it all yourself.

Of course, it’s not perfect. Sometimes it leans on overused words or phrases (please, no more “let’s dive in”). But the good news is that the same wide dataset that causes those repeats also gives it plenty of high-quality examples to pull from. You just need to guide it a bit.

Think of your metadata keywords as hidden signals for search engines—tiny clues that help them understand what your episode is about, even if listeners never see them. ChatGPT can scan your transcript, spot those hidden gems, and surface the ones you might not think of on your own. It’s like having an extra set of eyes that knows what search engines (and potential listeners) are actually looking for.

But Do Keywords Still Matter?

Some people argue that podcast SEO has evolved beyond the old metadata days and that algorithms have gotten so smart they don’t need keywords anymore. It’s possible that file tags themselves don’t carry as much weight as they once did. We’re all experiencing the AI explosion together, so there are things we just don’t know yet. One thing is still clear, though: platforms like podcast apps, YouTube, and LLMs still rely on words to understand and match searches to content. That’s why keywords are still important.

Let ChatGPT Handle the Hard Part

As creators, we’re often too close to our own work to see it clearly, especially when it comes to SEO. Trying to optimize something you just made can feel impossible. It’s still fresh, still personal, and you’re not ready to look at it with distance. That’s where ChatGPT comes in. It can take your transcript and give you that objective perspective long before you’d be ready to get there on your own.

So, as we dive into the rest of this series, think of ChatGPT as your behind-the-scenes partner for making podcast SEO feel a lot less overwhelming. We’ll break down each piece—from titles to timestamps—so by the end, you’ll have your own recipe for success.

In part two, I’ll share my tips on how to craft click worthy podcast episode titles with ChatGPT. Make sure you subscribe to Podcraft Pointers so you get each new post delivered straight to your inbox.

Finally, episode transcripts are essential raw materials when you want to use ChatGPT as a podcast assistant. Alongside its powerful recording and editing tools, the all-in-one podcast maker Alitu automatically creates transcripts for you, and you can publish and distribute your episodes directly from the platform. Try it free for a week and see for yourself.