How to Add a Podcast to Wikipedia for SEO & Visibility

Do you host a podcast, manage a studio or support podcasters? Are you wondering whether it’s possible (and relevant!) to create a Wikipedia page for your show, its host or the production studio?

At Wikiconsult, we’re regularly asked by podcasters, producers and managers to help them navigate Wikipedia’s strict rules. In this article, we share the essentials you need to know to assess your eligibility prospects and maximize the visibility of your podcast online.

Why add your podcast to Wikipedia?

✔️ Wikipedia is still one of the 10 most consulted sites in the world, and enjoys exceptional domain authority (over 90/100 according to Moz).

In concrete terms, a page dedicated to your podcast will have every chance of appearing in the first Google results when people search for its name on Google. This is a valuable asset for building visibility and credibility with your listeners, partners and journalists.

✔️ The data published on Wikipedia is open and reused via its API by numerous sites, applications and databases.

They are also indexed and cross-referenced by search engines and large language models (such as ChatGPT or other generative AIs). The result: a podcast present on Wikipedia is far more likely to be cited, referenced and discovered in different online contexts.

✔️ Wikipedia is an enduring source of reference.

Unlike social networks or listening platforms, where content is rapidly renewed, a page on the encyclopedia is part of a long-term process, and can even be linked to existing topic lists (e.g. “List of French-language podcasts”, “Society podcasts”, “Humor podcasts”).

Can a podcaster or their team edit Wikipedia themselves?

Technically, there’s nothing to prevent a podcaster or their team from creating or modifying a Wikipedia page. But there are strict rules governing this.

Wikipedia considers a conflict of interest to exist when you write about your own podcast, or that of your employer or client.

This doesn’t make your contribution illegitimate, but it must be disclosed transparently. It’s not enough, for example, to use a pseudonym that includes the name of your podcast: you must clearly explain on your user page or discussion page that you are contributing in this capacity.

Be aware that non-compliant contributions are often deleted quickly, and that an account can be blocked if the rules are not respected, and that volunteer contributors are very good at spotting situations of undeclared conflict of interest!

What are the eligibility criteria for a podcast on Wikipedia?

To get their own Wikipedia page, podcasts need to have a reputation that goes beyond mere online existence: ❌ mere distribution on platforms isn’t enough without recognition by recognized media.

There are no specific notability guidelines for podcasts: the general notability criteria apply. In practice, this means having:

• at least 2 media features, at least 2 years apart;
• that focus specifically on the podcast;
• in well-known national media (no regional daily press or trade press);
• that are not simple press releases or paid content;
• that are sufficiently long, in-depth, profile-style, and not focused on one-off events.

Examples of podcasts with their own Wikipedia page

Here are 3 examples of Wikipedia pages in the podcast world:

• Lemonada Media, an American podcast network, has had its own page since 2022,
• as well as the Business Wars podcast,
• and podcaster Alex Cooper, host of the popular comedy and advice show Call Her Daddy.

Please note: the fact that a similar podcast has its own Wikipedia page is not a criterion for your own eligibility. Only reliable, independent sources count. The argument “so-and-so has his page, so can I” may even work against you.

What should a podcast’s Wikipedia page contain?

If you want to know what to put on your Wikipedia page, take inspiration from other similar, high-quality pages! For example, that of one of the most listened-to podcasts in the USA, The Joe Rogan Experience (over 2,000 episodes!).

A Wikipedia page on a podcast should present verifiable, sourced and neutral information. It should not resemble a promotional page. In practical terms, this is what we expect.

• A general presentation: launch date, creators, distributors, language, publication frequency, themes covered.
• A summary of editorial content: format (interviews, narration, documentary, etc.), average length, particular style.
• A section on reception: reviews and analyses by independent media, rankings in recognized charts, awards and distinctions.
• Impact and notoriety: audience or circulation figures (if published by third-party sources), influence on its sector or examples of use in other contexts.
• Reliable references: press articles, radio or television programs, specialized magazines, reports from cultural organizations.

The most important thing is that each statement is based on independent secondary sources, not on the podcast site or its communication channels.

What if your podcast isn’t eligible (yet)?

It’s often the case that a podcast, even a good one, doesn’t immediately meet Wikipedia’s eligibility criteria. This doesn’t mean your project lacks interest: it simply hasn’t yet generated enough independent secondary sources to warrant a page.

In this case, you have two options.

• Work on your press relations: to obtain articles in national media, whether general or cultural. The more recognized and in-depth these publications are, the more they reinforce your encyclopedic legitimacy.
• Consider Wikidata: even without a Wikipedia article, your podcast can be referenced in the open Wikidata database. This data is leveraged by many services, including search engines, voice assistants, and cultural apps. It’s a useful first step towards increasing your visibility in the digital ecosystem.