Free Website Content
Audio Optimization Tips
Audio Optimization
By Sharon Housley
Optimize your audio files to increase
their popularity, just as you would optimize a website.
Audio search engines are becoming more advanced as audio
files become more commonplace on the Internet. Here
are some tips to optimize your audio offerings...
1. Optimize Landing Page
Create a landing page for the audio files.
The landing page should explain the audio content and
encourage subscriptions. Outline the steps the visitor
should take in order to subscribe or listen to the audio
file. Make an effort to interact with the visitor on
the landing page, and make it as easy as possible for
them to subscribe or listen to your podcast.
2. Provide Online Player
Provide an online player so people can
sample a show or audio file. There are a number of vendors
that allow you to imbed audio players into a website.
Take a look at Wimpy Player for example, to see a few
different options for imbedding an audio player into
a webpage.
Wimpy - http://www.wimpyplayer.com/
3. Keyword In URL And File Names
When linking to the audio file, use important
keywords in the URL and in the audio filename. If you
use multiple words to link to a file, hyphenate them.
Search engine spiders take notice of file names, so
rather than using a random numerical sequence, give
the audio file a meaningful filename that relates to
the content contained in it.
4. Optimize Audio Files
Optimize the actual audio file itself.
The audio file should be clean and easy to understand.
Use an audio editor, like RecordForAll, to remove any
background noise or unwanted segments, and to add transitions
from one segment to another.
RecordForAll - http://www.recordforall.com
5. Transcribe Show In RSS Feed
Assuming the audio file content is spoken
word rather than or in addition to music, transcribe
the spoken content into an RSS feed. If you have a series
of audio files, you should distribute them in a podcast.
This means creating an RSS feed. Include the transcription
of the podcast show in the Item Description field --
this will increase the exposure that the audio file
receives. The keywords in the transcription will also
help get the file indexed and included in related searches
performed in the various RSS search engines or podcast
directories.
6. ID3 Tags
Use ID3 tags to further optimize the
audio file. ID3 tags contain meta data that relates
to the audio content.
ID3 Optimization - http://www.small-business-software.net/id3-optimization.htm
7. Promote Podcast In Audio Search
And Podcasting Directories
There are a number of new audio search
engines and a large number of podcasting directories
that freely accept podcast submissions. Take the necessary
time to go through the process of submitting your audio
files and podcasts into these channels.
Submit Podcasts - http://www.podcasting-tools.com/submit-podcasts.htm
8. Include Graphics
Include graphics with your podcast, and
especially if you are submitting your podcast to the
iTunes Directory. Such graphics, similar to Album Art
for audio CD covers, are standard and expected in the
iTunes directory. The graphics can also draw additional
attention to your podcast when its displayed with the
listing.
9. Include iTunes Tags
In order to have a file included in the
iTunes Music Store, you must include some additional
tags in the RSS feed. The extra tags are specific to
Apple iTunes. The easiest way to handle them is to use
software like FeedForAll (Win and Mac versions available).
The software has a tutorial that will walk you through
the process of setting up an iTunes-compatible podcast.
Web-based tutorials can also be found
here: http://www.feedforall.com/itunes-tutorials.htm
10. Subscribe To Make Sure All Is Well
Once the audio file is finished and uploaded
to the server, be sure to download and test a copy to
insure that the sound quality is decent and the volume
is acceptable. Additionally, if promoting the file in
a podcast, you should subscribe to the Podcast feed
yourself -- this will allow you to see exactly what
your subscribers see, and will also help confirm that
the feed is properly formed.
11. Define Audio Properties
If distributing the audio file in a podcast,
be sure to declare the audio file MIME type and the
file size in bytes. Some podcatchers (i.e. software
such as Juice and jpodder, which manage and download
podcast subscriptions) use these settings, and leaving
them out may mean some subscribers will have difficulties
subscribing.
If you are investing in audio content,
be sure you make the most of the opportunities it offers
by optimizing the audio file and podcast. Spending a
little extra time and effort here will increase the
exposure and opportunities available.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in
publications and websites, provided that the resource
box is included and the links are active. A courtesy
copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
Additional articles available for publication available
at http://www.small-business-software.net/free-website-content.htm
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