Topic: Cname

Tom, initially skeptical, now believes loyalty and word-of-mouth are necessary but insufficient for podcast growth; discoverability is also crucial. He signed up for PodHerd's begrudging tier and is now upgrading his account to integrate with Search Console and set up a CNAME on his own domain. This shift reflects his realization that he has been building "somebody else's house" for too long.

A CNAME record in a domain's DNS acts as a redirect, allowing a custom URL (e.g., `archive.myshowname.com`) to point to a server hosted by a third-party service. While the actual server is external, the URL seen by the listener and, crucially, by search engines, remains the podcaster's own domain. This ensures that search authority and compound interest over time accrue to the podcaster's domain, rather than the hosting platform's.

The "How to Get Discovered" podcast, hosted by Maya and Tom, introduces an episode titled "Whose House Are You Building?" The episode focuses on the critical importance of a podcast's transcript URL for discoverability and the mechanics of getting found. It promises a discussion on CNAMEs and their impact on podcast growth.

The concept of using a CNAME record to host podcast transcripts on a service like PodHerd while maintaining a custom URL is explained. This setup allows the podcast's own domain to accrue search authority and equity, even though the content is technically hosted on the service's servers. This strategy ensures long-term discoverability and SEO benefits for the podcaster.