![How to Use Podcasts for Link Building [2026 Full Guide]](/blog/content/images/size/w960/2026/01/podcast-link-building-2.png)
Quality backlinks should be a vital part of your SEO strategy, and in our opinion, building links via podcast guesting is a highly underrated tactic.
In Databox’s 2024 small business marketing survey, only 13.56% of respondents said they use podcasts as a marketing channel. But with over three million shows out there, brands have no shortage of podcast link building opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll explain what podcast link building is and how to find podcast backlink opportunities using Rephonic.
Key Takeaways:
- One podcast appearance can generate multiple backlinks.
- Prioritise shows with a website that gives dofollow links.
- Use Rephonic to find guesting opportunities and identify shows with websites.
Table of Contents
What is podcast link building?
Podcast link building involves appearing as a guest on podcast episodes to earn backlinks from indexable pages such as the show’s episode page and show notes.
You can leverage podcasts and build links by appearing on other people's podcasts, which helps increase your brand visibility and boosts your SEO efforts.
It’s a valuable SEO strategy because high quality backlinks can boost your site’s authority. That can lead to better rankings on the search engine results page and more traffic. In fact, Google explicitly says that they take links from authoritative sites into account and that “the best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search.”
Here’s how it works.
You record a guest interview on a podcast. When the episode airs, you get a link back to your business website in the podcast show notes. That connects you with another website in your industry or niche. (Note that, not all podcasts have a large or relevant audience, which can limit the effectiveness of your guest appearance.)
You can get podcast backlinks from:
- The podcast hosting site (where the show lives, e.g. Buzzsprout)
- The podcast directory (where people listen, e.g. Spotify and Apple Podcasts)
- The podcast website (if there is one)
- Other websites and social media accounts (people may link to your website because of what you said during your interview.)
Why are backlinks important?
Backlinks are like “trust signals or votes of confidence from other websites…The more high-quality backlinks your website has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results.”
Ahrefs: What Are Backlinks
There are multiple opportunities for backlinks every time you appear on a podcast.
The internet (aka world-wide-web) is like an infinite spider’s web with trillions of strands and connections. Every genuine link or connection you make strengthens your site’s position and authority, making it easier to get organic traffic, higher search rankings and become more noticeable in AI searches.
Let’s look at how one standout podcast guest uses podcast links to increase his website's authority.
Alex Hormozi: a podcast link building example
Link building is a strategy that’s worked perfectly for Alex Hormozi, as this video shows.
Hormozi has been a guest on well over 100 industry podcasts in the past nine years, allowing him to share valuable insights and build authority in his field. Here’s a snippet of the results we saw when we ran Hormozi's website through a backlink checker. You can see that many of the referring domains were podcast platforms.
Dofollow vs nofollow podcast backlinks
Podcast directories like Spotify and Apple Podcasts have ‘nofollow’ links.
In the past, Google largely ignored nofollow links for ranking signals. Today, Google treats nofollow as a hint, meaning it may choose to consider or ignore those links depending on context.
All the link attributes—sponsored, ugc, and nofollow—are treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search. We'll use these hints—along with other signals—as a way to better understand how to appropriately analyze and use links within our systems.
However, podcast websites and some hosting sites use 'dofollow' links which means they pass ranking power to your site.
We recommend using Rephonic to quickly check whether the podcast has its own website.
How to find podcast backlink opportunities
1. Find podcasts in your niche using Rephonic
Rephonic is a podcast database, specifically designed to help you find relevant podcasts to pitch for podcast guesting.
Start with a topic search
Let’s say you’re a financial advisor, specializing in investing. Here’s what your Rephonic search might look like:
Start by searching for your topic or other relevant keywords.
When link building, targeting podcasts within your niche can help you attract authoritative backlinks and establish your expertise in this specialized area.
Then, use Rephonic’s filters to narrow down the search. I’d always recommend using the Active and Guests filters, so you filter out solo and non-active shows. But you can also filter for various audience demographics and podcast numbers (e.g., episodes or listener numbers.)
Check on your competitor's podcast link building strategy
Wondering whether your competitors have also caught onto the value of podcast link building? Use our episode search engine. You can:
- Search for your topic in Episodes, then scroll through the list to see what guest names stand out.
- Search for a competitor’s name in Episodes to see which shows they’ve been a guest on. These shows could well be a good fit for your link building strategy, too.
Read How to Spy on a Competitor’s Podcast Guesting Strategy for more info.
2. Check if the podcast has a website
Many shows either have their own podcast website or a dedicated landing page on their company website.
If you see a podcast title that looks like a good fit, click on it and check out their website link on the Overview tab.
When your podcast guesting strategy includes getting high quality podcast backlinks, we recommend that you prioritize shows that also publish episodes on their websites, especially those with high domain authority. These links can significantly improve your SEO and signal trustworthiness to search engines.
Check the website’s domain authority, using a free checker like Ahrefs’ Website Authority Checker or Authority Score from Semrush.
3. Check show notes for links
Next, click the More Episodes button to open a list of episodes and show notes to check for links.
After recording your podcast episodes, follow up with each host or producer to confirm that your backlink will be included in the show notes or episode description.
Go ahead and make a personalized pitch if:
- The podcast’s a good fit for your expertise
- The website’s domain authority scores well
- And they include links in the show notes.
3 tips to maximise podcast backlink success
1. Write a compelling pitch for podcast hosts
Securing a guest spot on reputable podcasts starts with writing a personalized pitch that stands out to podcast hosts.
Open with a concise introduction—say who you are and why your expertise is relevant to their audience. Highlight your unique perspective or experience, and suggest specific topics or themes you can discuss that align with the podcast’s focus.
Reference their podcast episodes and mention insights you found valuable. Show that you’ve done your homework and genuinely appreciate the podcast’s content.
Keep your message brief, engaging, and tailored to each podcast host. Present yourself as a valuable guest who can offer quality inbound links and meaningful insights.
2. Build relationships with podcast hosts
Establishing strong relationships with podcast hosts is a cornerstone of effective podcast link building. When you build genuine connections, you open the door to repeat invitations, referrals to other podcasts, and a growing network within your industry.
Even before you pitch them, start by engaging with podcast hosts on social media.
Introduce yourself to them and stay top of mind by:
- Sharing their episodes
- Commenting on their posts
- Offering thoughtful feedback.
After your podcast appearance, follow up with a thank-you note or email, expressing your gratitude and interest in future collaborations. Make sure you share your episode widely with your audience and on social media.
3. Measure the success of your podcast link building efforts
Track and measure your progress to ensure your podcast link building strategy is delivering results. Start by using Google Analytics to monitor referral traffic from podcast episodes—look at how many visitors are coming to your site and how they engage with your content.
Evaluate the quality and quantity of backlinks generated from your podcast appearances, focusing on metrics like domain authority and relevance to your niche. Track your search engine rankings for targeted keywords to see how your link building efforts are impacting your SEO strategy.
Keep an eye on social media engagement and mentions related to your podcast appearances, as these can signal increased brand awareness and influence.
By regularly analyzing these metrics, you can refine your podcast link building strategy, focus on the most effective tactics, and continue to boost your SEO and online visibility.
Final thoughts
Building valuable backlinks through podcast guesting is an excellent but under-utilized search engine optimization strategy. High quality backlinks are those that increase your website’s relevance and authority, so focus on those rather than just link volume.
Recording a few podcast interviews can give you high quality backlinks that:
- Increase referral traffic to your website
- Help your site build more domain authority
- Stay online indefinitely, providing ongoing authority and traffic
- Increase your visibility to search engines by strengthening your site’s connections with others in your niche or industry.
Rephonic helps you find the most relevant shows to pitch for podcast interviews and sponsorship opportunities.
Join Rephonic to 10x your podcast link building strategy. Start with a 7-day free trial.
Article credits
Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.
Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.
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