A Framework, Not a Verdict
A quiet way to review your own search readiness
This checklist reflects the areas we typically review during a catalog audit. Working through it on your own will not produce a score or guarantee, but it may surface a few habits worth revisiting before your next upload.
1 Titles and Metadata
- Does the episode title include language a listener might actually search, not just an internal reference or guest name alone?
- Is the core topic identifiable within the first several words of the title?
- Are titles consistent enough in format that a returning listener recognizes your show style?
2 Show Notes and Descriptions
- Does the first paragraph explain what the episode covers without requiring the listener to press play first?
- Are related terms and phrases used naturally throughout, rather than repeated mechanically?
- Do notes include links to related past episodes on the same subject?
3 Timestamps and Chapters
- Are chapter labels descriptive, or do they read as generic markers like "Segment 3"?
- Is timestamp formatting consistent with what your hosting platform and YouTube expect?
- Do longer episodes have enough chapter markers to make individual sections findable?
4 Series Structure
- Can you group your last twenty episodes into a small number of clear topic clusters?
- Are there obvious gaps in a subject area you cover often but have never addressed directly?
- Do episodes on related topics reference or link to one another anywhere?
5 Transcripts and Written Content
- Do you have a usable transcript for each episode, even a rough one?
- Has any episode been reworked into a standalone article, rather than posted as a raw transcript dump?
- Would a reader unfamiliar with your show understand the written version without listening first?
Working Through It Together
If several boxes stayed unchecked, that is a normal starting point.
Most shows we review have room in at least a few of these areas, often because search formatting was never the priority while building an audience. A conversation with us usually starts by walking through a version of this same list against your actual episodes.
Talk Through Your Results