The reason behind providing transcript of a podcast or a video on one’s blog is two fold – providing your readers an alternative means to consume your content while optimizing your blog for search engines.

Readers who want to skim through your content are given the choice to do so; instead of subjecting them to listen to the whole of your podcast.

Search engines index your transcript (or blog post) and rank your page in order of what it believes is most relevant.

Hence, it is very important to optimize your podcast transcript for search engines to drive more traffic to your blog.  This can be achieved with little or no effort.

Below are a few suggestions:

SEO Optimized Headline

Many podcast bloggers fail to optimize their podcast headlines.  It doesn’t have to be clever or over the top.  Keep it relevant and descriptive.

Take for example this headline Podcast: Donna Spencer on Geek Girl Blogs.

I’m sure there is a better way to writing the headline.  It is an interview podcast so Podcast Interview with Donna Spencer is relevant and descriptive.  If the person interviewed is considerably well-known and you want to capitalize on their name!

Other alternatives -

Donna Spencer on How to Organize a Conference from an Experience Design perspective

Donna Spencer on How to be a freelancer & balance work & family life

My point is, there are many ways to write a headline.

If your podcast blog is about interviews like BlogcastFM then Podcast Interview with Donna Spencer might be good enough.  If your podcast blog is about freelance and business, you might want to try Donna Spencer on How to be a freelancer & balance work & family life.

Podcast transcripts don’t have to be verbatim

Most transcription service providers will transcribe audios or videos verbatim.  That is, they will type up whatever is recorded on the audio or video including filler words like ah, um, etc. Although it’s a sign of a good transcriptionist, that is not your objective.  You are not publishing your podcast transcript to show the world how accurate your podcast transcription provider is!

Podcast transcripts need not be verbatim.  It is important to realize that you can edit the transcript and make necessary changes. That’s the basic premise for optimizing podcast transcripts for search engines. Remember, as your spoken words are reproduced as written words some paragraphs may be too long, some  too vague, etc.  Get to the point – your readers will appreciate it.  The best way is to almost summarize your podcast! If you are utilizing the services of a transcription provider you should instruct them of your needs.

An exception would be an interview podcast – even here I would filter out filler words and false starts.

Keywords

Are your targeted keywords appearing too often or not? Where are they most prominent?

The best way to optimize podcast transcripts for search engines is to incorporate relevant and targeted keywords.  These Keywords may be lacking in your recordings as search engine optimization may not occupy your thoughts while you record our podcast.

When speaking we don’t normally use nouns over and over; it is replaced by relevant pronouns.  But if such noun is your keyword, it is wise to change all or some of the pronouns to nouns in your transcript.

For example: Transcriptionistforbloggers.com is my blog.  It is my online shop for selling my transcription services to bloggers or any one who needs help.  It is also an outlet to learn from and connect with others.

The above second and third sentences both start with it.  If need be, it can be changed to Transcriptionistforblogger.com in both instances.

Add relevant headings and subheadings

To signal a change in the topic do provide headings and subheadings on to your transcripts.  They also make it more interesting and easier to read/skim through.

I normally turn away when I see large chunks of texts without any heading, subheading or bullet points.  I bet you do too.

Almost the same thing as above, do format your transcript to good presentation.

Add images

You’ve heard this one before.  Add pictures to your post.  In this case, add relevant interesting image(s) to your podcast transcript. And optimize your images!

Below is what Chris Pearson has to say about How to Optimize Your Images for Google.

Every standards-compliant, Google-sensitive image reference should contain 5 key items:

1. A src attribute specifying the URL of the image
2. A width declaration in which the width of the image is specified in pixels
3. A height declaration in which the height of the image is specified in pixels
4. An alt attribute that describes the content of the image—this is the #1 element of image-oriented SEO
5. A title attribute that contains text to be displayed when the user hovers his/her mouse over the image

So, what are you waiting for?

Is there anything you might want to add?  Does your podcast transcriptionist work with you on these?  Or, do you do it yourself?

photo credit: iancapstick

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2. DIY: Podcast Transcription (Without Dragon Naturally Speaking)
3. What is Podcast Transcription?

Do you remember your first time? (No, not what you are thinking.  Much, much better than that.  I’m talking about your first job as a freelance!)

I’ll never forget mine!  It was the 19th April 2010.

That day I sent through my first batch of work to my client.  I was elated and on cloud nine.  I was enveloped in the most amazing feelings of freedom, independence, immense hope and fulfilment – all at the same time.  I was filled with immense pride and self-worth.

Those feelings lasted more than 2 weeks as I completed the whole project.  (See? It lasted more than 2 weeks. Not 2 minutes.  It’s way better than that.)

As a freelance translation editor, this was my first work at home gig!  I’m over the moon!

Although money hasn’t changed hands, I’ll forever be grateful for this job.

Lately, I’ve been thinking over the experience and reliving it to reflect on the important lessons from that first freelance job.  And, also because I’ve had two more queries since then!  And, here, are the 3 vital lessons learned from my first time.

You’ll Never be Ready

It has been almost a year since I started this blog.  In terms of content and design, this blog is not anywhere near ready. Forget being ready, it’s still incomplete – without a services page or something similar.  But, the fact that I still get prospects and a client already, is testimony to that fact that it’s ok to be imperfect.  Everybody starts off somewhere.

Prospects and clients are human too.   They understand that. The fact that I don’t have the money for a design or copy does not bother my client.  The result she gets, matters most to her. The important thing is to establish your presence on the web – start a blog already – and start making connections. Let go of your excuses.  Writing does not come naturally to you?  Well, start writing everyday and follow blogs like WritetoDone, Copyblogger, ViperChill, SmartPassiveIncome, etc.  One area I’m struggling with is the business side of things. I know it will take months to figure out somethings, but I’m willing to do my time and sweat it out. Who ever said making money is easy, right?

Stop Waiting for the Elusive Big Break

After writing blogs for more than 4 years now, one thing is mightily clear to me – there is no such thing as a Big Break in making money online world.    My monthly income from these blogs? $40 – $50 in a good month!  So, why continue?  Because there has always been little breaks in between long spells of drought.  These may be in the form of a post going viral, an affiliate sales or a chat with one of my favorite bloggers, a comment from a reader, etc.  You do get my drift, right?  So, I’m being a realist, while hopeful and focussed on my goals of making real money online and generating passive income.

It’s the little breaks that will make a difference.  It’s the little breaks that perhaps will make it possible for you to break away from the 9-to-5 existence. Dave Navarro, who just quit his job yesterday, wrote a guest post on Ittibiz where he says “No magical single event is going to take you from obscurity to celebrity (well, not in a healthy, sustainable way that lets you sleep at night).”  And, that’s the naked, honest truth.

Your Journey will be Unique, so will your Story be

My first brush with making money from blogs is what Darren from ProBlogger calls an indirect method of making money from blogs.  My father’s book, Zo Chronicles, was published posthumously in 2008.  I announced the release on my then personal blog, quickly highlighting how I got it published, how I undertook the task of proofreading, without prior experience, the manuscript and how friends and family helped to make the publication possible, where and when it was being released and a discount for the release day.  On release day, all copies we got from the publisher were sold!

I know how I make money is unique, very different from how most A-List bloggers make theirs. My story is unique, so is my journey. Eventually my destiny.  We are like a bunch of school kids – today playing football together; 20 years later, we’ll be lucky to even play a game. Forget about being together in the same playground.

This blog is where I primarily want to help video or podcast bloggers by providing them transcripts for their audios and videos.  But somehow, the first job I got is for translations!  But, I’m not complaining.  It’s surprises like this that makes blogging worthwhile.  Do not ever overlook or ignore your prospects where you can help them with your unique set of talents (ever if you do not offer the help they ask for).  Always remember, at the end of the day, you are trying to help people.  Help them wherever, whenever and which ever way you can.  You are the diversifying your income stream, establishing your brand and your credibility in the process.  Be unique.  Stay unique.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Please feel free to leave your comments and observations.  Do you remember your first time?  Please do share your first time stories.  Subscribe and stay connected.

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1. I’m a Writer

It’s simply good business sense to get the most out of every penny spent in the business. Money spent on transcription services by a lawyer or a real estate surveyor is no exception to this. Many legal firms and businesses don’t realise that a good collaborative effort between both their transcription services provider and them is a necessary requisite for optimising resources and minimising loss.

This article contains tips for getting the best out of your transcription services provider.

Understanding the reasons why you are outsourcing transcription services in the first place:

1. Time constraints: Most legal firms cannot expect their solicitors and legal assistants to spend much time in drafting memos, statements and reports. Their time is better spent doing what they do!
2. Minimize costs: Law firms and real estate businesses outsource their typing jobs to transcription companies to reduce their overheads.  Businesses minimize their costs by not hiring fulltime employees for such jobs as typing, editing, proofreading, etc.

Keeping all the above points in mind, below is how you can get the best deal out of your transcription services provider.

• Provide clear instructions on the format: If possible you should provide samples of the documents so your transcriptionist can work from the samples.  From experience I find this very useful and comfortable. Even if you are unable to provide samples, make sure you provide clear and concise instructions with regards formatting.  These may include -
  • Font/Font size – for body, heading, sub-heading, quotes, etc
  • Paragraph spacing – one line, 1.5 or double spacing, etc
  • Whether to populate headers and footers, etc
  • If necessary spell out proper nouns like names of persons, places, legal terms and medical terms, etc
• Provide your details: This may seem like a given, but its surprising how many clients fail to provide their details when dictating. I often find myself in a limbo when finishing off, say, a letter and not knowing how the client wants to sign off.  Is the name of the firm enough? Should the author’s name and designation be added as well?
• Set clear deadlines: Let your transcriptionist know beforehand when the transcripts are expected back.  Calling your transcriptionist and/or emailing him/her 2 or 3 times during his work may affect the quality of his effort.  Set a realistic deadline.  Contact your transcriptionist if and only the deadline is not met.  If the file is required urgently and instantly, inform him/her via IM or email instead of calling.  Believe me, the pressure is much less this way.
• Provide contingency plans: This may include you providing your IM accounts/telephone numbers etc to your transcriptionist to contact you, if required, to deal with any exigencies. Exigencies may include wrong files being sent (believe it or, this can occur!), wrong templates attached, or simply when the transcriptionist has any doubt pertaining to all the above points he/she may contact you direct.

The list above is not exhaustive by any stretch. But they should minimize time spent editing and proofreading by you once you get back the transcripts from the transcriptionist.  I mean, what use is it, if you have to spend more than 30 minutes pouring over the transcript to fill in the blanks and ready the copy for use.  That’s what you paid the transcriptionist to do in the first place.

Hope this is useful to you.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave it in the comment below.  I am always open to your suggestions.  Believe me, it will improve my work and my life! BTW, if you require a transcriptionist you know where to find me, right?

Related posts:

1. What is Legal Transcription
2. Types of Transcription
3. What is Transcription – The Idiot’s Definition

60% of Daily Blog Tips readers say they need a business partner for success.

However in the post Daniel went on to express his reservations as to why it may not be that clear cut for every blogger.

Bloggers are concerned about:

• losing control of their blogs/venture
• sharing the profits

And these above points are why exactly every blogger out there needs a sexy sleeping partner instead.

A sleeping partner as in a virtual assistant who work with you and for you, but do not share your profits or poke their nose into your business.

A virtual assistant like a transcriptionist do all the work that needs done for you WITHOUT profit-sharing! Ain’t that sexy!

Have you got a sleeping partner yet? Contact me now, its a date!

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