Simple and Smart SEO: A podcast for Shopify sellers who want to expand beyond Etsy! cover art

Simple and Smart SEO: A podcast for Shopify sellers who want to expand beyond Etsy!

Simple and Smart SEO: A podcast for Shopify sellers who want to expand beyond Etsy!

By: Crystal Waddell
Listen for free

Ready to turn your Etsy shop into a powerhouse brand on Shopify?


The Simple and Smart SEO Show is the go-to podcast for Etsy sellers ready to bridge the gap between a marketplace shop and a powerhouse Shopify brand.


I don't believe in one-size-fits-all roadmaps.


Instead, I provide the high-level SEO insights and strategic shifts you need to interpret for your unique business.


Join me to learn how to master the Shopify ecosystem, own your traffic, and build a brand that thrives on your own terms through smart, data-driven insights.


Whether you’re just opening your Shopify store or looking to optimize an existing one, join us each week to simplify your marketing and grow your business on your own terms.

© 2026 Simple and Smart SEO: A podcast for Shopify sellers who want to expand beyond Etsy! Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • The $60k SEO Myth & How to Buzz Your Brand on a Budget (☀️ Summer Replay)

    The $60k SEO Myth & How to Buzz Your Brand on a Budget (☀️ Summer Replay)
    Jun 29 2026

    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

    Book 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!
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • SEO Is Product Management: Ray Grieselhuber on SERPs, E-E-A-T & Ecommerce SEO (Summer of SEO Replay)

    SEO Is Product Management: Ray Grieselhuber on SERPs, E-E-A-T & Ecommerce SEO (Summer of SEO Replay)
    Jun 18 2026
    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 connectedWhat “product-led SEO” means for small businesses and e-commerce brandsWhy traditional rank tracking no longer tells the whole storyHow SERP features, shopping results, images, and People Also Ask affect visibilityWhat Google’s Search Generative Experience may mean for businessesWhy E-E-A-T matters more as AI-generated content increasesHow small businesses can use Google Search Console as a starting pointWhy localization is more than simple translationHow to think about mobile vs. desktop behaviorWhy understanding your audience is still the foundation of SEOGuestRay GrieselhuberFounder of DemandSphereWebsite: demandsphere.comConnect with Ray on LinkedInMentioned in This EpisodeProduct-Led SEO by Eli SchwartzGoogle Search ConsoleGoogle’s Search Generative Experience / AI searchE-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, TrustworthinessDigital PRLocalization and hreflangShopify SEOE-commerce SEOGoogle Maps visibilityKey TakeawayGood 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 GrieselhuberChapters / Timestamps00:00 — Why good SEO is good product management00:51 — Welcome to the Simple and Smart SEO Show01:00 — Meet Ray Grieselhuber01:25 — Ray’s background and journey02:00 — What DemandSphere does02:35 — E-commerce beyond Shopify and retail03:20 — Why Ray recommends Product-Led SEO04:30 — SEO as a core part of business strategy05:00 — The connection between SEO, UX, and customer experience07:20 — Why traditional rank tracking is no longer enough08:45 — Understanding the shape of the SERP09:40 — SERP features, rich results, and shopping results11:00 — Crystal’s real-world e-commerce visibility example13:00 — What is Google’s Search Generative Experience?15:30 — How SGE may impact businesses16:20 — Digital PR, brand mentions, and semantic search17:30 — What E-E-A-T means18:15 — Why real experience matters in content20:45 — SEO as a long-term digital asset22:30 — NIL, college athletics, and content opportunities25:00 — How small businesses can monitor search visibility25:20 — Why Google Search Console is a great place to start26:30 — Mobile vs. desktop shopping behavior28:00 — What localization means in SEO29:00 — Translation vs. true localization30:00 — Shopify, duplicate pages, and hreflang31:00 — Spanish-language search opportunities32:30 — One thing small business owners can do to increase visibility34:00 — Where to connect with RayText 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 atSupport the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal!Want to follow up ...
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Bottom of Funnel Marketing: The Power of Diverse SEO Content (Replay With Christine McLean Lewis)

    Bottom of Funnel Marketing: The Power of Diverse SEO Content (Replay With Christine McLean Lewis)
    Jun 10 2026

    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

    Book 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!
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet