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Podcast SEO supplier due diligence checklist
Podcast SEO supplier checklist: assess claims, data rights, discovery, video and creative compliance, and subject-access handling before shortlisting.
What to take away
- If you run a mid-sized show from Manchester or Leeds and a supplier sends a podcast SEO proposal full of download-growth claims, ask for the dated source behind each number before you compare prices.
- Score every candidate on four thingsevidence, data rights, video and creative compliance, and how they handle a listener request to see their data.
- A checklist only works if you write the pass mark down first. Decide what counts as evidence before the first call.
- Treat the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 as a live change to how analytics and marketing data can be used, not a footnote.
- Keep one page per supplier. If a claim cannot be traced to a named source and a date, it does not go in the shortlist.
Start with the evidence rule
Most selection problems start with a number nobody can trace. A supplier says a show grew 40 per cent in six months. Ask which platform reported it, on what date, and whether the figure is downloads or unique listeners.
Write your evidence rule before you speak to anyone. A claim passes only if it names the source, report date, reporting period and metric. Apply the same rule to every candidate and keep the supporting report or record with the claim. The linked review and comparison method is additional guidance on weighting sources when suppliers quote different numbers.
The checklist itself
Work through these in order. Score four categories: evidence, data rights, subject access, and video/creative compliance; checklist items 4 and 5 together make up the last category. Stop at the first fail and note why, so the decision is auditable later.
- Evidence and discovery:For every growth or search-visibility claim, record the source, report date, reporting period and metric. A record template is: source: Spotify for Creators; report date: [date shown on the report]; period: [period shown]; metric: [metric shown]; result: [reported result]. This is a blank template, not a real performance result. Check work samples for episode titles that describe the content, usable transcripts, accurate RSS feed metadata, and show and episode visibility in Apple Podcasts and Spotify search. Ask what changed and what evidence connects the work to the result.
- Data rights:Check that the contract and working arrangements state who can access and use listener and analytics data, how it can be shared and retained, and what happens to it when the engagement ends. Confirm what data and files you can export, in what format, and who is responsible for deletion where applicable.
Podcast SEO Selection Checklist
- Evidencenamed source and date
- Data rightsownership and exit terms
- Subject accessrequest handling described
- Law changeData Act 2025 explained
- Videocreative standards followed
- Reportingmonthly openable file
- Exitdata in usable format
To score the subject-access criterion, ask who receives a request, who handles it, how the supplier supports the process and how the hand-off is recorded. Check the written workflow against the ICO's guidance on subject access requests.
- Video:If the proposal includes digital video creative, ask the supplier to explain how its work is checked against the IAB UK Principles for Digital Video Creative Best Practice. Request an example of the review process, not just a verbal assurance.
- Creative compliance:Confirm who signs off each asset and how it is checked against the agreed brand, rights and platform requirements. Ask the supplier to state how revisions are handled and what is included in the proposed work.
Score before you compare
Give each of the four categories a weight out of ten, then express the points earned as a percentage of the available total. Set a pass mark, for example 70 out of 100. Do this before the first call, because weights invented after a good pitch tend to bend towards the pitch.
Scoring Weights and Pass Mark
- 10weight per item
- 70pass mark out of 100
- 5point tie-break threshold
Evidence and data rights should carry the most weight. Creative and video items matter, but they rarely decide a contract on their own. If two suppliers score within five points, compare them on the two heaviest items again rather than on price alone.
Keep the scoring sheet with the proposal. A year later, when someone asks why you chose one supplier over another, the sheet answers the question.
Where England buyers get caught
For listener-data handling, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's data protection regulator, not a podcast SEO regulator. In England, disputes about supplier performance still turn on contract terms and data law, so make the paperwork explicit.
Watch for suppliers who treat analytics consent as a one-off setup. The law changed in 2025, and processes built before then may not reflect it. Ask when their privacy notice was last reviewed.
Also watch for evidence borrowed from other markets. A growth figure from a US campaign tells you little about a show aimed at listeners in Birmingham. Ask for a comparable case, or accept that the number is illustrative only.
If you are weighing two products rather than two agencies, the questions shift towards features and integrations. Our guide to podcast SEO product comparison in England covers how to line those up without relying on vendor demos.
Glossary
- Evidence rulethe requirement that every performance claim names its source and date.
- Pass markthe score a supplier must reach before you compare prices.
- Subject access requesta request from a person to see the personal data an organisation holds about them.
- Data rightsthe contract terms covering ownership and use of listener and analytics data.
- Exit formatthe file type and structure you receive when a contract ends.
Common questions
How many suppliers should go through the checklist?
Three to five is workable. Fewer gives you no comparison, and more makes the evidence checking unmanageable for one person.
Does the checklist replace a trial?
No. It filters out weak proposals before a trial. Run the trial with the same evidence rule so the results are comparable.
What if a supplier refuses to name sources?
Treat it as a fail on the first item. You can revisit if they supply the sources later, but do not score the claim on trust.
Do the data rules differ across the UK?
The data protection framework covered here applies UK-wide. Contract and trading terms can still differ, so read what you are actually signing.
