Stop Posting, Start Ranking, How I’d Grow a Podcast From 0 to 1,000 Downloads in 2026

Growing a podcast in 2026 has nothing to do with posting everywhere or chasing virality. It has everything to do with being findable, useful, and sticky.

In this episode of As It Relates to Podcasting, Simona Costantini breaks down exactly how she would grow a podcast from zero to 1,000 downloads today, without burning out or flooding social media. This episode is a practical roadmap for creators who want sustainable, search-driven growth instead of short-lived spikes.

You’ll learn why discoverability beats marketing, how to choose topics people are actively searching for, and how to structure episodes so platforms understand your show and listeners stay longer. Simona explains how clarity builds authority faster than variety, why retention matters more than reach, and how your back catalog becomes the engine that compounds growth over time.

If your podcast feels invisible, inconsistent, or stuck, this episode will help you diagnose what’s really holding it back and show you how to fix it.

Inside this episode:

How to grow a podcast from 0 to 1,000 downloads in 2026Why chasing virality is slowing your growthHow to choose podcast topics people are actively searching forValidating episode ideas using search, not guessesTurning search queries into episode titlesWhy repetition builds authority faster than varietyHow clarity signals trust to algorithms and listenersCreating bingeable entry points for new listenersWhy your back catalog compounds growthTight, outcome-focused intros that increase retentionPrioritizing listen time and watch time over reachStructuring episodes to reduce cognitive overloadEnding episodes with intention so listeners return

Resources:

Podcast Success Vault Membership: https://www.voltproductions.co/podcast-success-vault-membership

Learn about:

00:00 Why posting everywhere fails in 202601:10 How I’d approach growth from zero downloads02:00 Choosing problems people are actually searching for03:15 Validating topics in search bars and AI tools04:20 Turning repeated phrasing into episode titles05:30 Why repetition beats variety for growth06:30 Creating bingeable entry points for new listeners