Top Ranked | Podcast Business & Marketing Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs

Welcome to Top Ranked, the podcast for women entrepreneurs who are ready to get their podcasts discovered, grow their audiences, and turn their shows into a competitive advantage for their businesses.

I'm Jan Ditchfield, a Canada's leading podcast business strategist, and I believe podcast marketing should be about more than publishing episodes and hoping the right people eventually find you.

If you're frustrated by slow podcast growth, wondering why competing shows are outranking yours, or trying to figure out how to turn more listeners into paying clients, you're in the right place.

On...

Does your podcast marketing strategy still reflect the business you're running today? Or is your show representing a version of your business you've already outgrown?

Two conversations this week made me take a closer look at Evergreen Marketing, Simplified. One came from helping a client make sure her podcast keeps up with her evolving business. The other happened while I was teaching podcast SEO inside The Show, when I admitted something I'd never said out loud before: I've never really liked the name of my podcast.

And that realization led to a much bigger question...

You can promote every podcast episode and still struggle to grow your audience. Because if your podcast marketing strategy only reaches people who already know you, where are your new listeners supposed to come from?

Sharing a new episode with your email list or Instagram followers isn't a bad thing. But there's a difference between reminding your existing audience to listen and giving someone new a reason to discover your show. And if podcast growth is the goal, that distinction matters.

Instead of building another promotion campaign around this week's episode, what if you focused...

Podcast show notes are one of the most underused pieces of your podcast SEO strategy. And if you’ve been told nobody reads them anymore so they don’t really matter, I want you to look at them a little differently.

Your show notes aren’t just a recap for the person who’s already listening. They’re another opportunity to help the podcast platforms understand what your episode is about — and to help the person who hasn’t found you yet decide that this is exactly the episode she’s been looking for. That’s where podcast discoverab...

If you're trying to increase podcast downloads, I want you to think about something we don't talk about nearly enough when we're talking about podcast growth: who you're building relationships with.

Because we spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to grow your podcast by finding more strangers. More social posts, better keywords, more promotion, more ways to get discovered. And yes, all of that matters. But sometimes the person who can introduce your show to exactly the right new listeners is another podcaster who already has their attention.

That's what we're...

Selling a podcast probably isn’t something most business owners think about when they start a show. But if your podcast is connected to your business, you may be building an asset with far more value than you realize.

In this episode, I’m joined by exit readiness strategist Amy Sussex to talk about what actually makes a podcast valuable—and whether selling a podcast is really possible. Amy and I have also been working together on the strategy behind her own show, looking at its positioning, discoverability, audience, and how the podcast connects to the larger busine...

A podcast download can tell you that a piece of content was distributed. What it can’t tell you is whether your podcast is actually doing its job.

We’ve been taught to treat downloads like a report card for podcast success. But if you’re using your show to grow a business, a big number without context doesn’t tell you whether new listeners are finding you, staying, following, exploring your catalogue, or eventually moving further into your world.

That’s why I want you looking underneath the podcast download instead of asking one metric to...

A podcast ranking can move without a massive spike in downloads—and after tracking two of my shows for 90 days, that changed the way I think about charting.

Downloads matter, but they don’t tell you who found your show, whether they were new, how quickly they arrived, or what they did next. When I stopped staring at download totals and started watching listener engagement, I began seeing the same patterns around chart movement again and again. Those patterns became what I now call The Podcast Charting Loop.

I’m breaking down the six behaviours inside...

If you’ve optimized your show name and assumed your podcast seo was handled, you may be missing a much bigger opportunity.

Getting found in 2026 isn’t about putting one keyword in your title and calling it a strategy. It’s about giving podcast platforms a clear, consistent picture of what your show is about—and letting listener behaviour reinforce it. That’s how podcast discoverability becomes part of your podcast business, rather than something you have to manufacture every week.

You’ll learn why show-level and episode-level optimization do different jobs, how podcast keyword research hel...

Podcast business growth is about so much more than hitting publish, watching your download numbers and hoping the right people eventually find your show.

A great podcast can become one of the most powerful marketing assets in your business. It can help you grow an audience, build authority around the work you want to be known for, deepen trust with the people already listening and create a path that helps you convert listeners to clients.

But none of that happens simply because you have a podcast.

Welcome to Evergreen Marketing, Simplified.

...

What if the reason your podcast isn’t generating more leads, clients, or sales has nothing to do with visibility?

Right now, there’s a lot of conversation around podcast seo. And while discoverability absolutely matters, I think many coaches, consultants, and course creators have been led to believe that getting found is the ultimate goal. It’s not.

Because getting found and getting clients are two very different things.

If you've been spending hours researching keywords, optimizing titles, and trying to grow podcast downloads, but you're not seeing meaningful business growth, this conver...

Have you ever looked at a podcast that seemed to take off overnight and assumed it was luck?

A few weeks ago, I launched a brand-new show that landed in the Top 30 charts in Canada within days. While the rankings were exciting, they weren't the biggest takeaway. What surprised me most was what happened after people started listening. And that experience reinforced some powerful lessons about podcasting for business that every entrepreneur should hear.

One of the biggest misconceptions in podcast growth is that you need a massive audience to succeed. But what this launch...

You know that feeling when you're consistently publishing podcast episodes, showing up every week, and creating valuable content... but the clients just aren't coming?

Most people immediately assume the answer is to increase downloads. More listeners must equal more sales, right?

Not necessarily.

One of the biggest misconceptions in podcasting is that visibility automatically creates revenue. While audience growth certainly matters, converting listeners into clients requires something much more important: attracting listeners who are actually ready, willing, and able to buy.

That's where many podcasters unknowingly get stuck.

They...

Have you ever heard a podcasting tip and immediately thought, "That sounds easier... maybe that's what I should be doing too?"

Lately, there's been a lot of conversation around shorter episodes and whether they're better for podcast growth. And while shorter content can absolutely have a place in your strategy, the bigger question might surprise you.

The truth is, there isn't a magic episode length that guarantees success in podcasting for business.

What actually drives growth is understanding the people you're creating content for and building a strategy around how they consume your...

If you’ve been pouring time into your podcast but still feel invisible online, there’s a good chance the problem isn’t your content — it’s your podcast SEO strategy.

Because here’s the truth: creating great episodes is only part of the equation. If platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify don’t fully understand what your show is about, who it serves, and how it fits into listener search behavior, your podcast becomes much harder to discover.

And honestly? Most podcasters are getting oversimplified advice.

Things like “just use keywords in your titles” bar...

If you’ve been thinking about pulling back from your podcast this summer because you’re tired, overwhelmed, or struggling to keep up… you are so not alone. And honestly? These podcast marketing strategies might completely change the way you think about consistency.

Because here’s the truth no one really talks about: summer changes the way people consume content. Routines shift. Downloads fluctuate. Energy looks different. And for a lot of coaches and consultants, trying to maintain the exact same pace all year long is what leads to burnout — not growth.

This conversation is all about...

You can create great content, stay consistent, and still feel like your podcast is barely moving the needle in your business. And honestly? That’s the part nobody really talks about when it comes to podcast growth.

Because the issue usually is not effort. It’s strategy.

Today’s conversation is such a powerful example of what can happen when you stop treating your podcast like content for the sake of content… and start building it like a business asset with a real Podcast SEO Strategy behind it.

I’m joined by Lindsay Smith, hos...

You’re not failing at podcast growth because you need more content. Most business podcasters are exhausted because they’re trying to grow a show without the right strategy underneath it. And honestly, that’s the biggest shift inside Podcast Marketing for Business right now — it’s not about doing more, it’s about building smarter.

If I were starting a podcast from scratch today, I would approach everything differently. I wouldn’t obsess over posting more clips, chasing downloads, or trying to “go viral.” I’d focus on creating a podcast that actually functions as a business asset from...

If you’ve ever held back from sharing something valuable on your podcast because you were worried people would “just take the free advice and never buy,” you are definitely not alone. And honestly? For a long time, online marketing taught us to believe that giving away too much was a bad thing.

But I think the conversation around podcast marketing tips has changed — especially for coaches, consultants, and online business owners who want their podcast to actually generate leads and sales.

Because the real issue usually isn’t that you’re teaching too much. It’s that mo...

There’s a reason so many women entrepreneurs feel exhausted by social media right now. It’s not because you’re bad at marketing. It’s because most of us were taught to believe that constant visibility equals business growth. And when you start exploring podcasting for business, that belief gets challenged in a really big way.

Because podcasting works differently.

This conversation unpacks the deeper reason so many entrepreneurs struggle to fully step away from Instagram, even when they know they want a calmer and more sustainable business. Social media trained us to chase validati...

Your podcast might not have a download problem. It might have a positioning problem. Because most business owners are spending hours creating content, trying to grow their audience, and constantly marketing your podcast without realizing the real issue is that their show was never built to convert listeners into buyers in the first place. And this is exactly where Podcast SEO Strategies become far more powerful than simply chasing more visibility.

Small shifts in discoverability techniques, content marketing, and podcast business strategies can completely change how your show performs. It’s not about producing more episodes. It’s ab...

You do not need a massive audience to build a profitable podcast. But for a lot of coaches and consultants, that’s exactly what they’ve been taught to believe. More downloads. More visibility. More content. And yet, so many podcasts still aren’t generating clients or consistent revenue.

Because the problem usually isn’t the podcast itself. It’s the strategy behind it.

In this conversation, we’re unpacking five of the biggest podcast myths quietly holding business owners back from real podcast growth and podcast monetization. From believing interviews are the fastest way to grow your...

Your podcast isn’t failing—but if it’s not generating leads, it’s easy to start questioning everything. Your ideas, your consistency, even whether podcasting for business is actually worth it. But Generating Leads doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing it differently.

Because most of what you’ve been taught about content marketing was never built for business growth. It’s built for visibility, audience growth, and staying consistent. And while that can help you grow your podcast, it doesn’t always translate into business income or real traction in your online business.

...

You’re publishing consistently—but your podcast still isn’t generating revenue. That gap isn’t about effort. It’s about structure. A low ticket funnel gives your podcast a defined role: guiding the right business owners from discovery to decision.

Most podcasts focus on audience growth, content planning, and how to grow your podcast—but without a path to online sales, that traction stalls. Because it’s not about more content… it’s about building an ecosystem designed for evergreen revenue.

That starts with your offer. A low ticket funnel works when you lead with something sim...

If you’ve been sitting on the idea to start a podcast for business, but something keeps holding you back, it’s probably not motivation—it’s uncertainty. Because when you really think about what it takes to start a podcast for business, it can feel like a lot of moving parts with no clear return.

And this is where most people get it wrong.

It’s not about creating more content. It’s about building something that actually supports your business structure. Because when you start a podcast for business without a strategy, it becomes anot...

Your podcast might be growing—but your online sales aren't reflecting it. That disconnect isn’t random. It usually means your content is doing exactly what it was designed to do… just not what your business actually needs.

Because it’s not about more content marketing or better audience engagement strategies. It’s about who your podcast is really speaking to—and where they are in their decision-making process. Most business owners with a podcast focus on audience growth and refining their ideal client avatar, which works for visibility and podcast download growth, but often stalls online sales.

If webinars and constant launches feel exhausting, you’re not doing anything wrong—you’ve just been taught one way to sell. And the truth is, there’s a more sustainable way to build an evergreen sales funnel that supports your life and your business.

Most online entrepreneurs are told they need to be “on” all the time to generate online course sales. But that pressure isn’t scalable. And this is where your podcast can gently step in as a powerful conversion tool—not just for connection, but for growth.

An evergreen sales funnel through your pod...

You didn’t miss your moment with podcasting—even if it feels like you did. And honestly, that thought alone is usually the thing holding you back from deciding to start a podcast in the first place.

Because it’s not about being early. It’s about being ready. And right now, there’s a real shift happening in how people are consuming content—which is exactly why choosing to start a podcast can be such a smart move for your business.

People aren’t just scrolling anymore. They’re searching. They’re looking for conversations that...

You don’t realize how much you’ve been overcomplicating your online course… until you build one from a completely different perspective.

Because looking back, none of my biggest mistakes came from lack of effort. They came from thinking I was doing it “right”—when in reality, I was building my online course in a way that made everything harder than it needed to be.

And this is where things started to shift for me.

After years inside online course creation and growing an online business, I can now see exactly where I was slowing...

If your course isn’t selling, it’s tempting to assume the problem is your content. But more often than not, the issue sits in how your evergreen course is priced—and whether that price actually supports trust, positioning, and sustainable sales.

Because pricing isn’t about picking a number that feels right. It’s about aligning your evergreen course with the result it delivers, the market it sits in, and the role it plays inside your business. And this is where most creators get stuck—overthinking, second-guessing, and unintentionally underpricing in a way that makes selling harder, not...

Everyone’s asking the same question right now: are online courses dead—or have we just been building them the wrong way? The truth is, evergreen courses aren’t failing. They’re being filtered.

Because what’s changed isn’t demand—it’s discernment. In today’s online course business, buyers don’t want more information. They want precision. They want speed. And they want outcomes that feel immediately relevant to what they’re already trying to solve. That shift is redefining course creation, online sales, and how we actually sell online courses in 2026.

This is where most creators...

Evergreen marketing starts here! The go-to podcast for course creators, coaches, and consultants who want to build an online business through evergreen courses, sales systems, and content that actually converts—without relying on constant launches or being online all the time.

A TOP 3% GLOBALLY RANKED MARKETING PODCAST

Are you tired of creating content and still not seeing consistent results?

Are you trying to figure out how to build an online course that actually leads to real sales?

Have you been told to focus on launches, trends, and visibility… but it still feel...

Rebranding your podcast can feel like a risk—especially when you’ve built momentum and don’t want to disrupt your audience growth. But staying misaligned as your business evolves can quietly limit your audience growth far more than making a strategic change. Because this isn’t just about a name—it’s about positioning your podcast to support long-term audience growth in a way that actually reflects where you’re going.

This episode breaks down a clear, strategic process for rebranding your podcast without losing trust or traction. You’ll learn how to choose a name rooted in search...

Podcast marketing isn’t just about your content, your consistency, or your strategy—it starts with how your show is positioned from the very first impression.

If your podcast isn’t driving the audience growth, podcast download growth, or business growth you expected, the issue might not be what you’re saying—it might be the name you’re saying it under.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on a question more people are asking than admitting: what if your podcast title no longer fits where your business is going? I’m walking through...

If you’ve been trying to build an evergreen sales funnel for your online course but keep finding yourself stuck in launch cycles, this episode will shift how you think about sales in your business. Because the problem isn’t your course—it’s the system you’re using to sell it.

In this episode, I’m walking you through how to build an evergreen sales funnel that supports consistent course sales without relying on a traditional launch strategy. Instead of pushing people through webinars or high-pressure promotions, we’re looking at a more natural, podcast-powered approach that builds tr...

What if the thing you’ve been building is working… you just haven’t stopped long enough to see it?

This episode is a little different. We’re talking about evergreen marketing, but not in the way you normally hear it. Not as a strategy you plug into your business, but as something you build over time, often without realizing just how much it’s compounding beneath the surface.

Because March ended up being my highest download month ever on the podcast, and when I actually paused to look at it, what stood out wasn’t the number...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things in your online marketing but still not seeing consistent revenue, this episode is going to shift how you look at your business entirely. Because more often than not, it’s not your strategy that’s broken—it’s that you’re not tracking the right data to support it.

In this conversation, we’re stripping things back to what actually matters when it comes to building a sustainable online business—the numbers that tell you what’s working, what’s not, and where your next sale is really co...

If you’ve been thinking about how to start a podcast for business, or you already have one and it’s not leading to clients or sales, this episode is going to shift how you think about it. Because most podcasts don’t struggle from a lack of effort… they struggle because they were never set up to support an online business in the first place.

I share a bit of my own experience in this one—starting my first show with 15 downloads in the first month, staying consistent, doing everything I thought I was supposed to do, and st...

If you’re trying to grow your online business but feel like you’re constantly guessing what to focus on each day, this episode brings you back to what actually matters.

When time is limited—and for most women building an online business, it is—the answer isn’t doing more. It’s doing the right things consistently. In this episode, I walk you through three simple, non-negotiable daily habits that create forward momentum, even in the middle of a full life. These are the same principles I rely on in my own business and the same actionable s...

If you’re using your podcast for business, but it’s not actually leading to clients or revenue, this might be the missing piece.

For a lot of entrepreneurs, especially in the online business space, guest interviews feel like the obvious strategy. You bring people on, you share valuable conversations, and it seems like a great way to grow your podcast and build authority.

But here’s what I’ve seen over and over again—guest episodes don’t always convert.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why that happens and what most people do...