Simple and Smart SEO: GEO for Shopify and Etsy sellers

Think Etsy is just for crafters and hobbyists? Think again. In this rerun, Crystal sits down with Etsy coach Monica Little, who grew her handmade skincare brand to multiple six figures and 5,000+ orders on Etsy before pivoting to help other small business owners do the same.

If you've ever listed a product on Etsy and waited for sales that never came, this episode is for you. Monica breaks down why simply being on Etsy isn't enough — and what "sophisticated selling" actually looks like when thousands of similar listings are competing for the same eyeballs.

Crystal and Monica also dig into something close to Crystal's heart right now: launching digital products. Etsy has quietly become the go-to marketplace for templates, guides, worksheets, and planners — the exact kind of SEO resources Crystal is preparing to sell — and Monica explains why the timing is so good.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why listing your products on Etsy doesn't automatically lead to sales — and what actually moves the needle
• Why Etsy is becoming the go-to marketplace for digital products (and why Amazon isn't)
• What "sophisticated selling" means: photos that stop the scroll, social proof, and evoking emotion over logic
• How to use every lever Etsy gives you — free shipping, discounts, Star Seller, and video — and when video is (and isn't) essential
• How to sell high-end products on Etsy (yes, even $350–$550 items) without competing on price
• Why racing to be the cheapest is a trap — and how to price with confidence instead
• Etsy SEO tips: using the search bar for keyword ideas, snooping on best-seller listings, and verifying keywords before you use them
• How many products you really need to gain traction (hint: it's far fewer than you've been told)
• Research tools like Everbee.io and eRank — and why Monica still swears by plain old Etsy searches

Whether you're an established seller who's been avoiding Etsy, a total beginner, or — like Crystal — getting ready to launch digital products, this conversation is packed with practical, do-the-work-and-stand-out strategy. As Monica puts it, this is the rise of "the dedicated business owner era."

Connect with Monica Little:

• Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
• Free Etsy training — 3 marketing secrets to stand out: 
• Podcast: The Product Biz Podcast (catch Crystal's guest episode!)

Connect with Crystal & the show:

• Host: Crystal Waddell, Simple and Smart SEO Show
• Loved this episode? Leave a review and share it with a fellow maker or shop owner.

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at aise

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

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Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

This episode was too good to leave in the archive! 

As part of our Summer Replay Series, we're revisiting my conversation with consultant, SaaS founder, and self-described AI fanatic Andrew Ansley — and honestly, his advice is even more relevant today.

Andrew breaks down exactly how he uses ChatGPT and Claude to run multiple businesses, why "clouding up the context window" is killing your AI outputs, and how to train an AI assistant on your business in 30 minutes or less. 

Then we go deep on SEO: what actually changed after 2022, how Google understands content through entities and embeddings, and what it really takes to build topical authority today.

Whether you're an SEO, a small business owner, or just AI-curious, this replay is packed with practical workflows you can put to work this week.

What You'll Learn

• Why you should delete the messy middle of your AI conversations (and keep only the first prompt + final output)
• How to set up AI "projects" for each client or task — with business info, SOPs, examples, and your unique perspective
• The 4 pieces Andrew uploads to train an AI on any workflow in about 30 minutes
• Why you must define abstract concepts (like "write an email" or "SEO strategy") instead of letting AI decide what they mean
• Definition + example + template: the simple prompt formula that upgrades your outputs
• Claude vs. ChatGPT: where each tool shines (projects, styles, voice transcription, and more)
• How SEO changed after 2022: entities, semantics, and user metrics
• What topical authority actually means — going deeper, faster, or wider with your content clusters
• Why the real ranking signal is whether searchers end their journey on YOUR site
• The "Could ChatGPT give them this?" test for creating content that still wins

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• (00:00) Welcome + meet Andrew Ansley
• (01:00) Consultant, SaaS founder, community leader: how Andrew wears all the hats
• (02:00) Why Andrew (and Crystal!) are learning Python
• (03:30) Inside Andrew's Skool community: automate marketing with AI + n8n
• (05:30) The one-person, AI-powered business (could you scale to $10M solo?)
• (07:30) Don't cloud the context window: Andrew's clean-conversation trick
• (09:45) Building SOPs with AI in an hour instead of a week
• (10:30) ChatGPT Pro vs. Claude: Andrew's honest comparison
• (11:00) How to set up an AI project: business info, ICP, SOPs, examples & styles
• (16:00) The power of templates (stop reinventing the wheel!)
• (21:30) Screen share: how Andrew organizes projects, prompts & custom styles
• (28:00) From aspiring pastor to bartender to SEO: Andrew's origin story
• (36:00) AI as the ultimate learning tool for curious kids (and adults)
• (45:00) How SEO changed: keyword matching → RankBrain, BERT & semantic search
• (48:30) User metrics, mobile-first indexing, and ending the search journey
• (51:30) Topical authority explained: embeddings, content clusters & internal links
• (54:00) Why sites dip after agencies leave (core algorithm updates + historical metrics)
• (56:00) The "Could ChatGPT give them this?" content test
• (56:45) Where to connect with Andrew

Quotable Moment

"You cannot let the AI decide what abstract concepts mean. You have to define it — and if you give it an example, that's even better." — Andrew Ansley

Connect with Andrew Ansley

• Skool Community (AI Marketeers)
• YouTube
• Andrew's article on Search Engine Land

Mentioned in This Episode

• Content Sprout (Andrew's SaaS)
• n8n (open-source automation alternative to Zapier)
• GoHighLevel
• Koray Tuğberk Gübür (topical authority & entity SEO)
• Bill Slawski (SEO research pioneer)
• Alex Hormozi & Sam Ovens (Skool)

Connect with Crystal

• Website
• LinkedIn

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

Ever felt like you’re being priced out of your own business growth?

In this special summer replay, host Crystal Waddell tackles one of the biggest, most frustrating myths in the online business world: “If you’re not paying $5,000 a month for an SEO agency, you’re not getting anything worth paying for.”

Spoiler alert: Crystal respectfully (and fiercely) disagrees.

Drawing from a hilariously humiliating experience with a Charleston wedding planner, Crystal breaks down exactly how small business owners, solopreneurs, and bootstrappers can build a powerhouse brand online without draining their bank accounts. 

Whether you're running a Shopify store, a local service, or a side hustle, this episode is your permission slip to take control of your own digital footprint.

Inside This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The Big Question: Does your small business actually need SEO? (The math behind what a 1% to 20% conversion rate bump means for your wallet).
• The Dog Trainer Dilemma: A real-world example of how mixing up industry jargon and messy metadata can accidentally hide your website from Google.
• Omnipresence over Originality: Why being consistently recognizable across Google, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube beats trying to reinvent the creative wheel every single week.
• The 3 Things Searchers Need to See: The exact trust signals that turn a cold Google click into a paying customer.
• SEO on 2 Hours a Week: How to empower yourself (or a virtual assistant) to handle high-impact SEO tasks using simple strategies and workflows.

🎙️ Join the Simple & Smart SEO Squad!

Ready to stop guessing and start ranking? Don't build your strategy alone. Join our community for structured activities, weekly Q&A sessions, and accountability co-working hours.

👉 Sign up for the AI SEO Skool 

Connect with Crystal:

• Website: SimpleandSmartSEO.com
• Social Media: Find Crystal across all platforms @simpleandsmartseo

Loved this replay? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow business owner who is ready to optimize with confidence!

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

What if SEO isn’t just about keywords, rankings, or “free traffic” from Google?

In this rerun episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell talks with Ray Grieselhuber, founder of DemandSphere, about why good SEO is really good product management — and why small business owners need to think beyond traditional rank tracking.

Ray shares why SEO, user experience, content strategy, product positioning, and customer behavior all work together to shape how your website performs in search. He also explains how Google’s search results have changed, why showing up in rich results matters, and how AI-powered search experiences like SGE may impact the future of website visibility.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your website more useful, more visible, and more aligned with what your customers actually need, this conversation is packed with practical insight.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why SEO and product management are deeply connected
What “product-led SEO” means for small businesses and e-commerce brands
Why traditional rank tracking no longer tells the whole story
How SERP features, shopping results, images, and People Also Ask affect visibility
What Google’s Search Generative Experience may mean for businesses
Why E-E-A-T matters more as AI-generated content increases
How small businesses can use Google Search Console as a starting point
Why localization is more than simple translation
How to think about mobile vs. desktop behavior
Why understanding your audience is still the foundation of SEO

Guest
Ray Grieselhuber
Founder of DemandSphere
Website: demandsphere.com
Connect with Ray on LinkedIn

Mentioned in This Episode
Product-Led SEO by Eli Schwartz
Google Search Console
Google’s Search Generative Experience / AI search
E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness
Digital PR
Localization and hreflang
Shopify SEO
E-commerce SEO
Google Maps visibility
Key Takeaway

Good SEO is not just about ranking higher. It’s about building a better website, creating a better experience, understanding how your customers search, and showing up in the places that matter before they ever click through to your site.

Favorite Quote

“We always say good SEO is good product management. And good product management is good SEO.” — Ray Grieselhuber

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 — Why good SEO is good product management
00:51 — Welcome to the Simple and Smart SEO Show
01:00 — Meet Ray Grieselhuber
01:25 — Ray’s background and journey
02:00 — What DemandSphere does
02:35 — E-commerce beyond Shopify and retail
03:20 — Why Ray recommends Product-Led SEO
04:30 — SEO as a core part of business strategy
05:00 — The connection between SEO, UX, and customer experience
07:20 — Why traditional rank tracking is no longer enough
08:45 — Understanding the shape of the SERP
09:40 — SERP features, rich results, and shopping results
11:00 — Crystal’s real-world e-commerce visibility example
13:00 — What is Google’s Search Generative Experience?
15:30 — How SGE may impact businesses
16:20 — Digital PR, brand mentions, and semantic search
17:30 — What E-E-A-T means
18:15 — Why real experience matters in content
20:45 — SEO as a long-term digital asset
22:30 — NIL, college athletics, and content opportunities
25:00 — How small businesses can monitor search visibility
25:20 — Why Google Search Console is a great place to start
26:30 — Mobile vs. desktop shopping behavior
28:00 — What localization means in SEO
29:00 — Translation vs. true localization
30:00 — Shopify, duplicate pages, and hreflang
31:00 — Spanish-language search opportunities
32:30 — One thing small business owners can do to increase visibility
34:00 — Where to connect with Ray

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at aise

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

This Summer SEO Rewind episode is one you may have missed, but it is worth coming back to in 2026 ...

especially if you’re trying to create content that actually helps your audience instead of just adding more noise to the internet.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Christine McLean Lewis to talk about how content and expertise work together, why your content should be built around the customer experience, and how different types of content assets:

• blog posts, 
• videos, 
• case studies, 
• podcasts, 
• social content, and more ...

can support your audience at different points in their journey. 

Christine explains that a content asset is anything you create to solve a specific problem or answer a customer’s question, which is such a helpful way to think beyond “just write another blog post.”

This episode also digs into linkable assets, original research, social proof, user-generated content, and why case studies matter so much when you want your content to build trust. 

Not just traffic.

And honestly? In 2026, this message matters even more. 

With AI-generated content everywhere, the brands that stand out are the ones willing to bring real expertise, real examples, real customer insight, and real proof into their content. 

Christine’s best advice still hits: don’t follow the crowd. Instead, showcase your expertise.

So if you’re a solopreneur, small business owner, ecommerce seller, or content creator wondering how to make your content more useful, more strategic, and more connected to your actual customers, this rewind episode is a perfect listen. 

Think of it as a reminder that better SEO starts with better service to the person on the other side of the screen.

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at aise

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

We’re continuing the Summer SEO Replays Series with a throwback to one of our most popular episodes from The Simple and Smart SEO Show.

This listener-favorite recap originally highlighted the top three most-listened-to episodes from season two, featuring conversations with Angie Colee, Nicole Lewis, and Matt Diamante. And honestly? The advice still holds up.

In this replay, you’ll hear simple, practical SEO wisdom for business owners who want to get found online without feeling overwhelmed. 

We revisit how SEO is really about helping the right people find you, why platforms like Etsy function as search engines, and how local SEO builds the “roads” that lead customers to your business.

Whether you’re catching this episode for the first time or listening again with fresh ears, this summer replay is packed with reminders that SEO does not have to be scary, overly technical, or reserved for big businesses. 

You can understand it, improve it, and use it to grow your visibility with confidence. 

Why We’re Bringing This Episode Back

This episode earned its place in our summer replay series because it brought together three of the most-loved SEO conversations from season two.

It’s a perfect refresher for summer because it covers the foundations so many business owners need to hear again:

👉🏽 You already have content working for you.
👉🏽 You probably already have some kind of SEO happening.

When you become intentional with your keywords, your content, your listings, and your website structure, you make it much easier for the right people to find you.

Key Takeaways

1. SEO is not just for “techy” people.

Angie Colee’s conversation reminds us that a lot of business owners avoid SEO because it feels complicated, technical, or intimidating. But SEO can be understood in much simpler terms: it helps people find you when they are already searching for what you offer.

2. You can be your own SEO superhero.

You do not need a massive budget, a giant team, or secret insider knowledge to get started. The first step is understanding what keywords you want to be found for and making sure your website clearly communicates who you help and how.

3. SEO and content strategy are connected.

Your content is already sending signals about your business. When you become more intentional with your words, links, and pages, you can guide both people and search engines toward your most important offers.

4. Etsy is a search engine, too.

Nicole Lewis’ episode is a great reminder that Etsy sellers need to think beyond simply uploading products. Etsy SEO includes query matching, ranking, listing titles, tags, categories, attributes, photos, and customer experience.

5. Good product photography and branding matter for SEO.

Getting found is only part of the equation. Once your listing shows up in search results, your photo, branding, and listing quality help shoppers decide whether to click.

6. Your website needs roads leading to it.

Matt Diamante’s local SEO analogy is one of the standout moments from this replay. A website without SEO is like a storefront in the middle of a field. SEO builds the roads that help people find it.

7. SEO work should be visible and understandable.

Business owners deserve to know what goes into SEO, from title tags and meta descriptions to headings, content, backlinks, and technical improvements. Even if you hire help, understanding the basics helps you make better decisions.

Episode Highlights

“SEO just functions as that yellow page listing. And if you’re not listed, if you don’t have a strategy to make yourself available to people, they’re not going to be able to find you.”

“You can be your own SEO superhero.”

“You have SEO on your site already. You just probably don’t have a strategy.”

“SEO really is like a game. Once you start playing, you realize there are different ways that you can win.”

“Etsy is a search engine.”

“You want to make sure that your product is not only matching the query that someone’s typing in, but you also want to make sure that your items are ranking.”

“Your website is like a storefront in the middle of a field. SEO builds the roads so people can actually find it.”

Listener Action Items

1. Choose one keyword you want to be found for.
   Start simple. What would your ideal customer type into Google, Etsy, Pinterest, or another search platform to find what you offer? 
2. Review one important page or listing.
   Look at your title, headings, product name, description, tags, or categories. Make sure they clearly match what your audience is searching for. 
3. Add one internal link.
   If you have a blog post or page getting traffic, link it to a relevant offer, product, or service page. 
4. Audit your product or website visuals.
   For Etsy sellers and ecommerce businesses, ask: would someone click your photo first in a sea of similar results? 
5. Think of SEO as infrastructure.
   Your website is not automatically discoverable just because it exists. What roads are you building to help people get there?

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell revisits part one of her conversation with Andy Holland about performance SEO...

the kind of SEO that focuses on sales, revenue, and meaningful business growth instead of vanity traffic.

Andy breaks down why chasing massive traffic numbers can be misleading, especially when that traffic does not convert into revenue. He shares how bottom-of-funnel, buyer-intent pages can create real business impact, even when they do not bring huge traffic spikes. The big takeaway? SEO should help brands capture people who are ready to buy — not just attract people who are casually browsing.

If you have ever wondered why your traffic is growing but your sales are not, this episode will help you rethink what SEO success should actually look like.

Key Takeaways

1. Performance SEO is about sales, not traffic

Andy explains that performance SEO is focused on helping brands increase turnover and capture sales. Traffic graphs are interesting, but they do not tell the whole story if revenue is not growing.

2. Not all traffic is valuable

A website can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and still fail to create meaningful business results. Andy gives the example of content that brings in massive traffic but attracts people who are nowhere near buying the actual product or service.

3. Bottom-of-funnel content can be more profitable

Instead of focusing only on top-of-funnel informational content, Andy shares how commercially focused pages with high purchase intent can dramatically increase revenue, even with very small traffic gains.

4. Organic search helps capture today’s buyers

SEO works best when it helps your brand show up when people are already in buying mode. Andy compares search to a supermarket aisle: people are browsing, comparing, and deciding what to put in their basket.

5. SEO creates small but powerful nudges

Andy describes SEO as a way to create online nudges that influence buyers at the moment they are deciding. Ranking organically gives your brand a chance to be part of that decision without paying for every click.

Episode Highlights

• “Performance SEO is ultimately about turnover.”
• “Traffic has to be meaningful, not meaningless.”
• “Go do me a strategy that makes me money, not traffic.”

Listener Action Items

1. Audit your traffic: Look at your highest-traffic pages and ask: are these visitors likely to buy?
2. Identify buyer-intent pages: Find the pages, products, or services that people visit when they are closer to making a decision.
3. Stop chasing vanity metrics: Measure SEO by revenue, leads, conversions, and business impact — not just clicks.
4. Create better nudges: Improve your product pages, service pages, comparison content, and purchase-intent content so buyers have a reason to choose you.
5. Build SEO around profit: Focus your strategy on pages that support sales, not just pages that look good in a traffic report.

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

Your Shopify taxonomy is not just your navigation menu — it’s the way your store teaches Shopify, Google, Pinterest, TikTok, Meta, and AI tools like ChatGPT what your products are, who they’re for, and why they matter.

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, I’m breaking down why taxonomy is really your store’s semantic strategy. We’ll talk about the difference between Shopify’s built-in structure and the deeper semantic taxonomy your e-commerce store actually needs for modern SEO, GEO, and AI search.

If your products, collections, tags, metafields, variants, and SKU prefixes feel a little chaotic, this episode will help you see how they can all work together to create a clearer, smarter product universe.

You’ll learn:

•  Why Shopify taxonomy is your store’s ontology 
•  The difference between Shopify’s structural taxonomy and your semantic taxonomy 
•  Why collections and tags alone are not enough for modern search 
•  How AI and LLMs interpret your product categories 
•  Why persona or solution hubs matter for buyer intent 
•  How SKU prefixes can act as semantic signals 
•  The three-tier taxonomy framework for e-commerce brands 
•  Why clear information architecture can improve visibility, conversions, and AI recommendations 

The big idea: your taxonomy is not just a set of collections. It’s a semantic model of your business.

When your product categories, attributes, titles, metafields, and internal links all work together, you reduce confusion for buyers and ambiguity for AI — which can lead to better search visibility, stronger buyer journeys, and a store that is easier to understand, recommend, and buy from.

Resources Mentioned

Join AI SEO Skool (Join FREE for 7 days!): https://AISEOskool.com

Visit the website: https://simpleandsmartseo.com

Podcast hub: https://SimpleandSmartSEO.com/best-seo-podcast

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell continues her conversation with Angela Skane about creating SEO content that goes beyond keywords and actually connects with your audience. ✨

Angela explains why businesses should stop obsessing over every possible long-tail query — especially in the age of AI search — and instead focus on deeply understanding their target audience.

Because when you understand your audience’s pain points, motivations, emotional triggers, and environment, you can create content that feels more human, more helpful, and more persuasive. 🧠

Crystal and Angela also discuss psychology levers, emotional data points, customer feedback, jobs theory, and how to create stronger hooks for blog posts, product pages, and landing pages.

Angela shares why data and statistics can be powerful tools for helping readers see themselves in your content.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, Shopify seller, Etsy seller, or small business owner trying to make your content more effective, this episode will help you think differently about SEO, AI search, and content strategy.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

✨ Why audience understanding matters more than chasing endless keyword variations
 🧠 How psychology levers help you connect with your ideal customer
 📊 Why data points and statistics can make your content more compelling
 💬 How to write hooks that make people feel seen
 🛍️ What this means for product pages, Shopify SEO, and ecommerce content
 🤖 Why writing only for robots creates boring content humans won’t act on

Resources Mentioned:

🛠️ Get help with AI SEO, Shopify SEO, and moving your Etsy shop to Shopify

🎙️ Podcast Hub

🌐 Crystal’s Website

📸 Crystal on Instagram

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

Connect With Angela:

 🌐 Network Solutions

Listener Action Step:

Take one blog post, product page, or landing page and ask yourself:

Does this make my audience feel seen?

Then look for one emotional hook, customer insight, or data point you can add to make the content more compelling.

And if you’re an Etsy seller who is ready to build a more searchable, scalable Shopify store, join us at AiSEOskool.com for help moving from Etsy to Shopify and building your AI-ready SEO strategy.

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell welcomes Angela Skane from Network Solutions for a conversation about why SEO needs to move beyond rankings, impressions, and visibility.

Angela shares how her background in link building, viral content, and content strategy shaped the way she thinks about SEO today. Her big message? Impressions don’t pay the bills. SEO content has to do more than show up — it has to connect with real people and help them take action.

Crystal and Angela also dig into what TikTok can teach SEOs about psychology, audience targeting, emotional triggers, and conversion. From TikTok Shop affiliate content to AI-powered personalized search, Angela explains why the future of SEO belongs to marketers who understand both algorithms and human behavior.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, Shopify seller, content marketer, or SEO professional trying to understand where search is headed, this conversation will help you rethink how you create content for the people behind the keywords.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why SEO visibility is not the same as business results
• How TikTok reveals what makes people stop, click, share, and buy
• Why SEOs need to take more responsibility for conversion
• How personalized search and LLMs are changing content strategy
• Why writing to rank is not enough in the future of search
• How to speak more directly to your audience through your content

Resources mentioned:

Network Solutions: https://www.networksolutions.com
Podcast Hub: https://SimpleandSmartSEO.com/best-seo-podcast

Connect with Crystal: 

Instagram

Book a Call with Crystal

Linkedin

Text me your questions or comments!

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Support the show

Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →

Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!

AFFILIATE LINKS:

SEO TOOLS :

Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!

Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!

E-COMMERCE TOOLS:

Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)

Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email

Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:

Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you mak...