Have you ever looked at a podcast’s reviews and rating before subscribing?
Having even just a few positive ratings to light up those 5 stars on Apple Podcasts can have a dramatic effect over having none at all. Reviews and ratings not only indicate a quality podcast, but also that other people are listening! This is called social proof.
Looking at two podcasts side-by-side on Apple Podcasts, you’d be hard-pressed to figure out which one to choose to listen to, if it weren’t for ratings and reviews. A rating on Apple Podcasts refers specifically to the 5-star scale with which users can rate a podcast. A review on the other hand combines this rating with a piece of written text, such as “I love listening to this podcast each week!”
Apple Podcasts Ranking
So we know that from a user perspective, reviews and ratings for your podcast are important. There’s another reason why you would be interested in having a good rating and selection of reviews as well.
Similar to SEO with a search engine, Apple Podcasts uses a secret algorithm to determine and rank podcasts on its front page and podcast category pages. We don’t know the precise criteria for this, but it’s likely that Apple looks at download numbers, how long your podcast has been active, and possibly even ratings and reviews! At the very least, we assume Apple won’t promote a poorly rated podcast!
In addition to raising your profile with potential listeners, by having some positive ratings and reviews you can stand out on Apple Podcasts and get your podcast in front of more people!
How to Get More Apple Podcasts Ratings & Reviews
Now that we’ve established the importance of having positive Apple Podcasts ratings and reviews for your podcast, you must be wondering, how do you achieve that?
There are a number of ways, but one important thing to note right now is that paying for fake reviews is not advised!
Here’s how you can legitimately get some ratings and reviews for your podcast on Apple Podcasts:
Ask Your Listeners
- Wow, that simple? Of course! Whether via social media, an e-mail list, or even within your episodes, ask your listeners for help. Ask them to go on Apple Podcasts and leave a kind review. Your most loyal listeners will be eager to help you out.
- Be sure to make it easy on them by supplying your Apple Podcasts podcast link so they don’t have to search for it. If it’s too complicated, they may give up!
Run a Contest
- This is a sure way to make reviewing your podcast a little more enticing! It’s important to note that receiving a whole bunch of reviews all at once can raise some red flags at Apple Podcasts, so don’t get too carried away. Run a small contest and offer up a prize for the first 1-3 people to leave a review. Alternatively, you can encourage this by offering shout-outs on your episode. This little incentive may be all it takes!
Reward for Review
- Similar to the contest idea, you can simply offer all listeners something free in exchange for leaving a review, such as an eBook download. You can make things really easy by building a review tutorial page on your website which clearly explains the process of leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.
How to View Your Apple Podcasts Reviews
One thing you may not know about Apple Podcasts reviews is that they are divided by country. That is, if someone in the U.S. leaves a review on your podcast, but you are looking in the Canadian store, you will not see it.
You may want to check your podcast listener statistics and take a look at the areas where your podcast is most popular. Be sure to check out those respective Apple Podcasts stores to see all of your reviews, especially if you’re running a contest and need to find an entry!
Services like Podrover can make this much easier.
Spotify has also introduced a 5-star ratings system to its platform for podcasts, but doesn’t provide the option for a written review.
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