Simple and Smart SEO: GEO for Shopify and Etsy sellers
Ready to turn your Etsy shop into a powerhouse brand using 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 e-commerce brand, built with Shopify.
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.
Simple and Smart SEO: GEO for Shopify and Etsy sellers
Why AI Search Is Still SEO (and Why AI Slop Won’t Last) with Kristine Schachinger (Part 2)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Does your business need a new AI search strategy?
And what happens when everyone uses AI to write the same kinds of content?
In Part 2 of this conversation on the Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell and technical SEO consultant Kristine Schachinger explore the debate around GEO, AEO, and SEO, including why Kristine considers AI search part of the SEO umbrella.
The conversation also tackles a question that matters whether you’re an independent consultant or a business owner wearing every hat:
What should SEO actually be responsible for?
Crystal and Kristine discuss relevant traffic, visibility, conversions, and how those responsibilities change depending on what you can control.
Kristine shares a Zappos example of using title tags to communicate a compelling reason to click.
Then she explains her concerns about mass-produced AI content, her predictions about Google’s direction, and why she continues to invest in human writers.
You’ll leave with ideas for improving your search listings, reviewing important pages, and bringing more of your own perspective into your content.
What you’ll learn
- Why Kristine challenges the idea that GEO is a separate discipline.
- How she approaches the relationship between SEO and AI search visibility.
- Why SEO responsibilities look different inside a large company versus a solo business.
- How a clear selling point in your title tags can give searchers a reason to click.
- Kristine’s perspective on AI-assisted writing, content detection, and the future of search.
- Where she recommends starting if your content strategy needs a reset.
- Why an ordinary topic can still become interesting, useful content.
Chapters
00:00 GEO, AEO, and SEO: the naming debate
01:38 Why Kristine says AI search still needs SEO
03:01 Is AI search a separate discipline?
03:59 What should SEO be responsible for?
08:34 Improving clicks from search results
10:14 AI content and Kristine’s concerns about Google’s direction
15:11 AI watermarking and detection
16:41 Where does AI-assisted writing fit?
17:54 Books and AI training data
20:44 Where to start when your content needs work
24:09 Making everyday topics worth reading
26:28 Where to follow Kristine
A quote to remember
“The web started with pretty bad writers who wrote lots of weird, interesting stuff, right?”
— Kristine Schachinger
Try this after listening
Pick one page that matters to your business. Check whether its search title communicates a clear reason to visit. Then read the page and ask: What does this offer that a reader couldn’t get from dozens of similar pages? Add a relevant example, firsthand experience, or useful detail that reflects what you know.
Resources discussed
SEO Gets, Webcology, and Gary Marcus’s commentary on AI.
Connect with Kristine
Find Kristine Schachinger on LinkedIn and listen to Webcology on Apple Podcasts.
Listen to Part 1
Explore website accessibility, content structure, and vibe coding in “Can AI Read Your Website? Accessibility and Vibe Coding with Kristine Schachinger”
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
Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the free, 5-minute self-check →
Book a Strategy Call With Crystal!
Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
AFFILIATE LINKS:
SEO TOOLS :
Keywords Everywhere: My favorite keyword research tool!
Get SurferSEO! The ultimate content creation tool!
E-COMMERCE TOOLS:
Start your Shopify Store! (use my link)
Klaviyo: The leader in Ecommerce Email
Grid and Pixel: Get John and his team's help in setting up your flows and campaigns!
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS:
Metricool (Awesome and easy to use social media scheduler!)
Note:
If you mak...
