Get Found When They Search
People are already Googling you — control what they find.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 83%
Get Found When They Search is Vinnie's discoverability playbook built on the reality that people are already searching for you and looking at award-winning lists. He recommends submitting to approachable, credible awards (W3, Communicator, Telly, Webby) because network development teams building shortlists go look at those lists. He stresses completing your credits — especially on IMDb, which now accepts podcasts and non-traditional creatives — because IMDb and Google are married, so uploading IMDb photos in a given week can change your Google image results that same week. The through-line: control what shows up when people search.
Origin
Vinnie draws this from firsthand knowledge of how network executives operate — knowing that when an executive tells a development team to write a list of 50 podcasters, they go straight to award-winning lists — plus his experience of how IMDb credits and Google search interact.
Core principles
- 01People are searching for you before they know you — that's why they're searching.
- 02Award lists are where network executives look when building shortlists.
- 03Credits and profiles are the easiest, highest-leverage place to improve discoverability.
- 04IMDb and Google are tightly linked, so IMDb assets move your Google results.
- 05Paying to play (awards, distribution, vetting) is normal and not new.
How to run it
- 1
Accept that they're already searching
Recognise people are Googling you before they know you, so your search footprint matters even to strangers.
- 2
Win approachable awards
Submit to credible, accessible award programs like the W3, Communicator, and Telly awards, which brands and executives scan.
Pro tip Some awards have modest application fees (~$200); paying to be vetted is normal and signals you care about your craft.
- 3
Complete your credits on IMDb
Update your credits everywhere, and use IMDb — which now accepts podcasts and lets you add yourself as guest, producer, or host.
Pro tip Even doctors and specialists now build IMDb profiles as content creators.
- 4
Use IMDb to move Google
Upload a batch of IMDb photos in a single week and watch them surface in Google image search that same week, because IMDb and Google are married.
Pro tip Upload around 12 images and see how many pop in Google.
In the wild
Vinnie knows firsthand that when a network executive tells their development team to write a list of 50 podcasters, the team goes and looks at award-winning lists like the W3, Communicator, and Telly awards.
→ Being on an approachable award list gets you onto executive shortlists you'd otherwise never appear on.
Vinnie advises uploading around a dozen IMDb photos in a single week to change what shows up in your Google image search, exploiting the tight link between IMDb and Google.
→ Uploaded IMDb images surface in Google image search that same week, letting you control your search appearance.
Common mistakes
Never updating your credits
Huge numbers of people don't update their credits even on IMDb, leaving their most-searchable surface incomplete and losing control of what appears when people look them up.
Is it for you?
Best for
Podcasters, creators, experts, and professionals who want to be found by brands, bookers, and executives.
Not ideal for
People who don't want a public search presence or whose audience isn't found via search.
From the transcript
“everyone's googling everyone is searching right and i promise you people are out there searching for you”
“you want to change what shows up on your google search images in the same week upload your imdb images”
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