sboghossian Podcast Show Notes
When this applies
Use this skill when generating show notes for any podcast episode — whether a standalone HAQQ/Louis podcast, a guest appearance on another show, or a thought-leadership episode about the MENA legal market or LegalTech. The show notes serve two audiences simultaneously: search engines (SEO discovery) and existing subscribers (value delivery and navigation).
Structure
Every episode's show notes contain these sections in this order:
1. Title
SEO-optimized. Should contain the episode's core topic and, where applicable, the guest's name and a specific angle.
- Good: "How AI is Changing Contract Review in the UAE — with [Guest Name], GC at [Company]"
- Bad: "Episode 12 — Great conversation with a legal expert"
The title should be usable as a web page <title> tag and as the podcast platform listing title.
2. Episode summary (1 paragraph)
A 3–5 sentence synopsis covering:
- Who is the guest (role, expertise, why they were invited).
- The central question or topic of the episode.
- The two or three most important insights or conclusions.
This paragraph appears in podcast directories and search results. Write for a reader who has not heard the episode and is deciding whether to listen.
3. Guest bio
- 2–4 sentences.
- Focus on credentials relevant to the episode topic, not the full LinkedIn profile.
- Include a link to their website, LinkedIn, or firm profile.
- If no guest, describe the host(s) briefly.
4. Key topics with timestamps
Format: MM:SS — [Topic description]
Example:
00:00 — Introduction and guest background
04:20 — Why MENA legal ops are still largely manual
11:45 — How AI contract review works in practice
22:10 — DIFC vs. onshore UAE: key contract differences
34:00 — Where the MENA legal market is heading in five years
42:30 — Rapid fire: three tools every GC should try
Aim for 6–12 timestamps. Timestamps should mark genuine topic shifts, not every sentence.
5. Mentioned resources
Everything the guest or host referenced:
- Books (title + author + link)
- Articles or reports (title + publication + link)
- Tools or products (name + URL)
- Cases or statutes mentioned (full citation where possible)
Present as a linked list. Do not omit resources that were mentioned — this section is valuable for listeners who want to go deeper.
6. Pull quotes
3–5 direct quotes from the episode. These are used:
- In social media promotion (LinkedIn, X/Twitter)
- In the email newsletter promotion of the episode
- As featured quotes on the episode page
Select quotes that are:
- Standalone (make sense without the full context)
- Memorable or surprising
- Quotable in one or two sentences (under 30 words ideally)
Format: > "[Quote]" — [Name], [Role]
7. Subscribe + share CTAs
- Links to subscribe on each major platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google Podcasts, or whichever are active).
- Invitation to leave a review with a note on why it matters.
- Optional: link to share the episode.
Keep this section short and functional — one line per link.
Length and tone
- Total word count: 500–1,000 words (excluding the timestamps list, which can be long).
- Tone: professional but accessible. Not as formal as a legal document; not as casual as a tweet. Think: smart publication's podcast page.
- Write in third person for the summary and bio sections; first person ("we discussed", "I asked") is acceptable in the timestamp labels.
SEO considerations
- Include the guest's name and their organization in the title and opening paragraph (these are common search terms).
- Include the episode's geographic or jurisdictional focus (e.g., "UAE", "MENA", "Saudi Arabia") where relevant — these are long-tail search terms.
- Link to related episodes within the show notes to improve internal linking.
Related skills
- [[voice-brand-youtube-video-description]]
- [[voice-brand-press-release-tone]]
- [[voice-brand-linkedin-post-stephane]]
- [[voice-brand-tweet-thread-launch]]