Some podcasts reach far more people than others. I've been a guest on hundreds of shows, so I ranked my top 10 with a simple 30-point score. If you want to hear me at my best, start with these.
Here's my number one: my friend Sean Kelly interviewing me on Digital Social Hour. Sean asks about my start at American Airlines and Yahoo, my lunch with Mark Zuckerberg, and my health.
The short version:
- 1. Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly: 29/30
- 2. The Tom Ferry Podcast Experience with Tom Ferry (with Jason Pantana): 27/30
- 3. Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner: 26/30
- 4. CXOTalk with Michael Krigsman: 24/30
- 5. The Home Service Expert Podcast with Tommy Mello: 24/30
- 6. Escape Your Limits & LIFTS with Matthew Januszek: 23/30
- 7. Perpetual Traffic with Ralph Burns and Kasim Aslam (Tier 11): 23/30
- 8. Eventual Millionaire with Jaime Masters: 22/30
- 9. The Solopreneur Hour with Michael O'Neal: 21/30
- 10. The DigitalMarketer Podcast with Mark de Grasse (DigitalMarketer): 21/30
How I scored each show
The score is our 30-point authority scale. It gives up to 10 points each for three questions: Who is talking, Where it was said, and What it is about. We use the same scale to decide which proof goes first on a page. A big name saying something on a big stage about our core topics beats a small mention every time.
For each show I asked three things:
- Who (10): How strong are the host's credentials? A 10 is someone who founded a category, like a top media company. A 9 is a bestselling author, a Forbes-level founder, or the number one name in an industry.
- Where (10): How big is the show? I took the higher of two counts: the show's YouTube subscribers (1 million or more is a 10, 100K is an 8, 10K is a 6) or its Apple Podcasts ratings (5,000 or more is a 10, 1,000 is a 9, 500 is an 8, 100 is a 6).
- What (10): Was the episode about my core topics, like personal brand, the Content Factory process, AI, Dollar a Day, local service, or growing and selling an agency? Each episode starts at 4. It gets 2 for a core topic or 1 for a related one, plus 1 each for a specific story in the show notes, a public video, a one-on-one talk of 30 minutes or more, and airing in 2024 or later. It loses 1 if I shared the guest seat, or 2 for a panel.
I scored 30 shows from my podcast directory of 588 episodes, using only episodes I could open and play today. Every number came from the show's own Apple Podcasts page, YouTube channel, or the host's official bio, checked on October 18, 2026. Ties go to the bigger Where score, then Who. Each show gets one spot, and I mention my other episodes on that show inside its entry.
The scoreboard
| # | Show | Host | Aired | Who | Where | What | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digital Social Hour | Sean Kelly | Feb 2024 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 |
| 2 | The Tom Ferry Podcast Experience | Tom Ferry (with Jason Pantana) | May 12, 2021 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 |
| 3 | Social Media Marketing Podcast | Michael Stelzner | Jul 21, 2022 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 26 |
| 4 | CXOTalk | Michael Krigsman | May 2018 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
| 5 | The Home Service Expert Podcast | Tommy Mello | Feb 27, 2020 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| 6 | Escape Your Limits & LIFTS | Matthew Januszek | Dec 22, 2024 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| 7 | Perpetual Traffic | Ralph Burns and Kasim Aslam (Tier 11) | Apr 12, 2022 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| 8 | Eventual Millionaire | Jaime Masters | Jan 8, 2024 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
| 9 | The Solopreneur Hour | Michael O'Neal | Dec 14, 2022 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 |
| 10 | The DigitalMarketer Podcast | Mark de Grasse (DigitalMarketer) | Apr 11, 2023 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 21 |
My top 10 podcast appearances
1. Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly: 29/30
Episode: Sean Kelly Unpacks Dennis Yu's Journey: From Health Triumphs to Digital Breakthroughs (Feb 2024, 41 min). Watch on YouTube.
Score: 29/30 (Who 9 + Where 10 + What 10)
Why it ranks here: Sean Kelly runs one of the biggest interview channels on YouTube. His Digital Social Hour channel has 1.29 million subscribers, and he has put out more than 2,000 episodes since 2023. That reach is why this one sits at the top, and it's the only show on my list that earned a 10 for Where.
What we talked about: Sean asked me how I got started in internet marketing. So I went back to building my first websites at American Airlines, then seeing what people really search for at Yahoo. I told him about the lunch where Mark Zuckerberg got mad at me, and why I think Yahoo lost the lead to Google. We also talked about my 40-pound weight loss and my rule of burning 2,000 calories before I call it a day.
More: how Sean built his network, the full episode write-up.
2. The Tom Ferry Podcast Experience with Tom Ferry (with Jason Pantana): 27/30
Episode: A Master Class in Digital Marketing with Dennis Yu and Jason Pantana (May 12, 2021, 92 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 27/30 (Who 9 + Where 9 + What 9)
Why it ranks here: Swanepoel's Power 200 ranked Tom Ferry the number one real estate coach every year from 2012 through 2020, and his podcast has 1.1K Apple ratings. The YouTube video of this episode alone has 56,510 views, the most of any appearance on this list.
What we talked about: Tom billed this one as a free 90-minute class, and it ran 92 minutes. I explained Dollar a Day, how I distribute one piece of content across every channel for next to nothing, why Google Tag Manager matters so much, and what to train your virtual assistant to do. Tom's team member Jason Pantana joined us, and Tom told listeners to "R&D" my process. That means rip off and duplicate.
More: my Dollar a Day method.
3. Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner: 26/30
Episode: TikTok Ad Strategy The Easy Way (Jul 21, 2022, 42 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 26/30 (Who 10 + Where 9 + What 7)
Why it ranks here: Michael Stelzner founded Social Media Examiner, which is the reason this show gets a 10 for Who. The podcast has 1.4K Apple ratings and the YouTube channel has 345K subscribers. It only loses points on What, because TikTok ads sit next to my core topics instead of in the middle of them.
What we talked about: Mike wanted to know if TikTok ads could reach a business's real audience. My answer was Spark Ads. You take a real customer's video, or your own team's, and put a little money behind it. Real people talking beats a polished ad. I've also been on Mike's show to explain the Facebook algorithm, back in November 2017, and that episode scores the same 26.
More: Social Media Examiner.
4. CXOTalk with Michael Krigsman: 24/30
Episode: Hacking Facebook Advertising with Dennis Yu, BlitzMetrics (CXOTalk #288) (May 2018, 50 min). Watch on YouTube.
Score: 24/30 (Who 8 + Where 9 + What 7)
Why it ranks here: Michael Krigsman started CXOTalk in 2013 and has written more than 1,000 columns for ZDNet. His audience is executives, not marketers, and the CXOTalk YouTube channel has 266K subscribers. It loses a point on What because I shared the seat with Logan Young.
What we talked about: This was 2018, right after the news about Russian ads on Facebook in the 2016 election. Michael asked Logan and me how Facebook really works and why it was the tool of choice for that kind of meddling. We walked executives through how the ad system decides who sees what.
More: the CXOTalk interview show.
5. The Home Service Expert Podcast with Tommy Mello: 24/30
Episode: Using The Why Story Formula to Get Your Customers to Know, Like, and Trust You (Feb 27, 2020, 71 min). Watch on YouTube.
Score: 24/30 (Who 8 + Where 8 + What 8)
Why it ranks here: Tommy Mello calls himself a $200 million founder and writes columns for Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur. His show has 829 Apple ratings, and his audience is exactly the local service owners I want to help, which is why this one scores 8 on What.
What we talked about: Mark Wagner and I taught Tommy's listeners the Why Story formula. It's a way to tell customers your story so they know, like, and trust you before you show up at the door. We also covered remarketing and branding for home service companies. It ran 71 minutes.
More: The Home Service Expert site.
6. Escape Your Limits & LIFTS with Matthew Januszek: 23/30
Episode: Ep 340 - Digital Marketing Hacks That Drive Community Engagement (Dec 22, 2024, 45 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 23/30 (Who 7 + Where 8 + What 8)
Why it ranks here: Matthew Januszek co-founded Escape Fitness, and its YouTube channel has 113K subscribers. Escape Your Limits holds a 4.9-star Apple rating. I've been on this show four times, so this is the one I'd hand a gym owner first.
What we talked about: In Episode 340, I told gym owners to collect, curate, and share hyper-local content about their members and their town. We covered Dollar a Day, why Google and YouTube act like social networks, and whether reviews are worth chasing. My other three verified episodes are Episode 78 on YouTube from 2019, which ran 107 minutes, Episode 133 on YouTube from 2020, and a 2022 panel in Episode 263.
More: my page on Matthew Januszek.
7. Perpetual Traffic with Ralph Burns and Kasim Aslam (Tier 11): 23/30
Episode: Episode 382: Dennis Yu's System for Getting Clients in 2022 (Apr 12, 2022, 34 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 23/30 (Who 7 + Where 8 + What 8)
Why it ranks here: Perpetual Traffic is the show from Tier 11, Ralph Burns' paid-ads agency, co-hosted by Kasim Aslam. It has 765 Apple ratings, and its listeners are agency owners and media buyers. That's my audience.
What we talked about: Kasim told the story of when he was brand new to digital marketing and I spent an hour on the phone with him for free. Then I shared my system for getting dream clients to reach out to you. It's simple: make 15-second and one-minute clips with important people in your industry, and use them forever. The next week they ran a second episode with me, Episode 383, on making an ad with AI in under five minutes.
More: the Perpetual Traffic podcast site.
8. Eventual Millionaire with Jaime Masters: 22/30
Episode: Selects Edition: Better + Faster Content Creation Using AI with Dennis Yu (Jan 8, 2024 (first aired Jul 2021), 49 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 22/30 (Who 7 + Where 7 + What 8)
Why it ranks here: Jaime Masters interviews millionaire business owners about how they got there. Eventual Millionaire has 349 Apple ratings. This episode first aired in July 2021, and Jaime picked it for a Selects rerun in January 2024. It gets no recency point because it's a rerun.
What we talked about: The topic was better and faster content creation using AI. We recorded it in July 2021, more than a year before ChatGPT came out.
9. The Solopreneur Hour with Michael O'Neal: 21/30
Episode: 862: The 9 Triangles of Business Success with Dennis Yu (Dec 14, 2022, 72 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 21/30 (Who 6 + Where 8 + What 7)
Why it ranks here: Michael O'Neal has done more than 860 episodes of The Solopreneur Hour, and the show has 576 Apple ratings. He wrote that this was one of his favorite episodes of all time. Jordan Paris shared the seat with me, which costs one point.
What we talked about: This was the first time I shared my 9 Triangles on a show. Michael said that in 783 episodes he'd never heard business success summed up this well. The triangles start with Learn, Do, Teach and run through Goals, Content, Targeting and Awareness, Consideration, Conversion.
More: The Solopreneur Hour website.
10. The DigitalMarketer Podcast with Mark de Grasse (DigitalMarketer): 21/30
Episode: SEO Content Creation Using AI with Dennis Yu (Apr 11, 2023, 53 min). Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 21/30 (Who 7 + Where 6 + What 8)
Why it ranks here: DigitalMarketer trains marketers and agencies, and its main podcast listing has 158 Apple ratings. The topic is right at my core: AI and SEO content. That's why it makes the top 10 even with a smaller Where score.
What we talked about: Mark de Grasse asked if SEO shops should turn into content shops. We looked at how many search results there really are for the best donuts in Georgetown, Kentucky. I said good content still wins, and the best way to make it is to collaborate with other well-known people in your industry. We also covered the ChatGPT prompts I use for drafts.
More: the DigitalMarketer training site.
Close behind
These shows scored 20 or 21 and just missed the cut:
- Hustle & Flowchart with Joe Fier and Matt Wolfe, "Dennis Yu - How To Build A Recognizable Brand Using $1 Ads" (Jul 2018): 21/30 (Who 7, Where 6, What 8)
- Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken, "The Ultimate TikTok Guide for Business Featuring Dennis Yu" (May 2022): 21/30 (Who 9, Where 5, What 7)
- Your Digital Marketing Coach with Neal Schaffer, "Boost Your Online Visibility with Google Knowledge Panels and Social Media Signals" (Oct 2024): 21/30 (Who 7, Where 5, What 9)
- Marketing Speak with Stephan Spencer, "149. The Past, Present, and Future of Facebook Advertising" (Aug 2018): 20/30 (Who 9, Where 4, What 7)
Every show I've been on, with links, is in the podcast directory I linked above. You can also browse my podcast appearances page. I also ranked my top 10 podcast guests from my own show, using the same score.
What this list taught me
- The host matters as much as the audience. Mike Stelzner and Tom Ferry scored high on Who, so those episodes still carry weight years later.
- Video wins. Five of my top six have a public video. A show with no video can't get the full What score.
- One-on-one beats a panel. Three of these lost a point because I shared the seat. A panel loses two.
- Pick shows where your buyers listen. Escape Your Limits and The Home Service Expert are smaller than some, but they reach gym owners and home service owners directly.
Questions people ask
What is the 30-point authority score?
It's how we rank proof. Up to 10 points for who said it, 10 for where it was said, and 10 for what it's about. We use it to decide what goes first on a page or in a pitch.
Why isn't my favorite episode on the list?
I only scored episodes I could play today with a public link. If a show took an episode down or never posted it, I left it off. Each show also gets one spot, so a second great episode on the same show shows up inside that show's entry.
Will the ranking change?
Yes. Subscriber counts and ratings move, and new episodes come out. I'll update the scores as they do.
How do I get booked on podcasts like these?
Make something worth talking about, then help the host. Send a short pitch with one story they can't get anywhere else, and share the episode when it airs.