Google Podcasts subscribe link problem

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Same issue here on multiple sites using PowerPress. The Google Podcasts link in the destinations field in PowerPress redirects to Google Play’s app store prompting a download of their Podcasts app.

Using Windows 10 PC with latest Google Chrome here (if that helps – my feeling is the redirect could be due to not being on a mobile platform?)

The Google Podcasts app is on Android only. If you click those links on any other type of device, it takes you to the download page for the app. There’s no way I’m aware of at this time to make those links behave differently on non-Android devices.

Hello @roadsidephil,

Your feed https://www.underthecrossbones.com/feed/podcast/ is redirecting to https://underthecrossbones.libsyn.com/rss You need to use that site https://underthecrossbones.libsyn.com/ for your podcast since that is what you’re telling Google is where your podcast was moved. All those links and traffic though will go to https://underthecrossbones.libsyn.com/ unfortunately your website will not be able to take advantage of being in Google Search.

Hello @jkuzma,

Please reply with URLs so we can help you.

Thanks,
Angelo

Hello @jkuzma,

Same issue here on multiple sites using PowerPress. The Google Podcasts link in the destinations field in PowerPress redirects to Google Play’s app store prompting a download of their Podcasts app.

That is the correct behavior. Google Podcasts subscribe links only work on Android devices when the Google Podcasts app is installed. If the app is not installed you will be directed to the page to install the app. Please contact Google Podcasts if you do not like this behavior, we have no control over it.

We will be adding Google Podcasts soon to SubscribeonAndroid.com, which provides a more elegant podcast specific landing page with instructions that way folks understand they need to install an application to continue. Again, Subscribe on Android only works for Android devices who have a listed compatible podcast app installed.

Thanks for your help Angelo. I suspected it might be related to that.

I use the Libsyn feed because it’s more stable and safe than the WordPress feed of course. And my podcast already shows up in searches and in the podcast app, Alexa, etc.

So wouldn’t that big long Google link just link to the show in the podcast app? There’s no way to link to it from a site that isn’t hosting the RSS feed?

That’s what I’m looking for: where do you find the podcast on the web (i.e. without Android).

Leave it to Google to make something that was pretty wonky already even worse!

Thanks Angelo!

@roadsidephil – https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL3VuZGVydGhlY3Jvc3Nib25lcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D is your link to your podcast in Google Podcasts. It links to the show in the podcast app (from an Android phone). You can link to this from anywhere.

This link goes to the Google app store if you’re not on an Android phone; that’s how it’s supposed to work.

@jkuzma – if it helps, just search podnews.net/search for your podcast, and you’ll see all the links on there for it in various apps, including an algorithmically-generated one for Google Podcasts. I’ve also built a link badge generator, that produces the right artwork for Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Hope that helps you both! Happy to help further.

Hello @roadsidephil,

We are aware Rob Walsh uses feed stories that as marketing technique to scare folks into using their service, we are aware that has been a successful tactic of his company to win business. Podcasters are not the first to have busy websites that need to scale to deal with the traffic. If you have a decent web host, install plugins that have good reviews (you need to do this regardless if you host a podcast website or not), and use all the resources available to you, you are not going to have issues hosting your podcast feed on your website.

With over 75,000 podcasters using PowerPress, there have been some who have had issues. Just having some basic knowledge what the problem actually is and how to solve it goes a long way. In this situation it is easy for a low-cost hosting account that is overloaded with websites to have problems hosting a podcast simply because podcasts generate web traffic (this is actually a good thing). As for the feed causing a bottle neck on a frequently visited website, we have a solution: https://www.podcastmirror.com. It is a free service that hosts a mirror copy of your podcast feed, that way all the links and meta data originate from your website, causing no harm to your web site’s search results. You do not have to hand over your podcast feed and the links they generate to your website to another service. Take your own podcast as an example, your feed episode links go back to pages such as https://underthecrossbones.libsyn.com/149-michael-lopresti-of-rogues-armada, which now compete SEO wise with your WordPress page: https://www.underthecrossbones.com/utc-149-michael-lopresti-of-rogues-armada/. This will become more obvious why this is bad in the coming months as Google Podcasts built into Google Search gains traction.

You have 3 options

1. Our recommendation, do not post on LibSyn for syndication, instead upload the files to libsyn and copy the media link, do all the syndication from your WordPress site and paste your media link into the episode box that way you stop duplicated content on the web. This also keeps the content originating from your website, allowing you to take advantage of Google Podcast search to help your website. If you are worried about feed issues, get a free mirror feed at podcastmirror.com.

2, Use libsin, stop posting content on your own website to stop duplicated content on the web.

3. Keep things as-is, tell PowerPress your feed is elsewhere. To do this, treat your libsyn feed as a FeedBurner / PodcastMirror feed. Go to PowerPress settings > Feeds tab, enter your libsin feed in the “PodcastMirror Feed URL” setting then click save. PowerPress will now use your libsin feed as your podcast feed.

I would ask that if you decide to go with option 1 the PowerPress/WordPress route, please consider switching to blubrry hosting. Doing so supports the company that brings you the podcasting platform PowerPress. There are lots of benefits, we offer free support in the form of email, phone and scheduled video conferencing, you do everything from your WordPress site (write blog post, upload your media, click publish), all features you are accustomed to at libsin, except all from your website.

Thanks,
Angelo

Hello @jamescridland,

Are you trying to help us respond to issues with PowerPress? If so great! Please contact us we can help you gain additional knowledge so you can better answer support questions. https://www.blubrry.com/contact/ Thanks!!!

Hello @jkuzma,

I do not know why Google did not put the extra effort to make podcast landing pages, but what Google Podcasts did is exactly what Google Play Music did for the most part, link to the app. I suspect it has more to do with the fact that the App development team is not connected with the web development team at Google.

Apple though has done an excellent job from day one! If you go to a podcast subscribe page for Apple podcasts on a non-apple device, at least you see the podcast with information and explanation how to subscribe and on which devices.

With SubscribeOnAndroid.com, we tried our best to meet the situation the best we could. The way Android applications need to capture the link intent in the applications though, the best route we took was to allow Android App developers to use the domain name and anything following the host name is the URL to the feed itself, making it easy for Android apps to adopt the protocol. We do display a page explaining what you need to install to continue and if you come from a non-Android application, the page at least is informative. At least things are not as complicated as they once were when Blackberry, Palm, Nokia and Microsoft phones were also competing for podcast listeners.

Thanks,
Angelo