We welcome entrepreneur Nathan Hirsch, founder of FreeUp and other ventures, 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:

1. Create or refine your SOPs: Start documenting your key business processes, and schedule quarterly reviews to ensure they stay updated.
2. Review your hiring process: Focus on communication, attitude, and red flags during interviews to ensure you hire the right people for your team.
3. Test your business ideas: Before investing significant time or money, run tests to ensure your product or service has a viable market.
4. Optimize customer service: Balance automation with personal touches to ensure clients feel valued and heard.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Free SOPs for SEO: TrioSEO.com/SOP
• EcomBalance (E-commerce bookkeeping): EcomBalance.com
• Nathan Hirsch: Linked In

Send me a text!

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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!

Crystal shares insights from installing Clarity on her own websites, using its user experience data to improve customer journeys and increase conversions.

This is the Follow Through Friday Episode For Episode 134 with Celeste Gonzalez.

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft Clarity Setup: Crystal installed Microsoft Clarity on both her Wix and Shopify websites, noting differences in ease of integration.
• Behavioral Insights: Clarity's screen recordings and heatmaps revealed user interactions, helping to optimize links and reduce customer frustration.
• Pop-up Optimization: Observations from Clarity data prompted Crystal to revise her pop-ups, aiming for a more user-friendly experience to prevent high bounce rates.
• Rage Clicks & Dead Clicks: Addressing rage clicks and dead clicks helped improve site navigation, enhancing user satisfaction and potential affiliate conversions.
• Weekly Reports: Regular reports from Clarity allowed Crystal to monitor ongoing site performance and adjust based on user behavior patterns.

Listener Action Items:

1. Install Microsoft Clarity on your website and begin analyzing user behavior through heatmaps and session recordings.
2. Adjust your pop-ups based on user interaction data to improve engagement and reduce bounce rates.
3. Monitor rage clicks and dead clicks, ensuring that clickable elements lead to relevant pages or actions.

Send me a text!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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 Carter
• You 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 Carter

Listener Action Items:

1. Audit Your Digital Presence: Ensure your website, social profiles, and Google Business Profile present a consistent message about your brand.
2. Implement Schema Markup: Use tools like ChatGPT or schema.org to generate JSON-LD schema for your site to enhance its connection with search engines.
3. Leverage Free Tools: Use TextRazor, SEMrush, or other NLP tools to identify and optimize entities.

Carl’s tool: https://audits.com/tools/knowledge-graph-search/

Gus article: https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/resource/get-a-google-knowledge-panel

InLinks: https://inlinks.com/knowledge-graph-explained/

Connect with Crystal:
Linkedi

Send me a text!

I’ve got thirty seconds to tell you about Wix Studio, the web platform for agencies and enterprises.

• Work in sync with your team on one canvas
• Reuse templates, widgets and sections across sites
• Create a client kit for seamless handovers
• And leverage best-in-class SEO defaults across all your Wix sites

Time’s up but the list keeps going. Step into Wix Studio to see more!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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 Nicholas Garfinkel to explore the future of SEO through the lens of predictive models and machine learning.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Importance of Data in SEO: Nicholas emphasizes the need for data-driven approaches in SEO, highlighting how relying on intuition alone isn't enough in today's rapidly changing environment.
2. Predictive SEO Models: Nicholas introduces Kixley, the first predictive SEO tool that uses machine learning to forecast the impact of SEO strategies on rankings and traffic.
3. 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.
4. Local SEO Optimization: Practical tips on optimizing local SEO, including the importance of Google Business profiles, customer reviews, and addressing schema markup.
5. 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:

1. Optimize Local SEO: Update your Google Business profile, encourage customer reviews, and ensure your website includes your physical address to boost local SEO efforts.
2. 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 Nicholas Garfinkel:

• Kixely
• Linkedin

Send me a text!

I’ve got thirty seconds to tell you about Wix Studio, the web platform for agencies and enterprises.

• Work in sync with your team on one canvas
• Reuse templates, widgets and sections across sites
• Create a client kit for seamless handovers
• And leverage best-in-class SEO defaults across all your Wix sites

Time’s up but the list keeps going. Step into Wix Studio to see more!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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:

• Website: SEO For The Beauty Pro
• LinkedIn
• Brows and Co. Podcast

Send me a text!

How To Quit Your Job and Start A Business is a 20-episode limited podcast...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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:

1. 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.
2. 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."
3. 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?"
4. 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."
5. 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."
6. 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-practitioner even, could understand." This approach not only builds trust but also broadens the reach of your message.

Call to Action: Don’t miss this episode if you’re looking to elevate your digital marketing game! Listen now and start applying these strategies to see real, measurable results in your business.

Connect with Jamar Ramos
X
Linkedin

Send me a text!

I’ve got thirty seconds to tell you about Wix Studio, the web platform for agencies and enterprises.

• Work in sync with your team on one canvas
• Reuse templates, widgets and sections across sites
• Create a client kit for seamless handovers
• And leverage best-in-class SEO defaults across all your Wix sites

Time’s up but the list keeps going. Step into Wix Studio to see more!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. SEO Bundle Details:
   • Dolly shares details about the upcoming SEO bundle, which includes over $2,500 worth of resources for just $97 during the initial launch period.
   • The bundle is designed for business owners who are ready to take their SEO to the next level, offering tools and strategies that can be implemented over time.

Listener Action Items:

• Sign up for the free SEO Audio Summit, starting on August 13th.
• Explore the SEO bundle, available for purchase starting August 19th, with early access for those on

Send me a text!

How To Quit Your Job and Start A Business is a 20-episode limited podcast...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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:

1. Business Achievements:
   • Launched 2025 photo props, doubling sales from last June.
   • Website traffic nearly doubled, showing successful SEO efforts.
2. New Website Launch:
   • Introduced a dedicated site for the Simple and Smart SEO Show.
   • Joined an SEO bundle and audio summit.
3. Wix Partnership:
   • Became a Wix partner, aligning with new client projects.
   • Launched a new members area for the SEO squad.
4. 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!
5. 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
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Subscribe, rate, and review the Simple and Smart SEO Show on your favorite podcast platform!

Send me a text!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

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 Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

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!