Episode Summary: The Audacity to Podcast #421 – “When to AVOID Podcast Episode Numbers”

Host: Daniel J. Lewis
Date: February 25, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Daniel J. Lewis continues his exploration of podcast episode numbers, moving from when you should use them (as covered in episode 420) to five important scenarios where you should not use episode numbers. Daniel delivers highly actionable insights for podcasters who want to optimize their show’s clarity, user experience, and search visibility, always focusing on putting the audience’s needs first.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. When Episode Numbers Don’t Matter to Your Audience (01:15)

• Core Idea: Only use episode numbers if they serve a genuine purpose for your listeners.
• Details: If your show is not serialized, doesn’t need to be consumed in order, or doesn’t frequently reference other episodes, episode numbers likely don’t matter and should be omitted—especially from titles.
  • “If your episode numbers don't actually matter to your audience… then you probably don't need episode numbers because your audience probably doesn't need them in those cases. So then don't use them.” (02:50)
• Pro Tip: If you insist on including episode numbers, put them at the END of titles for shows where they don’t matter, and at the BEGINNING only if they’re essential.

2. Avoiding Number Conflicts in Titles (05:40)

• Core Idea: Don’t let episode numbers visually or cognitively conflict with numbers in your episode titles.
• Details: Using numbered episode titles like "5 Best Cream Sodas" alongside episode numbers can create confusion (e.g., “20.5 Best Cream Sodas”).
  • “A title like that makes your audience have to think and read it again. And that's not a good thing to make your audience have to reread the title multiple times...” (07:05)
• Solutions:
  • Reword titles so the descriptive word comes before the number — e.g., “Best 5 Cream Sodas.”
  • Avoid clustering numbers together and don’t rely on separating punctuation to fix confusion.
  • “You should avoid putting those numbers next to each other when they start to conflict and maybe confuse your audience.” (09:00)

3. Don’t Speak the Episode Number Inside Its Own Episode (11:03)

• Core Idea: For flexibility, avoid saying an episode’s own number out loud in its audio.
• Details: This prevents problems if you reorder episodes, insert bonus episodes, or change your release plan.
  • “If you say that episode's own number… then you've locked that episode to that episode number.” (11:18)
• Example: If you say, “Welcome to episode 105,” but later have to publish it as episode 100, you create confusion for your audience.
• Best Practice: Only reference the episode numbers of already released, immutable past episodes.
  • “If you can, don't say the episode's own number within the episode. But it's fine to speak the episode numbers for other [already-published] episodes.” (13:40)

4. Skip Episode Numbers in Website, Social, and SEO Titles (16:05)

• Core Idea: Numbers offer no value (and take up space) in website post titles, SEO fields, and social shares.
• Details:
  • On your website, users don’t search for numbers; they follow links.
  • For SEO and social media, numbers waste character space and aren’t compelling.
  • “They just want a title. They want some compelling information for why they should listen to this episode and the episode number is not compelling information.” (19:23)
• Action Item: Don’t let episode numbers go out to Google via SEO plugins (like Yoast or All-In-One SEO), or social embeds; set fields so only the episode title (not number) is featured.
• Advanced Tip: Set permalinks properly for maximum compatibility with podcast apps, but don’t force listeners to search by number.

5. Never Put Episode Numbers in the iTunes Title Tag (21:45)

• Core Idea: The itunes:title tag in your RSS feed must be kept clean—NO episode, season, or podcast name included.
  • “Do not put the episode number in [the iTunes title]. Even if episode numbers are important... they should never be in the iTunes title tag. Apple has been very clear about that.” (22:30)
• Details:
  • Use the itunes:episode tag for the number, and the plain RSS <title> tag for normal display.
  • Some publishing tools get this wrong, so verify how your tool manages the tags.
• Resource: For in-depth handling of these technical aspects, listen to Daniel’s previous [episode 359] (linked in the show notes).

Bonus: App-Specific Quirks – Overcast (26:12)

• Overcast, a popular podcast app, strips episode numbers from titles entirely—regardless of where you put them.
  • “In Overcast, if you want episode numbers to display, you'll have to type them in a different kind of way... because Overcast is an opinionated app...” (27:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On episode numbers’ true relevance:
  “For most podcasts out there, I think episode numbers really don't matter to the audience. So if they don't matter, they shouldn't matter to you either.” (03:37)
• On number conflicts:
  “Are you talking about 20 and a half best cream sodas, or is it something else? A title like that makes your audience have to think...” (06:40)
• On not locking yourself:
  “If you say that episode's own number… you've locked that episode to that episode number.” (11:18)
• On social/SEO:
  “The episode number is not compelling information.” (19:23)
• On technical implementation:
  “Apple has been very clear about that. The whole point of that tag is to give a clean title that does not have the name of your podcast, [or] the episode number...” (22:47)

Key Timestamps

• 01:15 – When numbers don’t matter to your audience
• 05:40 – Title conflicts with numbers
• 11:03 – Don’t say the episode’s own number in audio
• 16:05 – Episode numbers in web, SEO, and social titles
• 21:45 – iTunes title tag: what NOT to do
• 26:12 – App quirks: Overcast and episode numbers

Additional Listener Support (29:30)

• Daniel gives thanks to listeners Stevie Taylor, Randy Black, and Brian Insmener for their support and mentions their podcasts: The Gig Life, Shooting It Straight, and Top Tier Audio.

Conclusion

Daniel ends with his signature encouragement to start and grow your own podcast for passion and profit, reminding the audience to use episode numbers wisely—always considering whether they provide value to listeners.

“I've given you some of the guts to use or not to use podcast episode numbers… It's time for you to go start and grow your own podcast for passion and profit.” (31:40)

Takeaways for Podcasters

• Only use episode numbers when they help your listeners.
• Avoid confusing numbering in titles.
• Don’t “lock” episodes by saying their own number.
• Skip numbers in SEO and social titles.
• Follow technical best practices—never put numbers in the itunes:title RSS tag.

For deeper dives on specific technical topics, Daniel refers to his episodes [420] (when to use numbers) and [359] (how to handle number display in feeds).