The world of SEO marketing is very different from the exciting world of concerts, tours and gigs so musicians (understandably) value SEO less and invest less time in it. However, SEO is one of the most important factors in any marketing effort, whether in business or in music.

Luckily, you can easily improve the SEO of your SoundCloud profile, leading to more clicks, more attention, and more fans.

SEO serves brands and musicians differently because people discover businesses and artists in different ways. However, music is also part business, which is why it’s important to learn how you can use take advantage of this to fire up your popularity on SoundCloud and everywhere else on the Internet.

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What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is any activity that makes you rank higher on search engines like Google. There are many contributing elements affecting search engine rankings but Google loves popular pages, and it bases a page’s popularity on the number of sites that link to that page.

In other words, the more links other people post to your SoundCloud profile, the higher you’ll rank on Google.

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SEO can be classified in two ways: Off-page and On-page optimizations, which basically refer to “activities” or optimizations that happen either on or off your page. Simple.

In this post, we have pieced together a list of On-page and Off-page optimizations that can help musicians like you rank better on Google, which makes it easier for anyone interested in your music to find you.

SEO for Musicians is Different

One thing you need to realize though, as mentioned earlier, is that people find musicians on the net not by the general keywords people often use to find things, like “nice restaurants to eat” or “best insulated lunch bag.” You can’t really capitalize on keywords like “best rap artist.”

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Contrary to standard SEO keyword practices, people use specific words to learn more about musicians they already know or new artists recommended by friends. They might do a search for your name, your schedule or your album’s name. They might search for titles of songs they’ve previously heard – and liked! They may also search for the name of a venue you’ve performed at, if they have seen you there and want to learn more about you.

In other words, SEO keywords for musicians are branded and specific, while they’re usually non-branded for those outside of this industry.

This makes platforms like SoundCloud ideal for new and grassroots artists who want to make it in the music industry. SoundCloud makes it easy for the world to discover you through your music.

Help even more people discover you on the platform by buying SoundCloud Plays. This will attract real people to listen to your track, because it’s a no-brainer that users, as well as non-users, will feel more compelled to listen to a track that has a lot of Plays compared to one without.

So, here are ways you can boost your presence on the Internet through SoundCloud.

On-page Optimization

Optimize your profile

You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth repeating that creating a great profile is important. So, personalize your image, write a snappy description of yourself, your band or your music.  Include social media links and basically make sure you follow the best practices in setting up your SoundCloud profile.

Grab the attention of your listeners and keep them on your page with an interesting profile like this one.

Optimize your tracks

Optimizing your tracks, in a few words, involves making clear titles, attractive images, informative descriptions and relevant tags that make it easier for users to find your music on SoundCloud.

Image credit: SoundCloud

Drive people to your page and make your music more discoverable by using relevant tags so they’ll rank higher in Search. Also, use tags that are found in Explore so they‘ll show up in Explore. Make sure you also fill out all the metadata for more content exposure.

Buy SoundCloud Plays

The more Plays you have on your tracks, the more people will want to listen to your music. This is not an assumption, it’s actually science and science has a name for this: social proof. Simply put, it is that tendency of people to copy what others are doing.

So, when you buy SoundCloud Plays, the fake Plays you get actually encourage real and organic Plays from people who will see how popular you are. Consequently, your tracks will be more visible and will get even popular.

Off-page Optimization

Get people to feature or write about you

To get more links pointing to your profile, find blogs and online radio stations to email and pitch your music to.

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When selling yourself and your music, remember that for them, it’s all business. The question they ask themselves is what you can do for them, and not how artistically creative your work is. Exclusive interviews for a debut album or a tour usually work because exclusivity will drive people to their site and that’s what’s important to them.

Target smaller blogs if you’re really new and then gradually build up publicity for yourself. There’s no easy formula to marketing yourself in the music industry but having a ton of SoundCloud Followers helps because you already have a captured audience, and that translates to money for music blogs.

This is why building a strong social media presence matters.

Build a strong social media presence

Establish an online presence early on. Be active on social media and make it easy for people to find you on your channels by including links on your profile. Engage your audience and connect with them by replying back to comments, sharing relatable content and just being your sincere self.

Don’t forget to share your music on your pages, too.

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Also, remember that you can buy social signals for your social media channels. Social signals like SoundCloud Plays, Comments, Shares, Likes, and others make your social pages more visible, resulting in more Followers and the coveted popularity you’re targeting.

Make sure to buy from reputable providers, like the ones we’ve tested and reviewed, so you don’t risk your money and your online reputation.

Get people to share your music

One of the ways people discover new music is through friends and social media. So, embed your music on your social media channels and share them with your Followers. The goal is to get them to share it on their channels too. More sharing is the equivalent of more listening.

Just think, if your tracks have more Plays and your name comes up in search more often for the genres you’ve tagged them with on SoundCloud, people will be more inclined to pick your track in their quest for a new artist on the platform. Again, this is social proof at work.

Maximize Your Exposure

Optimize your SoundCloud profile for search, not just on the platform but in all search engines as well.

Use On- and Off-page optimization approaches that will build not just your SoundCloud profile but also your social media presence. Remember, it is through social media that people discover new artists today.

Better SEO for musicians can also improve your fans’ search experience, and makes it easy for them to purchase your album, come to your live gigs, follow you on social media, and more!

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Date: July 3, 2017 / Categories: Getting Discovered, Tips, / Author: Chell