Identifying Your Most Discussed Topics Across All Episodes

What Do You Actually Talk About?

You think you know your main topics. Then you search your archive and discover that "pricing" appears in 45 episodes while "marketing"—your supposed focus—barely registers.

Here's the thing: after years of recording, the content you create and the content you think you create are often very different. Topics you considered minor dominate your archive, while themes you assumed were central barely appear.

After years of recording, your memory of what you've covered becomes fuzzy. You remember recent episodes clearly, but episode 47 from three years ago? That's a blur. Yet understanding your full content history is essential for strategic planning.

Why Topic Awareness Matters

Knowing your actual topic distribution helps you:

• Align with audience expectations - Your listeners subscribed for certain content
• Avoid accidental pivots - Topic drift happens slowly and often goes unnoticed
• Find underserved areas - Topics you know well but rarely discuss
• Create better descriptions - Market your show based on what it actually is
• Plan future content - Fill gaps intentionally rather than by accident

The Topic Audit Process

Running a topic audit takes about an hour and reveals patterns you'd never notice otherwise.

Step 1: List Topics You Think You Cover

Before searching, write down your top 10-15 topics. Be specific. Instead of "marketing," list "email marketing," "content marketing," "social media marketing." This creates your hypothesis to test.

Step 2: Search Each Topic

For each topic on your list:

1. Search the keyword in your transcript archive
2. Count how many episodes contain substantial discussion (not just passing mentions)
3. Note which episodes come up repeatedly across topics
4. Track whether mentions are recent, old, or spread throughout your catalog

Step 3: Search Adjacent Topics

Now search for related terms you might have missed:

• Synonyms and alternative phrasings
• Industry jargon versus plain language
• Specific tools, frameworks, or methods
• Names of people associated with the topic

You'll often discover you've covered topics under different names than you expected.

Step 4: Rank by Frequency

Compile your results into a ranked list. What actually dominates your content? The answer may surprise you.

What the Data Often Reveals

Common surprises from topic audits include:

• Unintentional themes - Topics you keep returning to without planning. These often represent your true expertise and passion.
• Missed opportunities - Areas you rarely cover despite deep knowledge. These become obvious content gaps to fill.
• Audience misalignment - Talking about X when listeners signed up for Y. This explains subscriber churn.
• Guest bias - Topics that only come up in interviews, never in solo episodes. Reveals what you're outsourcing.
• Recency bias - Heavy coverage of recent trends while ignoring fundamentals you used to discuss.
• One-hit topics - Subjects you covered once deeply but never revisited despite ongoing relevance.

Building a Topic Heatmap

Visualize your findings with a simple count:

This table shows your actual content distribution at a glance. Compare it to what you'd have guessed before the audit.

Tracking Changes Over Time

Run this audit annually. Compare year-over-year to see:

• Which topics are growing in coverage
• Which are declining
• Whether changes are intentional
• If you're responding to audience demand or personal interest

Using Topic Data Strategically

With clear topic visibility, you can make informed decisions:

Fill Gaps Intentionally

If you rarely cover a topic your audience cares about, schedule episodes specifically for it. Don't wait for it to come up organically.

Double Down on Strengths

Recognize and embrace your real focus areas. If 30% of your content is marketing, own that identity. Create series, compilations, and resources around it.

Update Your Marketing

Your show description probably reflects your intentions, not your reality. Revise it based on actual content. This attracts the right listeners and sets accurate expectations.

Plan Content Seasons

Use topic data to balance your calendar. If Q1 was heavy on technology, plan Q2 with more leadership content. Prevent any single topic from dominating unless that's your explicit strategy.

Create Topic Bundles

Group related episodes into themed collections. Your listeners can binge-learn a topic instead of hunting through your archive.

The "Why" Behind Your Topics

Consider why certain topics dominate:

• Guest availability - You cover what guests can speak to
• Your personal interest - Passion shows up in frequency
• Audience demand - Topics that get engagement get repeated
• Industry trends - Following what's hot in your space
• Comfort level - Avoiding topics that feel risky or uncertain
• Partner requests - Sponsors influencing content direction

Understanding the why helps you choose future direction. Are you following the content you want to create, or drifting based on external pressures?

Questions to Ask After Your Audit

• Is this the show I want to host?
• Does this match what my audience subscribed for?
• What would I add if I had more time?
• What would I cut if I had to narrow focus?
• Am I avoiding any important topics? Why?

Related Guides

• How to Find Quotes in Your Podcast Archive - Search techniques for your audit
• Build a Topic Index for Your Podcast - Turn your audit into navigation
• Tracking Topic Evolution - See how your focus has shifted

Discover Your True Focus

Bottom line: knowing your actual topic distribution helps you align with audience expectations, avoid accidental pivots, find underserved areas, and plan future content intentionally.

Ready to audit your topics? Get started free and search your complete archive.