No matter how well your podcast is performing, it can only do so well when it's exclusively in audio format. That's because there's a huge audience segment that's inadvertently being alienated. Not to mention the SEO benefits you're missing out on.

Podcast transcripts - a text version of your podcast - can take your podcast performance to a whole new level, helping you to extend your reach, boost your discoverability, and ultimately get the most out of every episode you create.

What's more, podcast transcripts are easy to get your hands on, especially with the help of transcription software like Transcribe.

In this guide, we'll explore seven key benefits of podcast transcription. Let's jump straight in!

Jump to:

• 1. Make your podcasts more accessible

• 2. Maximize your SEO potential

• 3. Boost audience engagement

• 4. Repurpose podcast content for new audiences

• 5. Appeal to those who prefer reading over listening

• 6. Grow your international reach

• 7. Increase backlinking opportunities

• How to transcribe a podcast

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 20% of the global population live with hearing loss. Podcasting might be an audience-first medium, but that doesn't mean your content has to be completely off-limits to people with hearing impairments.

By providing a written transcript of your podcast alongside the audio file, you make the content accessible for members of your audience who might be deaf or hard of hearing, giving them a way to access and enjoy your podcast content.

Learn more about how to make audio content more accessible.

SEO (which stands for search engine optimization) is all about improving the visibility of your website in search engine results. Google understands written content far better than audio content, so a podcast transcript helps the search engine to understand what your podcast is all about and apply it to user searches.

This can significantly improve the online visibility of your podcast, improving your rankings and making it easier for potential listeners to discover your podcast through search queries related to your topics. This can work wonders when it comes to growing your audience and increasing your traffic - in fact, a study by SEO experts Moz saw a 15% increase in organic traffic and a 50% keyword lift after adding podcast transcripts.

Find out more about SEO for podcasts.

With a podcast transcript to hand, listeners can easily share exact quotes or interesting insights from your podcast on social media or other platforms. This helps with extending your podcast's reach, engaging a wider audience who might not have come across your podcast otherwise.

And it's not just your audience that can share these quotes - you can too! By sharing text snippets or quote graphics, you can increase the visibility and shareability of your podcast, spark conversations and curiosity, and ultimately boost audience engagement.

Your podcast's potential extends well beyond the recording itself. With a written transcript of your podcast, you have the flexibility to repurpose your content into blog posts, articles, newsletters, or social media updates. The transcript itself provides the foundation for all these new content pieces - condense it, summarize it, identify key points and topics, and tailor it to different segments of your target audience across different platforms.

By repurposing your podcast content, you can reach a wider audience, maximize your impact, and get the best ROI from every episode you create.

Not everyone enjoys listening to podcasts - some people simply prefer to read. Podcast transcripts provide a flexible and convenient alternative for these members of your audience, meaning they don't have to miss out on all your amazing content.

Written transcripts are also convenient if someone has forgotten their headphones, or if they're in a loud environment where they're unable to listen even with headphones on.

The number of monthly podcast listeners in the US is predicted to rise to 164 million this year. But the number of monthly podcast listeners worldwide is forecast to hit 504.9 million! With an enormous global audience out there ready to consume your content, it makes sense to do what you can to reach them.

Podcast transcripts can be easily translated into other languages, making your podcast accessible and engaging for non-English speakers or people who prefer to consume content in their native language. This global reach can significantly increase your audience size, as well as the diversity of your listener base.

Backlinks are an important element of SEO - getting links from authoritative websites helps Google to see you as a credible source and an authority in your field.

A podcast transcript increases your chances of getting quoted or referenced in a blog or article, as it's easy for researchers, writers, journalists, and bloggers to copy and paste exact quotes - with proper attribution. Without a transcript, a listener would have to transcribe the quote themselves, which can often end up being too much trouble for them. There's also the risk that you'd be misquoted, or that they wouldn't include a proper credit and link back to your website. With a transcript, those problems are solved!

There are several ways to get a podcast transcript. You could manually transcribe the podcast yourself, however this can be an incredibly time-consuming and patience-testing task. Instead, you could pay a professional to type out the transcription for you, but this can be expensive.

Automated transcription software such as Transcribe offers a fast and pocket-friendly alternative. Since the process is powered by AI, you'll get a podcast transcript within minutes of uploading your audio file.

Check out our guide on How to Transcribe a Podcast for step-by-step instructions!

As you've learnt from this article, there are numerous benefits to transcribing podcasts. If you want to harness the power of podcast transcription to expand your reach and boost your discoverability, download the Transcribe app or launch the online editor to get started.