The Simple and Smart SEO Show
Crystal Waddell
The best SEO podcast for entrepreneurs and creative small business owners who want to build a better website to grow their business!
✨This SEO-focused podcast combines brand strategies mixed with fresh ideas for websites, digital marketing, and customer experience.
✨WHY SEO?
✨SEO is important because it can help a business be found by people searching for what they sell. In 2025, SEO for LLMs and AI-powered search engines will grow in importance. But don't feel overwhelmed: SEO can be simple and elevate your websites visibility with small changes over time.
✨Listen to this podcast every week to learn how you can make your website rank higher without spending thousands of dollars per month!
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Top 10 The Simple and Smart SEO Show Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Simple and Smart SEO Show episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Simple and Smart SEO Show for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Simple and Smart SEO Show episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Data-Driven SEO: Profitability & Scalability w/Dimitrii Kustov
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
11/29/23 • 32 min
Dimitrii Kustov, the founder of Regex SEO, joins me to discuss SEO strategy, the importance of data-driven decision-making, the role of keywords, and the shift in SEO trends focusing on profitability and scalability, rather than traffic volume.
1. Proper data tracking is important (Dimitrii's #1 tip!)
- Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor business performance.
- Data should override feelings in business decision-making.
- Key metrics: number of qualified leads, calls, website visits, and keyword rankings.
2. Tips for building the best backlinks:
- Provide valuable, unique, and potentially surprising content.
- Make them go "What?"
- Brand search and public relations can boost a company's online presence.
- Employ a "multiple stone method": videos, images, infographics, and text.
3. Traffic does not equal profits.
- It's important not just to rank for certain keywords.
- You want to make sure your keywords produce traffic and qualified leads.
- Use the data to understand your profitable traffic channels.
Crystal talks about an upcoming three-day launch focusing on the profitability of products and the need for systems to increase sales.
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
1 Listener
Mastering Etsy with Monica Little: SEO Success Strategies
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
12/06/23 • 35 min
Do you want to understand the functionality and potential of Etsy?
Monica Little shares her journey from starting an organic skincare business on Etsy to becoming an Etsy coach.
1. Monica's story: building a handmade business from ground zero!
- Monica started selling handmade skincare on Etsy.
- She grew her business to multiple six figures selling on Etsy and boutiques across the US.
2. Monica's strategy to success on Etsy:
- Understand Etsy's market.
- Package and present products in a unique and sophisticated way to stand out among thousands of similar products.
- Leverage Etsy marketing levers like star seller badges, free shipping, and discount options.
3. Selling high-end products on Etsy:
- Etsy is a platform for unique products, no matter the price.
- She mentioned a successful example of a member selling beaded gemstone necklaces priced between 350 to 550 each on Etsy.
4. Avoid competing on Price; advice for competing against mass-produced items:
- Feel aligned and confident with pricing.
- People buy more through emotion rather than logic.
- Focus on attracting the right customers.
- Use quality photos, evoke emotion, and display social proof.
- Display reviews in photos, and write persuasive descriptions.
5. How to find keywords on Etsy and tips for Etsy SEO:
- Use the Etsy search bar for ideal keywords. Observing auto-populates, and competitor’s successful products for SEO advantage.
- Verify the relevance of keywords for products.
- Use Everbee.io for product statistics, coupled with actual interactions with potential customers.
00:58 Monica's Journey to Success on Etsy
01:28 The Birth of Monica's Organic Skincare Business
03:34 The Challenges and Successes of Selling on Etsy
06:44 The Potential of Etsy for Digital Products
10:08 How to Stand Out on Etsy
16:19 Selling High-End Products on Etsy
18:13 Dealing with Mass Production on Etsy
18:40 Competing on Price vs. Value
19:38 The Importance of Product Presentation and Branding
19:57 The Role of Emotion in Product Marketing
21:39 The Intersection of Etsy and SEO
21:50 Keyword Research and SEO Strategies for Etsy
24:20 Balancing SEO and User Experience
26:58 Researching and Verifying Product Ideas
30:07 Understanding Your Audience and Their Needs
31:39 The Future of Etsy and Opportunities for Sellers
Connect with Monica:
Website
Free Etsy Training
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
1 Listener
Making an SEO Plan For Your Business with Zoe Ashbridge
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
02/21/24 • 35 min
Zoe Ashbridge, an expert in digital marketing, shares valuable insights and strategies for small business owners aiming to boost their SEO.
Zoe provides a step-by-step guide to building topical authority, stressing its importance for businesses wanting to improve visibility online.
Other topics discussed include the creation of brand advocates, qualifying leads through SEO, and the caution in using artificial intelligence for content creation.
If you are looking for practical and tactical ways to use Google search console data to formulate strategies, this episode is for you!
Zoe gives tips on how to use GSC for user journey mapping, goal setting, and key performance indicators monitoring.
Connect with Zoe:
Website
Linkedin
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:28 Zoe's Journey into SEO
01:38 Zoe's SEO Blast on LinkedIn
02:53 The Importance of Content in SEO
03:54 Using Google Search Console for SEO
05:05 Creating Content Around Keywords
06:21 Building Topical Authority
08:32 The Role of Video in SEO
10:37 Creating Content Based on Customer Journey
11:00 The Importance of Keywords in SEO
16:03 Creating Content for Future SEO Benefits
17:02 Balancing Immediate Revenue Needs with SEO
18:20 Setting Up Google Search Console and Analytics
18:45 The Impact of SEO on Other Marketing Channels
19:32 Transitioning to SEO Goals and KPIs
19:52 Understanding the Flow of SEO: Impressions, Clicks, Revenue
21:19 The Role of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) in SEO
21:43 Using Data to Improve Website Interactions
23:37 The Importance of Experimentation in SEO
24:44 Qualifying Leads with SEO
28:17 Nurturing Brand Advocates
31:22 SEO Strategies for 2024: Topical Authority and Cautious Use of AI
32:47 Connecting with Zoe Ashbridge
33:15 Identifying the Right Fit for Zoe's Services
34:16 Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
1 Listener
SEO from Scratch: How To Optimize A Website From The Start
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
04/05/24 • 12 min
Today I'm implementing the advice of Sara Jensen (Episode 110) optimization of websites, specifically focusing on SEO strategies and tips like:
- the importance of understanding your target audience
- and unique selling proposition and the benefits of team collaboration.
I realized I needed to streamline my personal brand website and the simpleandsmartseo.com website to improve my messaging.
Join the 2ND ROUND of Founding Members for the SEO SQUAD.
Detailed Summary:
- Crystal Waddell (ME!) hosts the simple and smart SEO show podcast and Follow Through Fridays.
- I realized the need to redefine the goals for my websites: crystalwaddell.com and simpleandsmartseo.com.
- I plan to split her brand into two websites with different goals: crystalwaddell.com for business presence as a public speaker and simpleandsmartseo.com for generating organic leads.
- I actually created business plans for the next three to five years, which include growing the podcast, improving her speaking skills, expanding the SEO squad membership, and growing the agency services.
- I shared the lead generation ideas I have: allowing podcast search, running an evergreen three-day challenge, and creating ads for agency services.
- I plan to hire virtual assistants as necessary to implement her system.
- I'm building a plan to grow my email list for the podcast.
- My target audience is local business owners and e-commerce sellers.
Make sure to check out episode 110 for more resources!
Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for FREE!
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
1 Listener
SEO Simplified: Strategy and Websites w/Stephanie O'Keefe
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
11/08/23 • 44 min
Want to grow your visibility through strategic websites and SEO strategy?
You'll love today's episode with guest Stephanie O'Keefe!
Key Takeaways:
Stephanie emphasized that understanding SEO requires an understanding of your target audience and their journey.
- It's challenging to explain SEO, especially to those unfamiliar with technology.
- Working in SEO changes one's perspective towards online shopping.
SEO is essential for online visibility and involves understanding who you help and how you help them.
- The way you explain SEO can shift depending on who you're talking to and where they are in their brand journey.
- Brand messaging and content creation is a key part of anSEO strategy.
Determine clear goals for each page on a website.
- Start with a simplified design and then evolving by adding pages as needed.
- Facilitate a smooth customer journey through user experience in web design.
- Have up-to-date and relevant content on your website.
Heat map trackers can help you audit user behavior on your website.
- Hotjar helps you review interactions on your website.
- Visual cues play a vital role to create trust and impart personality to the brand.
Top tips for a great website:
- Show your face!
- Include your face on your website to build trust.
- Clarify their goals and expectations while hiring a website designer.
Connect with Steph:
Website
Instagram
Self-guided website audit
Darrell’s Case Study
OTHER EPISODES:
Leah Bryant
Samantha Mabe
Susan Reoch
Emma Boshart
Connect w/ B: YouTube, Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
1 Listener
Can Your Email Sink Your SEO? 2024 Updates w/Kris Daria
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
01/24/24 • 39 min
On Feb. 1, Google and Yahoo are changing email deliverability standards. Is your business ready?
In today's show, Klaviyo email marketing expert Kris Daria joins us.
Kris started with large ecommerce brands before branching out on her own to help small businesses.
We go wayyyy back to Clubhouse circa 2020.
Kris has an incredible knack for making email marketing approachable!
Here's the big takeaways:
1. Google and Yahoo are implementing stricter email spam prevention measures on February 1, 2024.
- This is the first time in two decades that such significant changes will be made.
- Kris gives a ton of tips that you can implement NOW to make sure your emails stay in the inbox vs. the junk folder.
2. Kris's tips for smaller brands when it comes to email marketing:
- Personalize emails and utilize segmentation features.
- Nurture stronger, more meaningful relationships with emails.
- Send out a consistent weekly email newsletter to your audience.
- Listen for Kris's FIRE tip for sending a second email in one week.
3. Definitions of email terms:
- There's a difference between email campaigns (1-many) and email flows (1-1).
- Leverage your ESPs automation capabilities to personalize the customer journey.
- Use a professional domain for sending emails.
- Capture explicit consent before emailing.
- Clean and maintain a quality email list to ensure better deliverability.
- Avoid spam words in email subject lines.
- And many more tips you can implement right away!
Connect with Kris:
Website + Free Klaviyo Email Resources
Cheryl Rerick’s deliverability webinar
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
SEO SHORTS: MACKENZIE ARMSTRONG: KEYWORD RESEARCH ON PINTEREST
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
10/20/23 • 8 min
Pinterest is a fantastic place for both service-based and ecomm businesses to be. It is such the underdog of marketing.
And so many entrepreneurs are missing out—but not you!
Pinterest expert, Mackenzie Armstrong, joined us on The Simple & Smart SEO Show and we talked ALL things Pinterest & SEO.
So we just had to ask her for a mini masterclass on keyword research inside the Pinterest platform.
Listen in—this is a juicy & really actionable episode!
Ooh! And there’s a video to go along with it. 🎥
Try doing some keyword research on Pinterest & tell us what your “aha” moment was!
Then grab Mackenzie’s Ultimate Guide To Optimizing Your Pinterest Account.
——
Connect w/ B: YouTube, Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
Local SEO, Keyword Research & SEO Tools with Katie Stone
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
02/12/25 • 34 min
In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, host Crystal Waddell sits down with Katie Stone, SEO Lead at LeadHub, to discuss local SEO strategies, keyword research, and essential SEO tools.
Katie shares her insights from Brighton SEO, her journey in the industry, and practical tips for leveraging Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and keyword gap analysis to gain a competitive edge.
Key Takeaways:
- Google Search Console can be a free and powerful tool for uncovering content ideas and improving topical authority.
- Hyperlocal SEO is critical for small businesses, focusing on local pain points and industry-specific challenges.
- Keyword gap analysis helps identify content opportunities and outrank competitors.
- Competitor research is key—using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and DragonMetrics to analyze backlinks and search visibility.
- SEO tools with AI integrations need improvement, but Screaming Frog’s AI and Lighthouse integrations offer actionable insights.
- Zero-click searches are reshaping SEO metrics—impressions and visibility will play a bigger role in future rankings.
Memorable Quotes:
- 🗣️ “Your website should answer the questions your users are asking. Google Search Console can show you exactly what those questions are.” – Katie Stone
- 🔍 “Hyperlocal content helps you dominate local search—understand your community’s unique challenges and address them in your content.” – Katie Stone
- 📊 “SEO isn’t just about reacting to Google updates. You can go on the offensive and overtake competitors with the right strategy.” – Katie Stone
- 🚀 “The future of SEO tools lies in tracking brand visibility, not just rankings, because zero-click searches are taking away our clicks.” – Katie Stone
Listener Action Items:
✅ Analyze your website’s top queries in Google Search Console to find content opportunities.
✅ Perform a keyword gap analysis using your preferred SEO Tool to identify topics your competitors rank for that you don’t.
✅ Experiment with SEO tools like Screaming Frog, SEMrush, and Google Trends to improve technical SEO and keyword research.
Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Google Search Console Enhanced Analytics Extension (for deeper query insights)
🔗 Dragon Metrics (SEO research tools)
🔗 Screaming Frog SEO Spider (for sit
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
Boosting Business: SEO Success, Sales Surges & an SEO Squad
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
01/27/24 • 7 min
We're celebrating like crazy because our Shopify CollageandWood.com sales have jumped up by 80% compared to last year - all thanks to our SEO strategy.
Now, onto the super exciting part - we had our third meeting for the SEO Squad. Imagine a group of go-getter entrepreneurs, just like us, all pumped up to master SEO. Sounds great, right?
We're officially launching next month and you can hop on board the challenge at threedaychallenge.com/seo. If you join now, you can lock in a cool $20/month rate.
We also took a look at where our traffic is coming from. Pinterest has been our star off page SEO driver, bringing in over 3,000 visitors this month alone.
And our blog? It's been on fire with organic search sending us 8.8 thousand visitors this month.
Oh, and get this, we had a $1000 sales day! Can you believe it?
Also Honeybook confirmed what Kris Daria told us on Wednesday about the email changes coming February 1, 2024: always use a branded domain email if possible.
So, that's the scoop from our end. Here's to another week of hustling, learning, and smashing goals!
Keep following through!
Join the Founding Members through February 15, 2024
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
SEO SHORTS: KRISTIN LAWTON: 6-WEEK MARKETING PLANNING RETREAT
The Simple and Smart SEO Show
10/13/23 • 9 min
Kristin Lawton joined us earlier this year for an episode of The Simple & Smart SEO Show and we couldn’t miss the chance to ask her to go deeper on one specific task she shared.
How to have a 6-week business planning retreat with yourself!
This is a 2-hour task (maybe 4 hr total if you’ve never done this before).
Here’s how Kristin breaks it down:
- Make it feel like a treat: get out to a coffee shop or take yourself to dinner
- Plan for a quarter and treat the 6-week planning session like a check in—a little more work the first time you do this, but each future retreat will feel like a lighter lift!
- 2 categories: personal & professional
- Write things on or add things to your calendar
- Review your quarterly goals & check in on key metrics
Be sure to take Kristin’s quiz to discover your signature brand marketing style!
(Brittany is Shaken!)
Take the quiz & share your result with all of us on Instagram!
Connect w/ B: YouTube, Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!
Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Simple and Smart SEO Show have?
The Simple and Smart SEO Show currently has 190 episodes available.
What topics does The Simple and Smart SEO Show cover?
The podcast is about Seo, Brand Building, Marketing, Content Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Podcasts, Online Marketing and Business.
What is the most popular episode on The Simple and Smart SEO Show?
The episode title 'Making an SEO Plan For Your Business with Zoe Ashbridge' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Simple and Smart SEO Show?
The average episode length on The Simple and Smart SEO Show is 29 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Simple and Smart SEO Show released?
Episodes of The Simple and Smart SEO Show are typically released every 5 days, 10 hours.
When was the first episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show?
The first episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show was released on Apr 26, 2022.
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