Most advice on how to find podcast guest opportunities starts with lists and tools. A better starting point is what hosts are told to care about. Apple’s guide for creators, Present your podcast, tells hosts how to write descriptions, titles and artwork, and it mentions guests directly. Read it as a guest and it becomes a checklist for your pitch.
This post covers finding shows, pitching them, and what to do after the episode. It also sets a realistic expectation about links: Apple’s pages say nothing about whether show-note links pass any ranking value, so treat any link as a bonus.
How to find podcast guest opportunities
Start in a podcast app, not a database. Search Apple Podcasts for your topic and the problems your audience has, then open the shows that come up and read three things.
- The show description. Apple tells hosts their description “should tell listeners what kind of content you talk about and explain how people can benefit from listening.” That is the host telling you, in their own words, what fits.
- Recent episode titles. If recent episodes name guests, the show takes guests. If every episode is a solo monologue, move on.
- The guests’ angles. Note what earlier guests talked about so your pitch adds something new rather than repeating last month’s episode.
Apple also tells hosts to “Include keywords within your description to make it easy for listeners to find you”, so searching the words your audience would use is a reasonable way to surface relevant shows. Keep a simple sheet of show, host, focus, recent guests and a note on fit. If you already run journalist request platforms for press mentions, podcast prospecting sits alongside them.
What hosts are told to feature
Apple’s guide says well-done packaging helps a show “convey what your show is about to potential guests, advertisers, journalists, networks, and even to Apple.” The same advice tells you what a host will want from you. The table pairs Apple’s guidance with what to send.
| What Apple tells hosts | What it means for your pitch |
|---|---|
| Episode titles should lead with “trending topics, big-name guests, or an interesting preview of the episode” | Offer a topic specific enough to headline the episode |
| “If you were a guest on another podcast, what’s the one line you can say that perfectly sums up your show?” | Write a one-line summary of who you are and what you know |
| Include “host and guest names in the show and episode descriptions” so transcripts spell them correctly (“Transcripts on Apple Podcasts”) | Send your name exactly as it should appear, plus a short bio |
| Episode artwork is optional, and art built around guests or topics can draw new listeners | Have a clear headshot ready in case the host wants one |
| “introduce guests by tagging them in social posts” (“Connect on social media”) | Give your social handles so the host can tag you |
Notice that none of this asks for a link to your site. Hosts are told to think about listeners: what the show covers, why someone should press play, and whose name is on the episode. A pitch built around those questions reads like help. A pitch built around what you want from the show reads like a request, which is easier to ignore.
How to become a podcast guest: the pitch
A pitch has one job: make it easy for the host to say yes. That means showing you have listened, offering topics that fit their audience, and removing work. The general rules of link building outreach apply, with one difference: you are offering an hour of useful conversation, not asking for a favour.
An example to adapt, not a script:
Subject: Guest idea for [show]: [topic]
Hi [host], I enjoyed your episode on [recent topic], especially [specific point]. I’m [name], and I [one-line summary]. Three ideas your listeners might like: [idea one], [idea two], [idea three]. My name is spelled [name], a short bio and headshot are here: [link]. Happy to work around your schedule.
Keep it short. Name one specific episode so the host knows the email isn’t a blast. Each idea should be a possible episode title, because Apple tells hosts the title “is your first chance to convince potential listeners to press play.” If a host says no, thank them and move on.
If there’s no reply, one short follow-up after a reasonable gap is fine; after that, leave it. Pitch a handful of well-chosen shows at a time rather than a long list at once, so you can tailor each email and keep up with replies.
Links are a bonus, not the deal
Here is the limitation to be clear about. None of Apple’s creator pages says show-note links are followed or nofollowed, pass ranking value, or appear as clickable links in every podcast app. Apple Podcasts Connect does give hosts room: an episode description can run to “up to 10,000 characters”, and there is an “Episode Website” field. Whether your link goes in, and how it’s coded, is the host’s choice.
So judge podcast guesting on reach and authority first. A good episode puts your name in front of a relevant audience, adds to your brand mentions, and gives you a recording to point to. If a link comes with it, our post on nofollow links covers how its attribute is treated. The comparison with writing for other sites is in does guest posting still work: in both cases the exposure is what you control, and the link is what you hope for.
After the episode
Your work isn’t done when recording stops. Apple’s “Connect on social media” page tells hosts to “include links to your podcast in social posts, bios”, and to tag guests. Help them do it:
- Share the episode on your own channels and tag the show.
- Ask politely whether the host would add a link to one useful page in the show notes, such as a guide you mentioned on air. A linkable asset is an easier ask than your homepage.
- Don’t demand a dofollow link. The host owns the show notes.
- Add the episode to a press or media page on your site, which helps your next pitch.
Each appearance makes the next pitch easier, because you can show a host what you sound like. Over time, podcast guesting becomes one steady strand among the other ways to get backlinks and mentions.
Track what you send and what comes back: show, date pitched, response, recording date, publish date and whether a link appeared. After a few months you will see which kinds of shows say yes to you and which topics land, and you can spend your pitching time there rather than on shows that were never a fit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find podcast guest opportunities?
Search Apple Podcasts for your topic, read each show’s description and recent episode titles, and shortlist shows that already feature guests on subjects you can add to.
Is there a podcast guest finder in Apple Podcasts?
Apple’s creator pages describe no guest-booking or guest-finder feature. Use the app’s search and read show descriptions, which Apple tells hosts to write with listener keywords in mind.
Do podcast show notes give you a backlink?
Sometimes, at the host’s discretion. Apple’s pages don’t say whether such links are followed or pass any ranking value, so treat a link as a bonus.
What should a podcast guest pitch include?
A one-line summary of who you are, two or three episode ideas that suit the host’s audience, your name spelled exactly, a short bio and a link to a headshot.
The takeaway Pitch shows whose descriptions match what you know, make the host’s job easy, and count reach as the win. A show-note link is a welcome extra.
