The Simple and Smart SEO Show

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell is joined by Amanda Jordan, Director of Digital Strategy at Rickety Roo, to dive deep into the world of local SEO. Whether you're a local business owner or part of a franchise, Amanda's insights will help you refine your SEO tactics and strategies for better visibility and results.Key Takeaways:Local SEO Is All-Encompassing: Local SEO isn't limited to Google Business Profiles or maps. It involves your entire website and how you rank in a specific geography.The Power of Internal Linking: Proper internal linking between service and location pages is one of the most effective ways to improve local rankings and increase traffic.Content Clustering for Local Search: Tailoring content to reflect local search behaviors is crucial for SEO success. Understand how people search in your city and focus on that.Combatting Duplicate Content in Local SEO: Customize location-specific pages by including unique aspects like user-generated content, reviews, and local awards to avoid content duplication.Non-Branded Traffic is Essential: Relying on branded traffic limits your reach. Developing non-branded content will help you attract more diverse visitors.Listener Action Items:Audit your current internal linking strategy to ensure your key service and location pages are well-connected.Develop location-specific service pages that speak directly to the needs and search habits of your audience.Explore content opportunities that reflect local search terms and behaviors in your market.Utilize tools like Google Trends to understand keyword treText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

I interview Nathan Hirsch, founder of ECom Balance to discuss the importance of standard operating procedures (SOPs), effective hiring practices, and leveraging SEO for business growth. Key Takeaways:SOPs are essential for scalability: Nathan emphasizes the importance of creating detailed SOPs for every part of the business and regularly updating them to maintain efficiency.Hiring the right people is critical: Nathan shares his strategy for hiring A-players and the importance of setting clear expectations and processes during onboarding.Market validation before investment: Before fully launching a business, ensure there is a market for it by testing ideas with potential clients and proving your ability to retain them.Balancing automation and human touch: Nathan explains how automation can help, but emphasizes the importance of keeping a personal touch in customer interactions, especially in SEO and customer service.Episode Highlights:“Prove that there’s an actual market for it. Prove that you can get clients for it and prove that you can keep clients for it.”"We always want clients to feel like they’re one step away from talking to me."Listener Action Items:Create or refine your SOPs: Start documenting your key business processes, and schedule quarterly reviews to ensure they stay updated.Review your hiring process: Focus on communication, attitude, and red flags during interviews to ensure you hire the right people for your team.Test your business ideas: Before investing significant time or money, run tests to ensure your product or service has a viable market.Optimize customer serviText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

⚠️ SMART, advanced episode! 🤓In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell welcomes back Crystal Carter, Head of SEO Communications at Wix, to dive deep into the concept of entities and their impact on SEO. Takeways:Consistency is Key: Your digital presence and how you describe your business should remain consistent across all platforms. Inconsistent messaging can confuse search engines and users.Entities are Everywhere: Anything from people to concepts can be an entity. Understanding how entities like Beyoncé or Barbie are connected can help improve your content and digital presence.Tools for Entity Management: Tools like TextRazor and SEMrush can help extract and optimize entities in your content. Schema Markup Matters: Using schema markup to describe your organization, services, and products improves your site’s connection to the knowledge graph.Leverage Knowledge Panels: Strengthen your brand's online identity by ensuring you are represented on platforms like LinkedIn and Google My Business to feed accurate data into Google's knowledge graph.Memorable Quotes:“Entities are essentially nouns—people, places, things, and even concepts that search engines recognize.” – Crystal CarterYou have to be consistent. Even if you're doing a hundred things, you need to summarize it in a way that’s clear to both users and search engines.” – Crystal CarterListener Action Items:Audit Your Digital Presence: Ensure your website, social profiles, and Google Business Profile present a consistent message about your brand.Implement Schema Markup: Use tools like ChatGPText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

In this episode, I sit down with Nicolas Garfinkel to explore the future of SEO through the lens of predictive models and machine learning. Key Takeaways:The Importance of Data in SEO: Nicolas emphasizes the need for data-driven approaches in SEO, highlighting how relying on intuition alone isn't enough in today's rapidly changing environment.Predictive SEO Models: Nicolas introduces Kixley, the first predictive SEO tool that uses machine learning to forecast the impact of SEO strategies on rankings and traffic.SEO Strategy for Different Scales: The episode discusses how SEO strategies differ for small businesses compared to large enterprises, particularly in leveraging data and statistical models for decision-making.Local SEO Optimization: Practical tips on optimizing local SEO, including the importance of Google Business profiles, customer reviews, and addressing schema markup.Future of SEO: Insights into the future of SEO, where machine learning and predictive models will play a crucial role in optimizing and prioritizing SEO tasks.Listener Action Items:Optimize Local SEO: Update your Google Business profile, encourage customer reviews, and ensure your website includes your physical address to boost local SEO efforts.Incorporate Data-Driven SEO: Begin integrating more data and analytics into your SEO strategies to prioritize efforts that will have the most significant impact.Connect with Nicolas Garfinkel:KixelyLinkedinText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

Episode Summary: In this episode, I sit down with Keshia Taylor to uncover how local SEO can drive business success without relying on social media. Key Takeaways:Introduction to Kechia Taylor:Kechia is a permanent makeup artist, educator, and franchisor with over 20 years in the beauty industry.She discusses her journey from being a brow expert to becoming a successful business owner and franchisor.Thriving Without Social Media:Kechia explains why she stepped away from social media and how local SEO has become her primary strategy for attracting clients.She emphasizes that local SEO can be more effective than social media for reaching targeted audiences.Local SEO Strategies:Kechia shares her tips for optimizing Google Business Profile, including the importance of consistent information and using geotagged photos.She highlights the power of platforms like Apple Maps and Yelp for local businesses.Leveraging Pinterest for Local Businesses:Kechia reveals how she uses Pinterest as a powerful tool for local SEO, creating boards that showcase her work and connect with local audiences.She explains how Pinterest’s search ranking can outperform other social media platforms like Instagram, making it a valuable asset for brick-and-mortar businesses.Handling Negative Reviews and Building a Positive Online Presence:Kechia provides insights on responding to negative reviews.She advises on how to maintain a positive online reputation by actively managing and responding to reviews on platforms like Google.Connect with Kechia Taylor:Text me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

Join me as I sit down with the brilliant Jamar Ramos, a seasoned expert in SEO and multi-channel marketing.Key Insights:The Role of SEO:Jamar emphasizes the importance of SEO but clarifies that it’s just one piece of the puzzle. "SEO is just what you do on the technical side of the website. It has to be about multi-channel marketing," he states.Customer Satisfaction Over Domain Authority:One of the standout points Jamar makes is how customer happiness can drive success even if domain authority fluctuates. "The reason why you can see your revenue and traffic go up as your domain authority goes down is because customers are happy with you." Understanding Your Audience:Jamar urges marketers to always consider their audience. "Think about the people. Who is at the end of the telephone line of our marketing services? What do they need?" Iterative Product Development:Speed and adaptability are crucial in today’s market. Jamar advises, "The biggest piece of advice I can say is: be ready to iterate on your product as quickly as possible. Get your product out there as soon as possible. Even if it's not perfect."Effective Communication, Transparency, and Honesty:Authenticity is key when reporting metrics. "We have to be careful how we talk about the numbers. And we have to be careful about how we report on the numbers and always tell the truth."Simplifying Complex Concepts:Jamar shares his expertise on making complicated ideas accessible. "The best way to be an expert at something is to be able to take a gigantic concept and boil it down to something that anyone, a non-practText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

Dolly DeLong joins me to explore the real-world application of SEO for entrepreneurs and talk about the upcoming SEO Audio Summit.Key Takeaways:Introduction to Dolly DeLong:Dolly DeLong introduces her dual roles as a Middle Tennessee family photographer and a systems and workflow educator.She shares her experience of separating her photography and education businesses to better serve her audience and improve website clarity.The Importance of SEO:Dolly emphasizes the critical role of SEO in building a sustainable business, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of social media trends.Crystal and Dolly discuss the challenges and rewards of focusing on long-term SEO strategies versus short-term social media tactics.Real-World SEO Challenges:Dolly shares her ongoing project of optimizing two separate business websites and the importance of clear messaging for different target audiences.Crystal highlights the common misconception that simply having a website equates to good SEO, emphasizing the need for continuous optimization.Introduction to the SEO Audio Summit:Dolly introduces the free SEO Audio Summit, which features short, actionable tips from over 23 SEO experts.The summit is designed to provide entrepreneurs with easy-to-implement strategies that can significantly impact their online presence.SEO Bundle Details:Dolly shares details about the upcoming Text me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

Join me as I recap an eventful summer, blending personal adventures and business breakthroughs. Over the last decade, I've struggled with taking time off - this year, I took more time off and made more money than last year.Let's go SEO!Key Takeaways:Business Achievements:Launched 2025 photo props, doubling sales from last June.Website traffic nearly doubled, showing successful SEO efforts.New Website Launch:Introduced a dedicated site for the Simple and Smart SEO Show.Joined an SEO bundle and audio summit.Wix Partnership:Became a Wix partner, aligning with new client projects.Launched a new members area for the SEO squad.SEO Bundle and Audio Summit:Contributed to an upcoming FREE SEO Audio Summit starting August 13th.Get my SEO first aid kit in the bundle - or in the SQUAD!Amazon Strategy:Embraced Amazon as a distribution channel, enhancing fulfillment.Plans to update on Amazon's business impact.Listener Action Items:Visit the new Simple and Smart SEO Show website.Join the SEO Squad for a free 20-minute brand interview.Stay updated on the SEO Audio Summit and SEO Bundle.Connect with Crystal:Website InstagramLinkedInSubscribe, rate, and review the Simple and Smart SEO Show on your favorite podcast platform!Text me your questions or comments!Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

I'm talking with veteran SEO expert Erin Sparks, host of the "Edge of the Web" podcast. Erin shares insider knowledge on building trust with Google and mastering SEO foundations.Key Topics:The Evolution of SEO: Discover how SEO has transformed since 2004, emphasizing accountability and digital strategy. Erin explains the shift from traditional marketing to a data-driven approach, highlighting the importance of staying current in the fast-paced digital landscape.Google's Knowledge Graph: Learn how to leverage Google's Knowledge Graph to enhance your online visibility. Erin discusses how businesses can curate detailed information about their services and products to establish authority and trust with Google.Maximizing Multimedia in SEO: Understand the role of podcasts, videos, and structured data in boosting your SEO. Erin highlights the benefits of hosting content on your website and using structured data to make your content more discoverable.What you can do:Targeting Non-Branded Keywords: Learn why focusing on non-branded keywords can attract a broader audience and enhance your site's discoverability.Optimizing Internal Links: Find out how to use internal linking to guide users and improve your site's navigability, helping Google understand your content structure.Implementing Structured Data: Erin breaks down the process of using structured data to provide search engines with a clear understanding of your site's content, leading to better rankings.Connect with Erin Sparks:Podcast: Edge of the WebCompany: SiteText me your questions or comments!Hey creative entrepreneur—does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by CrystalGPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Crystal GPT walks you through what matters most for your website. Head to SEOin7days.com (with a 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore. Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!

In this Follow Through Friday episode, Crystal Waddell (that's me!) revisits her discussion with Holly Homer and  walks listeners through her process of improving a dedicated page on her e-commerce website for senior athlete posters. She shares practical tips on reusing content, internal linking, and leveraging quick SEO wins to create a user-friendly page while managing time constraints. Crystal demonstrates how small, actionable steps can bring big results for your website's SEO strategy.Key Takeaways:Content Optimization Matters: You can elevate existing content by repurposing images, videos, and text into structured assets.Quick SEO Wins: Highlighting existing customer examples, creating collages, and adding clear CTAs can enhance pages quickly without heavy lifting.The Power of Internal Linking: Linking to specific pages (like “softball posters”) improves navigation and boosts SEO.Reuse and Repurpose: Use tools like Canva for creating visual collages and videos to showcase your product offerings.Give Your Pages a Job: Define the role of every page, button, and piece of content to guide user journeys effectively.Episode Highlights:“Give every page a job: What's the customer's job? What's the page's job? What's the button's job?”“I love playing around with ChatGPT—it helps me optimize content with a simple checklist and actionable ideas.”“Low effort, high impact content ideas are ideal when you’re time-poor.”Listener Action Items:Audit Your Website Pages: Identify content that can be optimized or repurposed for better SEO results.Create Quick SEO Wins: Highlight existing examples, add strong CTAs, and make small internal link updates to drive traffic.Brainstorm with AI Tools: Use ChatGPT or similar tools to generate actionable ideas when you're short on time.Repurpose Content: Combine existing visuals and videos into new assets using tools like Canva.Contact Crystal for SEO Help: Visit simpleandsmartseo.com for a strategy that aligns with Text me your questions or comments!Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.Support the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal! Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast! AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO! Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!) Grid and Pixel 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!