You've poured your heart into creating amazing podcast content. Your episodes are getting downloads, you're building an audience, and you're starting to see real momentum. But if you don't have a website for your podcast, you're missing out on massive opportunities—and putting your entire podcast at risk.
Here's why a podcast website isn't optional in 2025, and how you can get one set up without any technical expertise.
Your Podcast is Invisible to the World's Biggest Search Engine
Everyone's obsessed with YouTube because it's the #2 search engine in the world. But what about #1? That's Google—and Google loves good words.
When you create a dedicated webpage for each episode with thoughtful show notes and targeted keywords, Google eats it up. Your audience discovers you through search, lands on your site with an embedded player, and stays longer—which signals to Google that your content is valuable and boosts your SEO even further.
Meanwhile, podcasters without websites are stuck saying "find me wherever you get your podcasts," which creates a frustrating treasure hunt for potential listeners (see video). With Podpage, you get a simple /follow page that lists all your podcast platforms in one place—easy to remember, easy to share, and reinforces your brand. It also puts the power of choice into the hands of the audience.
You Don't Own Your Audience (Yet)
Here's a sobering reality check: on every podcast platform, you're a guest. You can't control the colors, fonts, layout, or user experience. You're at the mercy of their algorithms and policy changes.
I once landed a major sponsor specifically because of my professional-looking website. They told me it was the deciding factor.
Remember mp3.com? Thousands of musicians built their entire online presence there, telling fans to "find my music at mp3.com/[artist]." When legal troubles shut the site down, those artists lost everything—their audience had no way to find them.
The same thing happened with Periscope, Clubhouse (not shut down, but nowhere near as “hot” as it once was) Myspace, and countless other "hot" platforms. (Google "Google Graveyard" when you're bored—it's eye-opening.)
Your website is the one digital asset you truly own.
Make an Incredible First Impression Every Time
Podcast apps show your latest episode by default, but what if that's not your best work? On your website, you control the first impression. Feature your most popular episodes upfront, craft a compelling About page (often the most-visited page on podcast sites), and include a player right on your homepage so visitors can start listening immediately.
Having control is crucial especially with things like your About page—the place where potential listeners decide whether to subscribe or move on.
You can feature your most popular episodes using the Featured Episodes feature.
Turn Passive Listeners into Active Community Members
Most podcasters beg for ratings and reviews, but here's the truth: reviews don't actually help you get discovered on Apple Podcasts (source). Plus, if you get a review you can't even respond to "Dadbus37". On your website, a comment is a start of a conversation.
Your website changes everything. You can:
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Build an email list with compelling lead magnets
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Create a direct dialogue with your biggest fans
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Ask for specific actions (shares, feedback, donations) from people who've already shown interest
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Make your website the central hub while treating social media as satellite sites that drive traffic back to you
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Build a community
Unlock Real Monetization Opportunities
Your website supercharges your ability to make money from your podcast:
Advertising packages: Offer sponsors placement across your show, website, and newsletter for maximum impact.
E-commerce control: Sell directly without giving platforms like Apple 30% of your revenue (plus, you keep your customer data).
Strategic pop-ups: Yes, they can be annoying, but they work for promoting important offers.
Newsletter integration: Turn website visitors into email subscribers, putting monetization opportunities just one click away. Tools like Kit, Beehiv, and Subtack (and others) enable you to sell subscriptions to your newsletter.
Future-Proof Your Podcast Business
Platforms come and go. When I started using a crowdfunding site called Jaywalk, I was smart enough to use my own redirect link via a Podpage shortlink: askthepodcastcoach.com/awesome. When Google bought and shut down Jaywalk, I simply pointed that same link to Patreon. When Patreon changed their pricing structure, I switched it to Supercast. My audience never knew—the link just worked.
Because I have my own website, I have complete control.
If I'd used a direct Jaywalk link, my supporters would have hit a dead end.
What Doesn't Work (And Why You're Sabotaging Yourself)
Link-in-bio services: Tools like Linktree might seem convenient, but they're SEO disasters. Google wants rich content, not just a page of links. You'll never get discovered by people who don't already know you exist.
Generic podcast players: Many hosting platforms offer embeddable players that automatically update with new episodes. Sounds great, right? Wrong. These players are terrible for word-of-mouth marketing (70% of podcast discovery). Try sharing a specific episode: "Go to my website, scroll halfway down, and look for episode 11." Yikes.
These players also offer zero SEO value because they're actually iFrames—they just look like they're part of your website but provide no search engine benefits.
Find Me Wherever You Find Your Podcasts: Search in apps is often "not great" and you didn't realize you've just sent your audience into a dead end (see video).
The Good News: You Don't Need to Be a Web Developer
The biggest misconception about podcast websites is that they're complicated to build. Platforms like Podpage make it incredibly simple to create a professional, functional site in minutes—no coding required.
Your Next Move
Don't leave your podcast's future to chance. Every day without a website is a day you're invisible to Google, dependent on platforms you don't control, and missing opportunities to build real relationships with your audience.
Your podcast deserves a home on the web that you own, control, and can count on—no matter what happens to the latest "hot" platform.
Remember, they have to find you, then they see you, before they hear you.
Ready to give your podcast the professional online presence it deserves? Your audience (and your future sponsors) will thank you.
Try Podpage for 14 days free at www.podpage.com/preview - no credit card required.
