The Simple and Smart SEO Show

In this final installment of the Shopify Series: From Strategy to Action, Crystal Waddell takes you inside one of her favorite tools—Surfer SEO—and shows you exactly how to use it to optimize your Shopify store pages for maximum visibility. 

From product descriptions to collection pages, homepage copy, and blog posts, you’ll learn step-by-step strategies to integrate Surfer SEO into your workflow. 

Crystal also shares pro tips, keywo...

(Shopify From Strategy to Action Series, Episode 4!)

In this episode, we're getting real about Shopify page templates — and why they might be quietly holding your SEO back. 😬

From homepage headers to collection and product page tweaks, Crystal shares how to update your templates to help your content rank and convert.

👀 If you’ve ever wondered:

 “Do I really need to mess with my templates?”
 The short answer is: YES — bu...

Want more organic traffic and faster conversions on your Shopify store? 

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell breaks down the visual side of SEO with a focus on image optimization.

From renaming image files and writing strategic alt text to compressing files and picking the best formats, Crystal walks you through four essential steps to get your images SEO-ready. 

You’ll also learn how to use ChatGPT to qu...

In this episode, Crystal breaks down the must-have SEO tech stack for Shopify sellers who want to show up in search results, build authority, and grow sustainably without feeling overwhelmed.

You’ll learn about the core apps that make SEO easier, free tools to track and audit your progress, and optional power tools if you’re ready to take things to the next level.

Whether you’re just getting started with Shopify or looking to improve...

In this kickoff episode of my Shopify SEO from Strategy to Action summer series, we start with the most important piece: your mindset.

If you've ever thought:

• "SEO is just for techies!"
• "Shopify isn't good for SEO."
• "I don't even know where to start."

This episode is for you!

🎯 What you'll learn:

• Why your mindset is the #1 SEO success factor
• The top myths keeping shop owners s...

Join PPC Pro Austin Becker and me in this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show.

We’re diving into strategic blogging, PPC attribution, and the underrated power of Pinterest — a must-listen for creative entrepreneurs, Shopify sellers, and busy business owners who want to grow without burnout.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to use Google's "People Also Ask" to create blog content that drives traffic
• When and how Pin...

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, we’re diving into real-world e-commerce strategies to compete with platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy — without relying solely on Google. 

If you’re a Shopify seller or creative entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen for understanding ad budgets, search impression share, and seasonal sales cycles that actually scale your business sustainably.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Ho...

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell sits down with e-commerce marketing expert Austin Becker (Part 1 of 3).

We talk about the evolution of Austin’s career, from selling quirky side-hustle products to founding a thriving e-commerce digital marketing agency. 

You’ll learn actionable insights on Google Shopping, product feed optimization, Amazon's advertising dominance, the power of Schema for Shopify ...

In part 3 of my interview with Andrew Ansley, we unpack the evolution of SEO from pre-2022 tactics to today's entity-driven, user-focused strategies. 

Learn why stuffing keywords is dead, how RankBrain and BERT changed the game, and why helpful, structured content (plus user metrics) is the new key to ranking. 

Andrew also demystifies topical authority, shares how to recover if your site’s in the “loser’s bracket,” and offers ac...

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell sits down with AI and SEO expert Andrew Ansley to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence, SEO strategies, entrepreneurship, and modern parenting. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to leverage AI tools (like ChatGPT and Claude) to organize your business and creative projects.
• The critical skills kids need for the future—and how parents and educators can sup...

In this conversation on AI-powered SEO workflows, Andrew Ansley joins The Simple and Smart SEO Show to share how smart marketers are using tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and automation platforms to save time and scale without hiring.

From building SOPs in under an hour to organizing AI projects for sharper output, Andrew reveals how today’s marketers can combine soft skills with machine intelligence to stay competitive—without burning ...

In Part 2 of our conversation about Local SEO, Darren Shaw of Whitespark returns to The Simple and Smart SEO Show to break down advanced Google Business Profile (GBP) strategies that actually move the needle. 

From the controversial truth about citation consistency to actionable tactics for leveraging Google reviews and optimizing your GBP for maximum visibility, Darren shares insider tips you won’t find in a typical SEO blog post. 

...

In this value-packed episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, host 💁‍♀️ Crystal Waddell sits down with local SEO legend Darren Shaw of 🏢 Whitespark. 

Discover why your website is the #1 data source for your Google Business Profile, how to optimize for the local 3-pack 📍, and what SEO myths to stop believing 🚫. 

Whether you’re a home-based biz, a service provider, or an online shop, these actionable insights will help your brand ...

In this week's episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell sits down with Shreya LaCock from SEO for Hire to pull back the curtain on SEO careers, personal branding, and the future of hiring in a world powered by AI! 🚀

Together, they explore the different roles inside an SEO agency 🏢, the green flags to look for when hiring SEO help ✅, and why personal branding is no longer optional if you want to thrive. 

They a...

Shreya LaCock, marketing specialist at SEO For Hire, shares the inside world of SEO recruitment and agency hiring. 

From spotting green flags in potential SEO agencies to navigating gender gaps in job applications, Shreya brings both personal experience and professional wisdom. Y

ou’ll also hear what makes an onboarding process successful, the overlooked “honeymoon phase” of hiring, and how to make sure you’re building the right team...

In this can't-miss episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell reconnects with digital strategist and SEO pro Favour Obasi-ike. 

Whether you're podcasting on Wix, exploring RSS feeds, or wondering how to rank better using voice search, this episode is full of insights you can apply today to stay ahead tomorrow.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Own Your Platform: Hosting your podcast on a separate domain boosts domain auth...

This episode is a full-circle moment! 

Crystal reconnects with the person who first planted the seed that SEO could actually drive traffic—without the middleman of social media. 

Meet Favour Obasi-ike: a podcasting pioneer, SEO strategist, and founder of We Don’t Play Podcast. 

Together, Crystal and Favour take a nostalgic ride through their Clubhouse days, unpack the magic of Pinterest SEO, explore the future of RSS feeds, and share ...

In this insightful and refreshingly practical episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal sits down with Alyssa Corso—SEO strategist and healthcare content pro—to talk all things content refresh. 

Alyssa breaks down her favorite ways to optimize existing content without burning it all down.

Whether you're running a blog in a Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) niche or just wondering if updating the year in your title is enough...

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell chats with SEO consultant and BrightonSEO speaker Alyssa Corso about a topic every content creator should understand—SEO content decay. 

Alyssa shares how content naturally loses visibility over time and outlines a strategic process for updating content to improve performance and generate real business results.

From identifying "money keywords" to understandi...