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Being discoverable and search-friendly is a necessity for the modern musician. Major companies invest heavily in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to maximize their visibility and reach the largest audience possible. If top companies prioritize findability so highly, there must be valuable lessons for musicians and producers as well.
While mastering SEO can build entire careers, a basic understanding of its principles can significantly impact your success as a musician. As a music producer with twelve years of experience and a website that relies on SEO, I’ve seen firsthand how critical search visibility is.
In fact, over 70% of our daily traffic comes from search queries, which shows just how people’s online behavior has changes since the early heydays of dance music blogs a decade ago when I first was writing as an intern at EDMTunes (I would link you that old author profile, but it seems the team at EDMTunes scrubbed all the earlier articles from the site).
From my experience in both the studio and in managing content that must first be discovered to be read, I’ve gained insights into how SEO concepts can apply to finding success in music.
This article will explore common SEO buzzwords and share what they’ve taught me about making music that stands out and attracts genuine, organic fans. By the end of this 15-minute read, you’ll be able to make your artist profile and music easier to find online in a space as saturated with s**t as the internet these days.
And a shoutout to Discognition for a few of the artist-facing images. He’s an incredibly talented producer who is knocking his own SEO game out of the page and you can check out a ton of work that he’s done with us over the years, including a massively popular release on our own label, below.
Your Domain
Just as search engines like Google assess the authority of a website based on its domain authority, you should view your brand as an artist through a similar lens.
Owning a website is important, but the key here is understanding that your brand equates to your domain authority. The success of a website hinges on the authority of its domain, which reflects your brand as an artist. This encompasses not only the quality of your music but also the technical and creative elements associated with your online presence.
For an artist, these elements include factors like the uniqueness of your name and how easily it can be found. For instance, when searching for my name, Will Vance, I find that only one other artist shares this name, and he works in folk music. Thanks to the extensive number of articles and music I’ve released, I’m more prominent in search results. Thus, when someone searches for “Will Vance Musician,” my profile appears first because Google recognizes me as a more authoritative figure in this context.
The principles of SEO for musicians will directly impact and reinforce your domain authority as an artist. Essentially, your brand is your domain, and everything we discuss will aim to strengthen that connection.
Competitor Analysis
With the rise of AI-generated content flooding the online space, focusing on competitor analysis is more important than ever. This process involves examining what others in your genre or niche are doing and identifying opportunities to do it better and more uniquely and in doing so, stand out from the crowd and get more eyes on what you’re doing.
Google’s response to the influx of AI content has been to prioritize original voices, fresh perspectives, and first-hand experiences. Since AI can only replicate existing ideas, Google increasingly values content that provides genuine insights and unique viewpoints and replicating what somebody else has already done or said can actually do more harm to your domain than it can good at times.
When I plan which articles to write for maximum web traffic, I start by analyzing the keywords my competitors rank for like in the spreadsheet snapshot above. I look for key phrases they could cover more effectively or high-volume search terms that aren’t well-explored.
So, how does this apply to music producers?
Here’s the approach:
- Identify Successful Strategies: Observe what strategies are effective for other artists. Note the tactics and themes that resonate well with their audiences.
- Learn from Mistakes: Analyze what doesn’t work for your competitors. Understand their missteps to avoid making similar errors yourself.
- Develop Your Unique Approach: Combine your insights from what works and what doesn’t into a strategy that’s uniquely yours. Look for gaps in the market and trends that you can leverage in a way that sets you apart.
Avoid replicating another artist’s success directly. Instead, use competitor analysis to identify trends, content, styles, and opportunities, then apply your unique perspective to carve out your own path in the industry.
Longtail Keywords
The most commonly advised strategy when building up a site from day one, especially in a crowded marketplace like the internet or the music industry, is to avoid targeting short-tail keywords. Phrases like “music production” are highly competitive, whereas longer search queries like “SEO for musicians” or “how to use SEO to level up your music career” are less competitive, even if they have lower search volume.
So, what does that mean for you? It means that instead of trying to capture the attention of the entire EDM market or aiming for a massive festival gig right off the bat, start small. The more you can dial in on who your core audience might be and engage with smaller communities where your brand can circulate, the less competition you’ll face. Focusing on these smaller spaces and gigs early in your career can serve as the kindling that gets your career started.
As your brand becomes more authoritative and gains more recognition, you’ll naturally start landing bigger opportunities. In website terms, this is when you can begin targeting more competitive keywords with a better chance of ranking well on Google.
On-Page SEO
SEO isn’t an exact science and a lot of how you rank for different keywords is out of your control with the best thing you can do is to adhere to Google’s styling and formatting guidelines for your best shot at ranking for the keywords you’re targeting with your content strategy…
Okay, I’m getting in the weeds here. Let’s talk about one of the most important things that SEO writers have complete control over is on-page SEO, which involves optimizing things like subheadings, internal linking, meta tags, and descriptions. While this might sound technical, here’s how it connects to your music career.
In SEO, on-page optimization organizes your content so Google can easily understand and rank it. Think of it as presenting your written content on a silver platter to Google’s algorithms, making it straightforward for them to determine what your page—and your site—is all about. It comes down to using subheaders properly, tagging your images, and entering in the relevant metadata.
When I applied this to my music career, I realized that the same principles of clarity and cohesion apply across your online presence, music and identity.
Just as good on-page SEO makes a website more accessible to search engines, presenting your music and brand clearly makes it easier for your audience to connect with you. If potential fans work too hard to understand what you’re about or your music represents, they’re less likely to dig too deeply.
Ensuring that my brand and music were consistently packaged and communicated made a significant difference. The smoother and more cohesive the presentation, the more memorable and appealing I became to my audience. I built a more engaged and loyal fan base by making it easy for people to grasp and connect with my music and identity.
In essence, the goal is to reduce friction in how your brand and message appear. This accessibility helps your audience remember you and encourages them to become true fans, engaging more with your work.
Google Discover Page
Occasionally, an article will go viral after being featured on the Google Discover page, pulling in tens of thousands of readers and creating a significant traffic spike. It’s akin to having a song or piece of content catch fire and attract a lot of attention for a short period. I’ve experienced this firsthand, and while it’s exciting, I’ve learned that these bursts of traffic are often short-lived.
The increased traffic typically lasts just a day or two while the article is trending, then it levels off. Sure, some of those readers might become loyal followers, but the impact of these viral moments is usually temporary. While they can provide a boost and help in the short term, they rarely result in lasting growth.
What really sustains a site, or a music career, is consistent, evergreen content—much like the core articles and music releases that form the foundation of what I do. These are the pieces that continue to attract readers or listeners over time, providing ongoing value and building a stable base of engagement.
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=cHumzblVZwU&si=bo4u0NXBKTFEm6eH[/embed]This doesn’t mean you should ignore quick wins entirely. Think of your content strategy as a blend of both short-term and long-term approaches. Quick-win content—like bootleg remixes, DJ mixes, or other engaging, easily produced material—can offer immediate boosts and keep your audience engaged. But the real strength comes from having a strong foundation of long-form content, whether that’s an EP, album, or other substantial work.
So, balance your efforts between creating engaging, quick-win content and developing quality, evergreen material. This approach ensures you maintain steady growth while still enjoying occasional spikes in attention.
Traffic Acquisition
This is where traffic acquisition comes into play.
If we only relied on Google Discover for traffic, we’d see only a small fraction of the total traffic we receive over the year. Traffic acquisition has been a big focus for me recently, especially after a major website migration. When you switch hosts or domains, there’s often a noticeable dip in traffic for a while. Over the past month or so, I’ve seen a drop in daily traffic since our migration, so I’ve had to get creative with other methods to keep our articles visible.
The same principle applies to your music.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, like relying solely on Spotify playlists. Instead, find various ways to connect with your audience. Use social media, get featured on websites and blogs, and explore other platforms. Spreading your music across multiple channels helps build a more resilient presence.
Just because Spotify is the biggest player in the game doesn’t mean it’s the only one. People discover music in various ways, so you need to diversify where your music can be found and how it’s shared. This will give you the best chance to reach as many listeners as possible.
EEAT
Building authority is crucial, both for SEO and for growing your music career. Just like Google is shifting its focus toward authoritative and trustworthy sources to combat the rise of AI-generated content, you need to establish your own Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness in the music world.
You need to make your presence known across various platforms to boost your visibility and credibility. The more you show up in different spaces, the more you’ll be recognized as a knowledgeable and respected figure in music production, music marketing, and the industry at large.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Guest Production Tutorials: Share your expertise by creating tutorials for popular music production Instagram pages. It’s a great way to get noticed by a new audience and build your reputation.
- Sell Sample Packs: Even a single sample pack on a platform can help people discover your name and skills.
- Create DJ Mixes: Share your mixes on music sites to reach fans who might not know you yet.
- Get Featured on Blogs: Work on getting your brand and music featured in online blogs to widen your reach.
- Participate in Interviews: Offer insights and share your perspective through interviews. These can provide depth to your profile that goes beyond simple press coverage.
From my experience running this magazine, I’ve found that you don’t need dozens of interviews or articles to make an impact. A few well-placed features each year can significantly boost your visibility and reputation. Interviews, in particular, often carry more weight than just having your music reviewed, especially in terms of SEO and building a well-rounded online presence.
By diversifying where you show up and how you engage, you’ll create a more comprehensive and authoritative online footprint, making it easier for people to find and connect with your music.
Conversely, it also shows the importance of actually knowing what you’re talking about before expressing it publicly. I feel it’s common these days for up-and-coming producers to offer “industry advice” on Instagram to their small communities of other up-and-coming producers, which is a bit of a blind-leading-the-blind situation. When in doubt, when offering advice in today’s saturated online space that’s filled enough with shoddy advice, share from a perspective of what’s worked for you personally instead of claiming what you know is the only way to do a thing.
Meet Your Audience Where They’re At
Understanding where your audience is and engaging with them directly is crucial, much like the principle behind search engine optimization (SEO). Companies invest in optimizing their content for Google because it dominates search with over 80% market share. Without following Google’s guidelines, businesses risk disappearing from search results, making SEO a necessity.
Apply this mindset to your music career. Instead of waiting for fans to find you, actively seek out where they already are. It’s not enough to assume your music will attract attention on its own. Get your music into the spaces where potential listeners are already active.
For instance, if your music is inspired by nature and fits well with hiking, target hiking playlists or music channels dedicated to the outdoors. Create DJ mixes tailored for hiking and share them on platforms frequented by outdoor enthusiasts. This approach ensures that you reach audiences who are already interested in what you offer.
Just as SEO focuses on creating content that meets users’ needs and appears where they are searching, your music marketing should aim to connect with potential fans in their preferred spaces, showcasing your best work effectively. Your strategy should be as targeted and purposeful as a solid SEO plan.
Intent-Driven Content
When ChatGPT first dropped almost two years ago, it was hailed as a game-changer for website blog management. Practically overnight, the internet was flooded with articles cranked out by AI. On Reddit forums I follow, I’ve seen people boasting about publishing 30 ChatGPT-written articles a day. But it only took a year and a half for the world to realize that, for better or worse, you can tell almost immediately when you’ve landed on a website filled with AI-generated content.
It’s become such a plague that when people encounter these articles, they often think, “This is crap—why would anyone read something that somebody didn’t even care enough to write themselves?”
Well, at least how I feel about it…
The point I’m making is that you should always create quality content with a clear purpose. Don’t just post content for the sake of posting. Rushed, half-baked, and intentionless content can actually do more harm to your domain—your brand—than good.
Every piece of content should have a clear objective.
Whether your goal is to drive ticket sales for a local event, sell more sample packs, or get more people to listen to your music, it doesn’t take many poor-quality posts to tarnish your reputation as an artist and make you look like a dork.
It’s far better to post less frequently but with higher quality than to flood your channels with half-baked content just because you think you need to. This is especially important as more content is being produced, and AI makes it easier to churn out low-quality material. People are starting to see through the drivel, and the bar is being set higher.
Quality content with purpose will always stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Also, there’s no harm in pruning your socials of all, cringe content in the same way that we’ve unindexed or even unpublished articles on our site before just to help the overall health of the brand and the site.
The March Core Update
A few months ago, Google rolled out its massive March core update (check out the article above), and it’s been one of the biggest game-changers this year. For those not deeply involved in SEO, the key takeaway is that Google made sweeping changes aimed at combating the unethical use of AI-generated content.
Now, it’s important to note that Google didn’t say it would penalize AI outright. AI in writing and content creation is becoming the new norm, but what Google did focus on instead was reducing the visibility of low-quality drivel in search results.
The most important thing to understand, which becomes obvious once you think about it, is that Google’s entire business model is based on its ability to provide the best possible answers to users’ queries. If Google can’t do that, why would people use it? Why wouldn’t they switch to another search engine? Google aims to deliver the most accurate and relevant content, and the March core update was a major step in ensuring that continues to be the case at least in theory).
So, what does this update teach us about artist growth and advancements in the music industry?
It’s simple: the user only cares about the quality of the product.
Your fans don’t care if you used AI in your music production, how you used it, or what tools you used. Most don’t care about the process; they care about the final result coming out of their speakers. Google doesn’t care how I create the articles I write, and similarly, 80% of your audience doesn’t care how you create your music. They just want it to be good and they want it to come from a domain/brand that they love, trust, and see as an authority of that sound.
There are tons of AI tools out there for music production, just as there are for content creation.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you use these tools or not—what matters is the quality of the music you produce and release. Using AI as a tool is fine, but relying on it to churn out content without adding your own unique voice, soul, and authenticity to it will do more harm than good, as we’ve discussed earlier in this article.
The March update clearly showed this, as I’ve seen colleagues and acquaintances in the industry have their entire platforms essentially wiped out overnight due to relying too heavily on AI-generated articles to make up their blog roll. This is honestly why I’ve never been too worried about AI in music production coming for our jobs, as the producers creative enough to use it as a tool will be able to make even better music, and the ones who rely on it completely never really had a chance in this game anyways.
Check back with me in a couple years though, I could be completely wrong on this…
In essence, focus on the quality of your work, whether or not you use AI, because that’s all your audience truly cares about in the same way that Google’s latest msive update showed that all they care about is the quality of the articles being made and the unique, authoritative voice that the articles adds to the overall discussion on the topic.
Why SEO Isn’t Rocket Science
To wrap things up, I want to reference a conversation I had with one of my best friends. He runs SEO at one of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley, doing essentially what I do but on a much larger scale with much higher stakes. We go back and forth all the time because, on any Reddit thread, you’ll find people swapping hacks, SEO tricks, black hat strategies, and ways to manipulate search algorithms. We always find it amusing because, yes, those tricks and strategies can be viable, but Google is constantly moving the goalposts to specifically combat these moves. They silently update their algorithms to prioritize and reward different types of content, especially to dodge these black hat strategies.
The best way to future-proof your website is to just create good content. That’s the most reliable strategy. For me, future-proofing this website means writing really good content.
For you, as a producer, it means making really good music.
The music industry, like the internet, is full of get-rich-quick schemes and hacks promising overnight success, but the truth is, those rarely work.
Or if they do, it’s one in a million.
The best thing you can do to future-proof your career is to focus on making the best music possible. That’s what will open more doors than any trick to virality on TikTok. It may seem like a long road now, but it’s actually the most reliable and, honestly, the shortest way to success. Yes, it’s going to take years, just like it takes time to build up a website with SEO, but the rewards are far more valuable in the long run than chasing after quick wins.
I hope you’ve taken away some valuable insights on how internet SEO can teach you about finding success in the music industry. They’re almost a one-to-one comparison, and there’s a lot to be learned by adapting these ideas to your own career. It’s worked for me, and it’s working for me actively in my career right now. Applying these principles is where the real magic happens. Thanks for reading.
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