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Google Podcasts Manager | How to Submit or Claim Your Show

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Google Podcasts is still a relatively new kid on the block, but it’s a listening platform that’s worth paying attention to. For starters, it’s run by one of the biggest companies in the world. And on top of that, it’s one of the top 10 places podcasts are consumed, according to data on Libsyn’s official podcast The Feed.

From the beginning, Google Podcasts went against the grain with how it finds and lists podcasts in its directory. They took a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” approach. Podcasters didn’t submit their shows to the directory, Google simply found them. This was a bit frustrating for new podcasters, as it could sometimes take a while to start appearing in there. People like to feel like they’re doing something, rather than waiting and hoping to be noticed.

We’ve seen a few upgrades and new features added to Google Podcasts over the past year. The latest is Google Podcasts Manager – a way to claim ownership of your show and access stats inside the platform.

By default, it also looks like a way to submit new podcasts, as tested by James at Podnews. He created a completely new show, submitted it this way, and it took around 5 days to show up in the Google Podcasts database.

Google Podcasts Submit or Claim Your Show

Let’s walk through how to claim (or submit) your show in Google Podcasts. We’ll demonstrate by using one of our own podcasts, Hostile Worlds. This is a quick and straightforward process.

Step 1. Get Your RSS Feed

Make sure you’re logged in to your Google account. Go to podcastmanager.google.com. You will also need to log in to your media hosting account and grab your RSS feed.

Google Podcasts Manager Enter RSS Feed

Copy your RSS feed into the box and click ‘Next Step’.

Step 2. Preview Your Feed

Preview Your Feed

Then, preview how it all looks inside Google Podcasts Manager. If you’re happy with everything, click ‘Next Step’.

Step 3. Verification

A verification code will be sent to the email associated with your RSS feed/media hosting account.

google podcasts verification code

You just need to hit ‘Send Code’ then check your email. Copy the code into the ‘Enter Code’ field and click ‘Submit’.

google podcasts verify ownership

Step 4. Get Started

You’re all done. Your podcast is securely claimed, and you can now access your stats inside Google Podcasts Manager.

ownership of podcast verified - google podcasts

Google Podcasts Manager Stats

For those familiar with the analytics inside Apple Podcasts Connect, you’ll find these ones practically identical. To be quite honest, at this stage, there’s nothing here worth getting excited about.

stats inside google podcasts manager

These analytics are purely from listening that’s taken place inside Google Podcasts. They can work well as a sample if you’re getting decent numbers on there. The chances are though, that your show will be performing a lot better in Apple Podcasts, so Apple Podcasts Connect will be a more optimal place to run this sort of analysis. For example “what kind of episodes have low completion rates?”, and “what parts of my episodes are causing listeners to drop off?”.

google podcasts manager episode analytics

Looking Beyond Google Podcasts

Your media host will always be the primary place to go for your stats. They can give you the full picture, because they’ll account for every download on every platform.

That said, perhaps Google Podcasts will roll out bigger and better analytics offerings in the near future. I’m sure this is far from the finished product, and it’s certainly another step forward.

If you’re looking for useful, actionable listener data in the here and now, then you might consider surveying your audience. There are lots of benefits of doing so, and we walk you through them in the guide I’ve linked to.

If you’re looking to grow your podcast audience, then here are another couple of resources which will be useful;

And if you need more tailored help with your content, be sure to check out Podcraft Academy. We run weekly live Q&A sessions there. On top of that, you’ll find all our courses, tools, and downloadable resources in there too!

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