What if your most useful keywords are not hiding inside another research tool, but in the questions, complaints, and conversations your customers are already sharing? In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell talks with Kelly Miller, also known as Health Coach Kel, about listening beyond the analytics to understand what people actually need. Kelly brings together her experience in marketing, ecommerce, SEO, health coaching, and product development to explain why DMs and comments can be a goldmine for customer language. Crystal and Kelly also explore social SEO in a zero-click search environment, the risks of posting and ghosting, and how to use autoresponders without losing your personality or your audience's trust. The conversation closes with a practical reminder for overwhelmed business owners: growth does not always require adding another tool, offer, or task. Sometimes the smartest move is to remove what is not serving you, listen more carefully, and focus deeply on one right-fit customer or problem. What You Will Learn Why DMs and comments reveal customer motivations that keyword-volume data cannot fully explainHow posting without engaging can disconnect you from your audience and weaken your market researchWhy social platforms matter as Google and other search experiences provide more answers without a website clickHow to use ManyChat, autoresponders, and team support while remaining clear about who is respondingWhy your lived experience and applied knowledge can become a credible, differentiated point of viewHow better follow-up questions uncover the obstacle behind a customer's stated problemWhy auditing what you can remove may create more progress than adding another strategyHow narrowing your focus can reveal more relevant opportunities within one audience or offerEpisode Timestamps Production note: These timestamps begin with the conversation audio. Adjust them if a separate introduction or advertisement is inserted. Time | Topic 0:00 | Meet Kelly Miller, also known as Health Coach Kel 0:45 | Kelly's journey from marketing and ecommerce to health coaching 2:30 | Why DMs can be more valuable than keyword tools 3:44 | The problem with posting and ghosting 5:13 | Social SEO and the rise of zero-click search 6:47 | Using ManyChat and autoresponders without losing your voice 8:08 | Why transparency builds trust in DMs and communities 12:04 | Owning your perspective instead of borrowing authority 12:55 | Finding better questions by listening to customer problems 15:30 | Remove before you add 18:03 | Auditing your day, priorities, and business focus 20:42 | How customer listening changed Kelly's cookbook concept 23:01 | Why getting really good at one thing creates momentum Key Takeaways Customer language adds context to keyword data. Search tools can show demand, but direct conversations reveal the feelings, objections, and immediate problems behind a search. Engagement is research. Responding to comments and participating in adjacent communities can improve customer understanding, product development, and visibility. Automation still needs a human voice. Simple, transparent automated messages can help a solopreneur respond efficiently without pretending every reply is personal. Your perspective is part of your authority. You do not have to continually reference a larger expert when you can explain what you learned, applied, and discovered yourself. Focus creates relevant expansion. Going deeper into one customer, product, or problem can uncover a connected set of content and offer opportunities. Episode Highlights and Quotes from Kelly: “Let's be messy. Let's be ourselves.” “What are you willing to give up to get what you want?” “I believe 100% you gotta focus and get really good on one thing.” Listener Action Steps Review your last 10 DMs, comments, emails, or sales conversations and highlight the exact phrases customers repeat.Choose one repeated question and turn it into a useful post, email, podcast topic, product-page section, or FAQ.Audit one automated message. Make it shorter, make it sound like you, and clearly identify automation or team members when needed.Remove one tool, task, or offer that is taking energy away from the customer or problem you most want to serve.Subscribe to The Simple and Smart SEO Show for practical visibility strategies designed for small business owners.Resources and Mentions Health Coach Kel: https://healthcoachkel.com Simple and Smart SEO: https://simpleandsmartseo.com Our Rooted Kitchen: Learn more through Health Coach Kel's website and social channels Tools mentioned: ManyChat, Ubersuggest, Surfer, ChatGPT, and Claude About Kelly Miller Kelly Miller, also known as Health Coach Kel, helps busy women build greater confidence and capacity around food, energy, and everyday life. Her background includes marketing, ecommerce, SEO, health coaching, and product development. Through Health Coach Kel and Our Rooted Kitchen, she encourages women to reconnect with cooking, growing food, and practical habits that fit real life. About Crystal Waddell Crystal Waddell is an SEO educator, ecommerce business owner, and visibility strategist for creative entrepreneurs and small businesses. On The Simple and Smart SEO Show, she shares practical strategies to help business owners improve visibility, connect with right-fit customers, and grow without unnecessary complexity. Learn more at simpleandsmartseo.com. Disclaimer This episode is provided for general education and discussion. Tools, platforms, and marketing approaches should be evaluated for your business, audience, and current platform requirements. Some links may be affiliate links, which means Crystal may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. 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 Free checklist: Is your Shopify store quietly losing sales? Run the 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 make a purchase using one of my links, I ...
