
Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Total monthly reach
Estimated from 11 chart positions in 11 markets.
By chart position
- 🇳🇱NL · Technology#1491K to 10K
- 🇵🇭PH · Technology#663K to 10K
- 🇸🇦SA · Technology#673K to 10K
- 🇮🇪IE · Technology#733K to 10K
- 🇭🇰HK · Technology#943K to 10K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
8K to 34K🎙 ~2x weekly·100 episodes·Last published 1w ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
16K to 68K🇳🇱15%🇵🇭15%🇸🇦15%+8 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
6.4K to 27K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 12 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
Should I use markdown for my site?
Jun 15, 2026
Unknown duration
Vibe Coding - yay or nay?
May 7, 2026
Unknown duration
How AI Is Changing Google Search and SEO - transcript
May 1, 2026
How AI Is Changing Google Search and SEO
May 1, 2026
33m 10s
Analysing Robots.txt at scale with HTTP Archive and BigQuery - transcript
Apr 23, 2026
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/15/26 | Should I use markdown for my site? | Should you convert your website into Markdown to help Large Language Models (LLMs) understand your content better? Is "llms.txt" worth the effort for SEO? In this episode of Search Off the Record, Martin Splitt and John Mueller from the Google Search Relations team dive deep into the history of Markdown, its rise in the AI era, and whether it holds any real weight for search engine discovery. In this episode, you'll learn: The Origins of Markdown: From John Gruber and Aaron Swartz to its status as the "language of GitHub." Markdown vs. HTML: Why the "cleanliness" of Markdown is tempting for developers but potentially risky for site structure. LLMs & Markdown: Do AI crawlers actually prefer Markdown, or are they already experts at parsing HTML? The "Parallel Version" Trap: Why creating a separate text/Markdown version of your site for AI can lead to the same maintenance nightmares as dynamic rendering. Use Cases that Make Sense: When Markdown is actually superior (like developer documentation) and when it's totally unnecessary (like your shoe catalog). Key Takeaways for SEOs & Developers: Crawlers are built for the "messy" web: Google and other engines have decades of experience parsing HTML. Don't sacrifice discovery: Headers, footers, and sidebars in HTML provide critical context for site structure that a raw Markdown file might lack. Maintenance is king: Avoid the complexity of maintaining two versions of the same content. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction: Should we all be using Markdown? 3:45 - The history and purpose of Markdown. 7:15 - Why developers love it: Separation of style and content. 11:20 - Do crawlers need Markdown to understand your site? 14:50 - The danger of "parallel versions" and dynamic rendering lessons. 17:30 - Discussing the "llms.txt" proposal and AI agents. 21:00 - Where Markdown actually makes sense (Developer Docs). 24:00 - Final verdict: Stick to HTML for the web. Resources Mentioned: Google Search Central: https://developers.google.com/search Are you using Markdown for your site's frontend or just as a backend source? Let us know in the comments! Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr111-transcript Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO #GoogleSearch Speakers: Martin Splitt, John Mueller | — | ||||||
| 5/7/26 | Vibe Coding - yay or nay? | In this episode of Search Off the Record, Martin Splitt and John Mueller from Google's Search Relations team dive deep into the world of AI-assisted development. They explore the reality of "Vibe Coding", the process of building apps and websites using natural language instead of manual syntax. Whether you're a developer looking to offload tedious setup tasks or an SEO expert trying to understand how AI-generated sites impact search, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you'll learn: * What is Vibe Coding? Understanding the shift from writing syntax to "talking" to your IDE. * The Developer's Trap: Why you still need technical knowledge (like linters, deployment scripts, and GitHub Actions) to prevent AI from breaking your project. * SEO & AI Architecture: Why you can't just "add SEO" at the end—and how to guide AI to build with canonicals and sitemaps from day one. * Tooling Breakdown: Martin and John share their experiences with AI Studio, Gemini CLI, Firebase, and GitHub. * Testing with AI Agents: How to use AI to remote control browsers (like Chromium) for automated testing. Chapters 00:00 – Intro: What exactly is "Vibe Coding"? 01:32 – Martin's experiment with AI Studio and client-side JS. 03:30 – The "English as a Programming Language" allure. 06:00 – Why the AI makes assumptions (and why that's dangerous). 08:51 – "Sprinkling SEO" vs. Building for SEO from the start. 12:40 – Can AI test itself? Using browser agents for QA. 20:27 – The technical debt of AI: Refactoring and maintainability. 25:42 – Moving to the terminal: Gemini CLI & Cloud Code. 31:34 – Using AI to skip the setup work. Resources Mentioned: * Google AI Studio * Firebase Hosting * Gemini CLI / Cloud Code * GitHub Actions for CI/CD What's your experience with Vibe Coding? Let us know in the comments! Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr110-transcript Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO #GoogleSearch Speakers: Martin Splitt, John Mueller | — | ||||||
| 5/1/26 | ![]() How AI Is Changing Google Search and SEO - transcript✨ | AIGoogle Search+3 | — | AIGoogle+2 | — | AIGoogle Search+3 | — | — | |
| 5/1/26 | How AI Is Changing Google Search and SEO✨ | AI in SearchSEO+4 | Nikola Todorovic | Google | — | AIGoogle Search+5 | — | 33m 10s | |
| 4/23/26 | ![]() Analysing Robots.txt at scale with HTTP Archive and BigQuery - transcript✨ | robots.txtHTTP Archive+3 | — | HTTP ArchiveBigQuery+1 | — | robots.txtHTTP Archive+5 | — | — | |
| 4/23/26 | Analysing Robots.txt at scale with HTTP Archive and BigQuery✨ | robots.txt analysisweb crawling+4 | Gary Illyes | GoogleHTTP Archive+3 | — | robots.txtSEO+5 | — | 27m 40s | |
| 3/30/26 | ![]() Are websites getting "fat"? Page weight, HTML size & Googlebot limits explained - transcript✨ | website performancepage weight+3 | — | Google | — | page weightHTML size+3 | — | — | |
| 3/30/26 | Are websites getting "fat"? Page weight, HTML size & Googlebot limits explained✨ | page sizepage weight+4 | Gary Illyes | GoogleWeb Almanac+2 | — | page weightHTML size+5 | — | 32m 12s | |
| 3/12/26 | ![]() Google crawlers behind the scenes - transcript✨ | crawlingsearch engines+3 | — | Google | — | Googlecrawlers+5 | — | — | |
| 3/12/26 | ![]() Google crawlers behind the scenes✨ | Google crawlingSEO+4 | Gary Illyes | GooglebotGoogle+1 | — | Googlebotcrawling+5 | — | 25m 07s | |
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| 2/26/26 | ![]() How Browsers Really Parse HTML (and What That Means for SEO) - transcript✨ | HTML parsingSEO+3 | — | Google | — | HTMLbrowsers+3 | — | — | |
| 2/26/26 | How Browsers Really Parse HTML (and What That Means for SEO)✨ | HTML parsingSEO+4 | Gary Illyes | GoogleHTML Living Standard | — | HTML parsingSEO signals+5 | — | 32m 32s | |
| 2/12/26 | ![]() Do You Still Need a Website in 2026? (Transcript)✨ | websitedigital presence+3 | — | Google | — | website2026+3 | — | — | |
| 2/12/26 | Do You Still Need a Website in 2026?✨ | website relevanceweb evolution+3 | Gary Illyes | Google | — | website2026+5 | — | 28m 27s | |
| 2/3/26 | Crawling Challenges: What the 2025 Year-End Report Tells Us. | Join Martin and Gary as they dive into Search Off the Record's Episode 103, unpacking the 2025 Year-End report on crawling issues. Discover fascinating insights on faceted navigation, action parameters, irrelevant parameters and more, highlighting the biggest challenges faced by web crawlers last year. With humor and expert analysis, this episode reveals critical takeaways for webmasters and SEO professionals. Don't miss valuable tips to enhance your site's crawl efficiency! Resources: URL structure best practices for Google Search → https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/url-structure Crawling December: Faceted navigation → https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/12/crawling-december-faceted-nav Xkcd (programmer humor) → https://xkcd.com/327/ | — | ||||||
| 1/8/26 | SEO, AIO, GEO, your site, & third-party support to optimize for LLMs | In this episode, John Mueller and Danny Sullivan continue their conversation about the changing landscape of Search. They discuss the practicalities of hiring an SEO professional in the age of AI: Do you really need one? How do you evaluate them? Danny also shares his thoughts on third-party SEO tools, "domain scores," and why creators shouldn't rush to break their content into "bite-sized chunks" just to please Large Language Models (LLMs). Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO #GoogleSearch | — | ||||||
| 12/17/25 | ![]() Thoughts on SEO & SEO for AI, part 1 | In this episode, John Mueller and Danny Sullivan talk about SEO and the new kids on the block: AIO, GEO and others. Danny shares how these things interact with each other and what he thinks website owners should look for in their content creation and how Google's principles align with the way people use AI and search engines to navigate the web. Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. | — | ||||||
| 10/30/25 | ![]() How Search Off the Record tackles SEO and web development | Celebrate the 100th episode of Search Off the Record with Martin, Lizzi, Cherry, John and Gary as they revisit memorable moments, touching on a bunch of topics. This special episode touches on Google's mobile-first indexing, the intricacies of the Caffeine indexing system, and a deep dive into JavaScript scoping – and hoisting. You'll hear again about optimizing documentation traffic and the delightful world of Google Doodles. Discover key insights that impact your SEO strategies and web development practices. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr100-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome and 100th Episode Intro 2:21 - Lizzi's favorite: SEO starter guide readings 3:01 - Gary on Mobile-First Indexing Importance 3:39 - Revamping the SEO starter guide 5:13 - Meta tags and Google's indexing system 9:11 - Cherry's use of podcasts for work 12:09 - Deep dive into caffeine indexing 13:59 - The mechanics of data conversion in caffeine 16:12 - John's favorite: The magic of Google Doodles 23:30 - JavaScript ccoping and hoisting 25:47 - Optimizing documentation traffic 29:29 - Conclusion: 100 Episodes of Search Off the Record Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller, Cherry Sireetorn Prommawin Products Mentioned: Search Console | — | ||||||
| 9/4/25 | ![]() Optimizing login-page content for Google Search | Explore critical aspects of search engine optimization for web content that lives behind a login or paywall. In this episode, Martin and John cover how Googlebot interacts with these pages, the role of paywall structured data, and methods to prevent unintended indexing of private information. Get practical advice on improving your website's visibility and user experience while maintaining data security in Google Search. Resources: Episode transcript →https://goo.gle/sotr099-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:09 - Navigating SEO for login and paywalled content 2:01 - How Google indexes restricted content 10:51 - Strategies for controlling content visibility 20:54 - Testing and optimizing your site for Search Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console | — | ||||||
| 8/21/25 | ![]() Lazy loading demystified | Optimize your website's performance with lazy loading techniques. In this episode, John Mueller and Martin Splitt discuss lazy loading, and its SEO implications. Find out how lazy loading affects indexing, ranking, and Core Web Vitals. Whether you're using native lazy loading or custom JavaScript libraries, this episode provides insights for developers on how to enhance website speed and user experience. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr098-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:43 - What is lazy loading? 1:57 - HTTP chunking 3:13 - Primary drivers behind lazy loading 6:19 - Why not default lazy load all images? 8:29 - Lazy loading and SEO 8:39 - Impact to Core Web Vitals 9:17 - Largest contentful paint 9:58 - Affecting indexing and ranking 11:30 - Custom libraries for lazy loading 14:17 - How to recognize a problem 15:25 - Practical point of view 16:52 - Infinite scroll vs. lazy loading 19:31 - Lazy loading videos 20:51 - Small images and decorative images 23:16 - Where to chat about lazy loading images 23:55 - Outro Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Muelle, Martin Splitt Products Mentioned: Search Console | — | ||||||
| 8/7/25 | ![]() SEO for photographers: websites, social media, and Google Search | In this episode of Search Off The Record, John and Martin explore the intersection of SEO and photography. Is a website essential for photographers, or is social media enough? Martin, a technical SEO expert and photography enthusiast, dives into the challenges of building a photography website, optimizing images, and attracting the right audience. Whether you're a professional photographer or a hobbyist, this podcast offers valuable insights into how Search Engine Optimization can help you showcase your work and connect with your audience. Find out how to make your images more findable, understand your website's performance, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing for photographers. Martin shares his experience building his own photography website and the challenges he faced with SEO for his personal website. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr097-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:37 - The Expert?! 3:10 - Why do photographers need websites? 5:39 - Stock Photography and SEO 14:53- Branding and Search 18:21 - Setting up Search Console 21:12 - Web pages and Social Media for your photos. 23:27 - Image Landing Pages 24:52 - Image Optimization 28:38 - Photography and Generative AI Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console | — | ||||||
| 7/24/25 | ![]() How does CSS affect SEO? | Martin and John dive into the world of CSS and explore its connection to SEO. Discover why CSS files matter for SEO, how modern CSS frameworks impact pages, and the SEO implications of CSS class names and pseudo elements. Moreover, learn practical tips for ensuring your CSS enhances - rather than hinders - your website's search performance. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr096-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:56 - What is CSS? 1:37 - CSS file crawlability 3:52 - CSS flexibility and power 4:55 - Website and CSS growth 5:43 - CSS file size 9:15 - CSS class names and SEO 10:51 - Important CSS concepts 11:27 - CSS specificity 14:24 - Pseudo classes and pseudo elements 20:56 - Stop using before and after 22:47 - Viewport height 27:11 - Hiding things and background colours 28:05 - CSS images 35:55 - CSS for SEO 37:16 - Outro Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console | — | ||||||
| 7/10/25 | ![]() SEO for small businesses | Are you a developer or small business owner struggling with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? In this episode of Search Off the Record, Google Search Advocates John Mueller and Martin Splitt break down the essentials of SEO for small businesses. Learn practical tips for understanding your target audience, crafting a content strategy, and measuring your SEO efforts. They debunk SEO myths and explain when it's time to hire an SEO expert or agency. Get clarity on content strategy, technical SEO basics, the importance of relevant content and how to measure success. This video is perfect for developers who are curious about search and need a non-technical introduction to the SEO space, and small business owners who want to improve their website's visibility in Google Search. Resources: Episode transcript →https://goo.gle/sotr095-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction: The SEO Questions We All Get Asked 0:35 - SEO Starter Guide 0:58 - Defining Your Website Goals & Customer Focus 2:51 - Food Truck Example 4:20 - Understanding Your Customers & Search Intent 6:21- Content Strategy: What Should You Write About? 7:06 - Technical Foundation Check: Is Your Site Okay? 7:54 - Website Name Searching 9:46 - CMS 10:03- How to Approach Content Creation 11:52 - Getting Customer Feedback & Keyword Research 13:33 - How Serious Is My Goal 13:33: - How To Measure SEO Impact 14:30 - Monitoring Website Changes: Search Console & Analytics 16:03 - How Long Changes Take 17:41 - Staging Sites Vs Live Sites 18:44 - When to Hire an SEO Expert or Agency 21:14 - Red Flags SEO Promises 21:14 - Resources Mentioned 23:52 - How Long Does SEO Take 26:23 - AI and SEO 28:30 - Outro Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console, | — | ||||||
| 6/26/25 | ![]() Demystifying SEO for developers | Developers often have misconceptions about SEO. In this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller and Martin Splitt clarify what matters and what doesn't. They cover areas including: Optimizing themes for SEO, The indexing API, and common HTML mistakes. This podcast delivers essential knowledge for developers to enhance their SEO strategies and avoid common pitfalls. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr094-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro to SEO misconceptions 0:15 - Why developers should care about SEO? 0:59 - Technical vs non-technical SEO 4:38 - The importance of naming things 6:03 - Title and Meta Description 7:31 - Is bad Html bad for SEO? 12:43 - Core Web Vitals 17:22 - Javascript SEO 27:00 - Google APIs and SEO 27:42 - Google Search algorithm 31:32 - What about Html comments? 31:58 - Themes and SEO 32:13 - How to reach out to Martin 32:57 - Wrap up Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console, | — | ||||||
| 6/12/25 | ![]() What SEOs should know about devs | In this candid episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt from the Google Search team peel back the curtain to reveal a more human side of their work and challenges. Instead of diving deep into technical concepts, they reflect on their personal journeys—touching on everything from public speaking nerves to building empathy between developers and SEOs. Through playful banter and thoughtful commentary, they share how communication, context, and curiosity play vital roles in their day-to-day roles, both internally at Google and in the broader web ecosystem. The conversation also explores the evolution of Martin's career, his passion for the web, and how his developer background helps him bridge gaps in technical understanding. The duo navigates the complexities of delivering accurate guidance in public forums, the risk of being taken out of context, and the importance of clear communication across diverse audiences. It's a thoughtful, lighthearted, and occasionally philosophical discussion that reminds listeners that behind the guidance, there are real people striving to make the web better for everyone. Resources: Episode 93 transcript→https://goo.gle/sotr093-transcript Chapters: 0:00 – Intro & Setup 1:30 – Life at Google 3:30 – Speaking to Developers 6:30 – Early Speaking Days 10:00 – SEOs vs Devs 14:00 – Should SEOs Code? 19:00 – Context is Everything 23:30 – Clearer SEO Advice 26:30 – Why No Slides 29:00 – Wrap Up Chat Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search | — | ||||||
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Chart Positions
11 placements across 11 markets.
Chart Positions
11 placements across 11 markets.

