How to grow a podcast in 2026 isn’t about posting everywhere or marketing harder. It’s about podcast discoverability, building a show that platforms can understand and listeners can find through search.

In this solo episode of As It Relates to Podcasting, Simona Costantini explains why discoverability beats marketing in 2026, and how to grow a podcast organically by improving the parts most creators ignore: podcast titles for search, the first two lines of your episode description, consistent topic signals, and a simple SEO approach that helps Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube categorize your content correctly.

If your podcast isn’t growing, this episode will help you diagnose the real issue. You’ll learn how to stop publishing episodes that disappear, how to write searchable episode titles (not “Episode 5 with Dan”), how to choose one main keyword per episode, and how to structure episodes to increase retention, because listen time and watch time fuel discoverability.

Inside this episode:

1. How to grow a podcast in 2026 without posting everywhere
2. Why podcast discoverability beats podcast marketing
3. Podcast SEO basics, one main keyword per episode
4. Podcast titles for search (clear, specific, outcome-led)
5. Episode descriptions that pass the skim test (first two lines framework)
6. Consistency signals that build algorithm trust
7. Why multi-topic episodes dilute your search signal
8. Structure + retention, how to increase listen time for growth
9. How to grow a podcast organically with long-tail search traffic

Resources:

Podcast Success Vault Membership: https://www.voltproductions.co/podcast-success-vault-membership

Learn about:

1. 00:00 Why “post your podcast everywhere” is failing in 2026
2. 01:20 The shift creators don’t want to admit about growth
3. 03:00 Titles that get found (and the titles that disappear)
4. 05:10 Description skim test, the first two lines framework
5. 06:40 Consistency as an algorithm signal
6. 08:00 One keyword per episode (stop diluting the signal)
7. 10:10 Structure + retention, why attention drives discoverability
8. 11:40 Marketing as amplification (not a rescue mission)
9. 13:10 Long-tail listens, search working while you sleep
10. 14:10 Closing, build discoverability first

MORE RESOURCES:

If you had to launch a podcast in 2026 with zero audience, zero momentum, and no shortcuts, you wouldn’t start with fancy gear or “clever” branding. You’d start with being found.

In this solo episode of As It Relates to Podcasting, Simona Costantini breaks down exactly how she’d launch from scratch today, using what actually works now: search-first episode design, a trailer plus a 3-episode drop, content buckets that help platforms categorize you, and a distribution workflow built before you ever hit publish.

You’ll learn how to write titles that match what people are already searching, how to craft a keyword-rich show description that makes it instantly clear who the show is for (and why they should care), and how to build an ecosystem where every episode becomes YouTube content, clips, email, and a repeatable publishing checklist.

The goal is simple, and it’s the whole thesis of this episode: growth stops feeling like a grind when your podcast is designed to be discovered.

Inside this episode:

1. Why launching in 2026 starts with search, not gear, branding, or hype
2. How to design episodes for discovery before you record
3. Why “clever” show names can confuse both audiences and algorithms
4. What to include in a keyword-rich podcast description (and how to answer “why should they care?”)
5. The 3 content buckets strategy that helps platforms categorize your show faster
6. Why one-off, random-topic episodes can stall growth (algorithm confusion is real)
7. How to title episodes based on what the conversation actually became (not what you planned)
8. Launching with intent: trailer timing + dropping 3 episodes at once for binge behavior and retention
9. The 3 biggest audience questions approach (and why they should be your first three episodes)
10. Why your “Episode 0” should be a solo episode that builds trust and connection
11. Titles that perform in 2026: question-based and outcome-driven, written like Google search
12. Why to submit to Apple + Spotify early (indexing matters)
13. How to build distribution into your workflow (YouTube, clips, blog, email, guest sharing)
14. The simple, repeatable publishing checklist that prevents burnout
15. The core launch truth: podcasts aren’t built on trends or luck, they’re built on clarity

Resources:

🎧 Free Podcast Launch Blueprint (Launch or Relaunch): https://voltproductions.co/podcast-launch-blueprint-2025

Learn about:

1. 00:00 Start with search (not gear)

Podcasting in 2026 is less about flashy tools and more about sustainable workflows, clean execution, and respecting the listener experience.

In this episode of As It Relates to Podcasting, Simona Costantini is joined by Emily, Lead Editor at VOLT Productions, for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about what podcast producers actually notice, fix, and wish creators understood sooner.

Drawing from years of editing experience across hundreds of episodes, this episode breaks down producer-level insights around retakes, recording habits, microphones, headphones, lighting, clothing, ad reads, AI editing tools, and how small production decisions quietly impact listener retention, completion rate, and long-term growth.

This is not about perfection or expensive setups. It’s about understanding how your choices behind the mic affect editing time, audience trust, and burnout over time.

If you want to grow a podcast that feels easier to maintain, performs better across platforms, and still sounds human in an AI-heavy landscape, this episode lays the groundwork.

Inside this episode:

1. What podcast producers notice immediately when editing an episode
2. Why stopping and restarting recordings creates unnecessary editing friction
3. How to do seamless retakes without losing energy or flow
4. When it’s appropriate to stop a guest and re-ask a question
5. Why headphones matter more than microphones for guest interviews
6. Common guest audio mistakes editors see every week
7. How lighting shifts mid-recording and what creators can do to prevent it
8. Why clothing contrast matters for video podcast quality
9. How to batch record episodes without changing outfits constantly
10. Why rigid ad reads reduce listener trust and increase skip behavior
11. How storytelling-based mentions outperform traditional ad blocks
12. The difference between baked-in ads and dynamic ad insertion
13. Where AI editing tools help podcasters and where they fall short
14. Why AI cannot replace editorial judgment or audience awareness
15. How poor editing decisions affect completion rate and retention
16. What sustainable podcast production actually looks like in 2026

🎧 Join the Podcast Success Vault: A low-ticket mastermind-style membership designed to help podcasters grow with strategy, support, and real community.

https://www.voltproductions.co/podcast-success-vault-membership

Learn about:

1. 00:00 What podcast producers wish creators understood sooner