The Friend Who First Told Me About SEO 🤯 | Featuring Favour Obasi-ike

This episode is a full-circle moment! 

Crystal reconnects with the person who first planted the seed that SEO could actually drive traffic—without the middleman of social media. 

Meet Favour Obasi-ike: a podcasting pioneer, SEO strategist, and founder of We Don’t Play Podcast. 

Together, Crystal and Favour take a nostalgic ride through their Clubhouse days, unpack the magic of Pinterest SEO, explore the future of RSS feeds, and share why your website needs a sitemap. 

Like, yesterday!

Whether you're a seasoned business owner or just now dipping your toe into SEO, this episode is packed with heart, tech, and next-level brand-building tips.

🔑 Key Takeaways:
✋🏽 SEO isn’t just for tech bros—it’s for creatives, connectors, and community builders.
✋🏽 Pinterest + SEO = a secret traffic goldmine (especially when you tap into RSS feeds).
✋🏽 Your sitemap is basically your website’s brain—don’t leave it blank!
✋🏽 Clubhouse may have changed, but the relationships (and strategy seeds) planted there still matter.
✋🏽 Repurposing content—like using podcast convos for blogs—is a powerful SEO move.

📌 Episode Highlights:

“Hey, there’s this thing off social media called SEO…”
“If you're not getting traffic, it's probably because you don’t have a sitemap.”
“Pinterest is SEO in disguise—and it’s growing fast.”
“Clubhouse was our digital coffee shop in 2020. And the friendships stuck.”

🎧 Listen Now If You:

• Miss those early Clubhouse convos and want to feel seen.
• Need SEO and Pinterest demystified in a kind, relatable way.
• Love stories about how business friendships shape your journey.

📝 Listener Action Items:
 

✅ Check if your site has an XML sitemap (and fix it if not!).
✅ Connect your blog’s RSS feed to Pinterest to automate pinning - or call Favour for help!
✅ Send this episode to an old friend who inspired your entrepreneurial path.

Connect With Favour:

Linkedin

We Don't Play Podcast

Website

Courses
Connect

Chapters

• 0:00 Innovative SEO: Building Brands through SEO and Networking
• 0:09 Introduction and Welcome
• 1:07 Introducing Favour Obasi-ike
• 1:31 Reconnecting After Years
• 1:44 Starting a Podcast Journey
• 3:24 The Power of Pinterest and SEO
• 4:37 Understanding RSS Feeds
• 5:46 Exploring Dark Mode and Orange Links
• 7:17 Challenges with Pinterest and Shopify
• 15:21 Clubhouse Memories
• 16:12 The Magic of Clubhouse Connections
• 17:32 The Evolution of Clubhouse
• 17:42 Repurposing Content for Podcasts
• 18:02 Reflecting on Clubhouse Changes
• 18:33 The Evolution of Clubhouse
• 19:01 Creating Content for Clubhouse
• 19:43 Personal Reflections on Clubhouse

Transcript

Favour Obasi-ike: [00:00:00] and you're wondering, why am I not getting any calls?

Why is nobody checking my website? I'm not getting any traffic. It's because you don't have a site map. And a site map is technically the brain of your website.

Introduction and Welcome

Crystal Waddell: Welcome to the Simple and Smart SEO show podcast, where we talk all things, brand building, SEO. Helping you connect with your audience, elevate your visibility and grow your business. 

I'm your host, Crystal Waddell, here to bridge the gap between SEO strategy and real world business success. By bringing you insights, stories, and conversations from the SEO community and beyond. 

Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or SEO enthusiast. This is your place to learn, share, and build a brand that stands out. 

So grab a coffee or your favorite tea. And let's dive into Smarter SEO for your business.

 Welcome back to the Simple and Smart SEO show podcast.

I'm so excited that you're back with me today. And also a dear friend. An old friend that has just been way too long since we chatted. 

One of the people who first told me about SEO. 

The person who said, Hey, there's a thing [00:01:00] off of social media called SEO that you can do on your website. And actually drive people directly to you without using a middleman.

Introducing Favour Obasi-ike

Crystal Waddell: And that man is Favour Obasi-ike. 

He is the founder of We Don't Play. At wedontplaypodcast.com. 

And he is an SEO maven and just a superstar in so many different ways. 

But Favour, it's been way too long. Thank you so much for coming on the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast.

Favour Obasi-ike: Thank you so much for having me today, Crystal. It's so good to be here. Thank you. Thank you. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah. 

Reconnecting After Years

Crystal Waddell: So we met back in what, 2020? 

Isn't that pretty much the time that we met? 

Favour Obasi-ike: Yeah. Time flies. 

Time has really gone by so fast. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah. In 2020, where were you in your business?

Starting a Podcast Journey

Favour Obasi-ike: Ooh, 2020. In my business, I was very hungry for growth. 

Because I was at a point where I felt like there's so much I know, but I don't know how to tell people what I know. 

So that's why I also started a podcast. 

[00:02:00] Because I was like, I know all this information. I can put it in a book. 

I can put it on a blog. 

But who else is going to hear it that maybe they don't like to read?

Maybe they don't like to watch movies, so how will they find that information? 

So I went back in time and I said, you know what? 

Radio was the one of the first things that people used for communication. 

So why can't I go into radio mode? 

And it took me back in time, back in 2011 when I was in school, back in college days.

And I remember the teacher was like, what do you guys wanna be when you grow up? 

And I said, I wanna own a multinational company. 

And I also wanna have an internet radio station to support it. 

I didn't know what I was saying. I just talked about it. 

But I knew that was my goal. 

Because I wanted to reach more people, connect to more people.

'cause I'm not just in podcasting, I'm also in music. 

So I have a background in music as a self-taught drummer. 

Left-handed. 

Taught myself how to play from the age of six. 

Then from there turned music into SEO. Because I started building a business for my entertainment business company, Work and Play Entertainment. 

Which has now [00:03:00] morphed into a marketing agency to help businesses all over the world with web two and Web3 technology.

With, 2020. 

Looking at the business going forward, I said that, the best time to spend time is in communicating with people on a podcast. And that's how I started in 2019. 2020 said I'm a year in, Clubhouse came. 

And now the rest is history. 

Crystal Waddell: Oh my gosh. We've gotta talk about Clubhouse. 

Clubhouse.

Was the best. 

The Power of Pinterest and SEO

Crystal Waddell: I know I was thinking about, how we met in Clubhouse. 

And also the fact that you had the Pinterest in SEO room, which I think you probably still do. But you were one of the few people who made that connection like I did, about Pinterest in SEO. 

Which I thought was so neat. And so that's why I felt an immediate connection with you.

And so do you still do things with Pinterest? 

Favour Obasi-ike: Yes. I love Pinterest so much.

They're so big these days. When it comes to data. 

Especially now 'cause they've incorporated AI, too. With Pinterest performance. So I've looked at Pinterest and I'm like, if it wasn't for Pinterest, if it wasn't for [00:04:00] podcasting. 

I don't think there would be a way I would be in this position to help other people in that capacity. 

Because, God just gave me that idea and said, okay.

Let's work through Pinterest. Let's work through podcasting. 

And in my mind I was like, wait a minute, Pinterest is SEO. 

Because people use Pinterest to consume as Pinterest personal. 

But there is a Pinterest business side that people don't know about, which is accessible. So I said, you know what? It's time to switch the gear.

And that's how I was able to do that. And I still use Pinterest tool today. And I've also connected my website as a blog RSS feed. 

So at any time I have an article, it automatically pushes to Pinterest, too.

Understanding RSS Feeds

Crystal Waddell: Okay, I wanna take a look at that. 

Because I've tried the RSS feed and all I'm getting is a block of text. 

Favour Obasi-ike: So the block of text is an XML file. Which is also an RSS feed. 

So an XML file is an expandable markup language. 

Which is, I would say like data read by robots or bots or algorithm. 

Because they're listening to what you are writing.

[00:05:00] It's called search listening. So when they're listening to what you're writing based on the thoughts, what you're typing. 

Those are the things that they're indexing into their search engines like Google, Microsoft, perplexity Chat GPT, Alexa and the rest of them. 

So when you are creating content, that content is already being in your domain property.

So when you connect your website to the search console, connect your Pinterest tag. 

Do all the good stuff to connect it. What's happening is you have A-H-T-M-L hyper text markup language. Which is where we read all the blue links that we click on Google. 

And even right now, if you're turn into dark mode, they're doing a test where they're using orange links in dark mode. 

So things are changing now. 

So it's like, how are we going to switch into the new phase? 

Yeah, I'm doing a lot of research. 

Crystal Waddell: Okay. 

Exploring Dark Mode and Orange Links

Crystal Waddell: So what are orange links? I've never heard of that before. 

Favour Obasi-ike: So orange links are just like blue links. 

It's just that when you are in dark mode, not everyone has it, it's still in beta. 

But if you just type on Google search, orange [00:06:00] links, you'll see an article.

I think Search Engine Journal talked about it. The Bing people talked about it there too. 

And they even have screenshots. So I was like, this is not true. Is it really happening? 

Then one day it happened to me. Then I didn't see it again, so I was like, huh. Okay. 

Maybe this is something that they're testing and it might become something in 2025 for dark mode. Because we're thinking about click-through rates.

We're thinking about connections. People use orange a lot for purchasing for emails. 

So when you think about that color, there's also psychological framework to how people click. As opposed to them using red or orange. 

So yeah, that's how you can connect the two. 

Crystal Waddell: So when you see an orange link in dark mode, how do you get to dark mode to see it?

Favour Obasi-ike: So you just have to have your phone settings in dark mode. So most people have them in dark mode or light mode. 

Or the default system settings on your phone. And once it's in dark mode, normally when you go to Google, it's white, right? So it's white and blue. 

When you go to Google in dark mode, usually it's dark or black and blue.

Now that blue turns to orange. [00:07:00] Which is the same hyperlink, nothing's changed. It's just maybe the paint. I can just say the paint's changed. 

And then you still click on that link, but it still contributes to your assets back on Google's on search properties. 

So it's a really good mix into the play.

Crystal Waddell: Okay. So that was like a totally random tangent, but that's what I love about our conversations. 

Challenges with Pinterest and Shopify

Crystal Waddell: But another question about Pinterest. 

I've used tailwind for myself and for my clients. 

But I'm still having some challenges tracking all of the pins. 

And like giving UTM links for all of the pins. 

And then being able to show them, okay, this particular pin, and this particular text went to this board on this date. And rinse and repeat, all that type of stuff.

So I was like, you know what? Maybe I try the spreadsheet upload.

And I was wondering, have you ever tried the spreadsheet upload feature over there in Pinterest? 

Favour Obasi-ike: Is it for the email signups? Collections? Products wise? Or is it just content? 

Crystal Waddell: It's just content. It's an alternative to the RSS feed.

So you can [00:08:00] do the RSS feed. For bulk uploads, and just, that content. 

Favour Obasi-ike: Oh, yes. Yeah. I've not done it myself. 

But I know what you're referring to. 'cause when you do a bulk upload, you're uploading it in a CSV file. 

So you're just uploading everything and it's all within those, naming conventions and the fields. 

Yeah, I've seen that too. 

And also with the RSS feeds, 'cause you asked me to about the RSS feeds. 

It's really simple syndication. 

When you think about a movie or a series, episode one, season one, episode two. 

You see how it communicates.

So when you see that happening on your website, you now have those content feeds, like you now mentioned with the content uploads. 

They're now working from A to Z. So if it's working from A. To Z, all these algorithms, Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, target, they all have everything from A to Z. 

But when you look at Google, it's not A to Z.

You're talking about CPC. You're talking about growth charts, you're talking about keyword difficulty. 

Because you are working within a different engine box. 

So when you're using [00:09:00] Pinterest, I love that you can use it for content upload purposes. 

Or just sync it directly to your content feeder. And that way you can focus mostly on your website. 

Because even now you can connect your Instagram to Pinterest and automatically push, content there.

So I think there's so many ways to go around it. But people kinda get confused 'cause it's too technical even to begin with. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah. With the Instagram thing, there was a period of time back in 2020 where you could connect your Instagram and those pictures would come over. 

And then that went away and now it's back again.

I. So it's like, what happened? Do you know why? Why that even occurred? 

Favour Obasi-ike: I feel like it's a love relationship between the two. 

Because I'm like, why? Sometimes it's oh, hashtags work. 

Then hashtags don't work. And then Instagram is there. 

Then they're not there. 

I feel like there's something that's happening, but I also feel like it's a good thing coming because earlier this year. I remember when there was, I don't know if it's gonna happen, but it's probably gonna happen soon.

The way things are going with TikTok, with Pinterest and Amazon. 

But Pinterest [00:10:00] is also gonna be one of those cornerstones next year. 

Because I looked at a 20 year growth chart. On all social media platforms last night. 

And I was surprised to see that LinkedIn and Pinterest are the ones that are really taking the cake for 2025. 

Because they're also incorporating AI as well into their mix.

So a lot of people are using Canva. You might just upload something on Pinterest, and then the AI is gonna convert that backdrop into something that's gonna set up a mood. For someone to consider your brand as a purchase. 

So I feel like the way it's going is gonna definitely take a new turn with the way AI is connecting with search engines too.

Crystal Waddell: Okay. 

So what just popped into my mind that would be really valuable. 

Is an RSS feed from Canva. To Pinterest. 

Favour Obasi-ike: Ooh, that will be so good. 

Especially like with carousel posts. Or gifs. 

Because Canva makes websites. But I also believe they're probably gonna work on beefing that up a little more.

And if they have an XML or an RSS feeder. 

Then that would be really good for businesses. 

Because when you have a [00:11:00] website, anyone who has a website out there, there are over 1.1 to 1.9 plus billion websites globally. 

And each of them have a domain. All of them have a domain.com. Dot co.org.net. You know, all of them are all out there. 

And all of them have an XML file. But they're all not readable unless you index them through.

If you're using WordPress, you can use the plugins like Yoast, all in one SEO. Rank math. They're all of them out there. 

If you're on Wix, you can also use their Wix Inbuilt SEO system. 

But those things are not existing if you don't connect them. So sometimes you may have a website. And you're wondering, why am I not getting any calls?

Why is nobody checking my website? I'm not getting any traffic. It's because you don't have a site map. 

And a site map is technically the brain of your website.

You know how you say you are what you eat? So if you're feeding your website with links. Every day, every week. Let's say 52 weeks in a year. 

You've given 50 new links to your website talking about different things that your business does. 

Community news, product news, general news, partnership [00:12:00] news.

Before you know it, you are connecting with brands. You're doing all these big things because you have search traffic. And you have search value. 

So when people focus more on their website and focusing on social media, they'll get more bang for their buck when they're going back to social media to advertise.

Crystal Waddell: Yeah, for sure. And I wanna go back to the tools that you can use for each platform. 

Because, let's say I'm on Wix. Is there a specific RSS feeder that you recommend?

And I'm thinking we're talking about like a blog, right? And it will pick up your images and send those to Pinterest?

Is that how it works? 

Favour Obasi-ike: Yeah. So with Pinterest. 

When they ask for your blog, they're technically asking for your XML file because that XML file is coming from your site map. 

So with your site map, it's gonna be, everyone has one. 

If you don't see one, it means you haven't set up one. If you have one, it's probably there by default. 

But most times you want to have one customized for your business.

So when you have one on Wix, the one on Wix is already there by default. 

So when you now go to your [00:13:00] website.com/sitemap in one word, dot xml. 

Then when you hit enter, you're gonna see all those blocks of text you were talking about. 

Now, if you look at the text, it starts from https. 

And then it breaks the text and then it does it again.

So those lines of texts are the URLs that lead to your visual site map on the backend. 

So that's what the bots are reading. 

It's here's my book, and then somebody's gonna scan through the book. So if that book has keywords, if it has images, if it has videos, links. All the good stuff. 

Then that's what's gonna send signals to the search engines like Google and Microsoft. That way they're able to connect the two.

So when you have it on Pinterest, you now use the XML file for the blog post. 

And then you use that blog post XML file and then submit it to Pinterest. 

And that's where your blogs, they start getting to feed out to the search engines with your thumbnail as the cover art on pins. 

Crystal Waddell: Okay.

That was what I was wondering. I was like, what image goes with that? 

So the [00:14:00] thumbnail goes with it. 

Shopify's got this weird thing where their blog feed is . Atom.

And then also the featured image is horizontal. 

Whereas most Pinterest pins, you want them to be vertical and portrait.

Those have just been some things I've run into with Shopify. 

And so I'm still looking for an RSS feed that addresses those issues with Shopify. 

Favour Obasi-ike: So with Shopify, it's hard to get an RSS feed directly. 

Because even when you look at the products I noticed something with Shopify's site map.

When you look at the products, it will say. Question mark from equals. 

Then it will give you product numbers to some weird value numbers, but that's like a unique set ID. 

That shows how your Shopify side is different from somebody else's. It's like a unique id. 

So they don't really have an RSS feed.

Because you're working from a developer, you buy the theme. You upload it. 

And it's not like WordPress where you have to plug in something externally to add to [00:15:00] the surface. 

So it's a little different and that's why Shopify and Wix have their own differences. But without, having to worry about that, you can still rank really well and perform with those platforms.

Crystal Waddell: Yeah, I'm going to put it on my never ending to-do list to go on to the Shopify app store and research these RSS feed. 

There's probably some sort of version of a Shopify app for the RSS feed. 

Clubhouse Memories

Crystal Waddell: But I wanna shift gears back to our time in Clubhouse. 

And this is such a random story. Story. But I had to tell you, because whenever I think of Clubhouse, I always think back to this time where I was in a room and this girl was in the shower.

And you could hear the shower going, but that was like so clubhouse to me.

It was like it didn't matter where you were, you could join the conversation. And even though it was like weird, it's like you got it too. 

And so like that time of clubhouse was just like a time like no other. 

Favour Obasi-ike: No, that was amazing. I remember those days 'cause you'd wake up on clubhouse. 

You sleep through the app and you're [00:16:00] connecting with people.

You're like, oh my goodness. Like what? What am I hearing? And then sometimes you might hear some noises. You're like oh, somebody got a hot mic. 

And then you don't know who it is. 'cause the stage is so big. That's another problem. 

Crystal Waddell: Yeah, that was funny. 

The Magic of Clubhouse Connections

Crystal Waddell: And it was great because you didn't have to get dressed and ready. 

It was just people sharing ideas. 

Especially in 2020 where people were so separated. 

Crystal Waddell: We had to be physically be separated.

Clubhouse made it possible for us to feel connected again. Yeah. 

And so like I will always have like just a warm place in my heart for you, and for CJ. 

And for Tamara. 

It was just such a fun time to, still feel connected to other people.

And then we had the time and space to grow. 

And whatever we learned that day, we had the time to go, put it into action. 

And check it out and explore it further. 

And so it was just a magical season, I think. For businesses. 

Favour Obasi-ike: Yeah. I feel like that was the rocket fuel that we needed.

To have a jet pack for what we're experiencing now. 

Because I feel like that [00:17:00] moment was very precious. 

Those seven ams were very precious. They were dedicated. They were 365. 

We were like, why are we doing this? But we knew why, because we had a big vision. We had a big goal. And look at us now because you think about podcasting.

Everyone is starting a podcast now. When at the time we were starting a podcast on clubhouse. 

Just through conversations. And now we're like, okay, we're gonna take this on. And even for me, I said, you know what? Instead of just using this on Clubhouse, why not expand and just go beyond the walls of Clubhouse and open it up to the podcast?

The Evolution of Clubhouse

Favour Obasi-ike: And that's how I even got into Clubhouse. Because of the podcast. 

Crystal Waddell: Wow. And that's crazy. And now you're so smart. 

Like you're using your clubhouse conversations on your podcast. 

Repurposing Content for Podcasts

Crystal Waddell: So you're doing one of my favorite things, which is multi, purpose content. You're like mul, how do you even say that?

Repurposing content, from Clubhouse onto your podcast. 

And then, I haven't been on Clubhouse in so long. Like the last time I logged in, everything looked completely different. 

I was lost. I was like, oh [00:18:00] no. Yeah, this isn't what it used to be. 

Reflecting on Clubhouse Changes

Crystal Waddell: I felt like one of those people that was like so nostalgic of returning home 30 years later. And their towns completely changed.

Favour Obasi-ike: Yeah. Clubhouse has totally changed. 

And I think when they made that big change, that's when everyone left. Most people did. 

And they were like, oh, this clubhouse is not really ranking. It's not really doing great for me. 

But my question was, what is your why? Why are you coming onto the app?

Some people came for friendship. Some people came for partners. 

Some people got hired on the app. Some people are lifelong partners right now. 

The Evolution of Clubhouse

Favour Obasi-ike: Like it's happens in so many diversities of ways. And I also feel like this is also a great time for people to see okay, what's the real intention?

And I've been on, there's four years now on Clubhouse. Strong. 

And I've seen so much growth. Connected with so many people. 

I've had so many events to go to, conferences to be at. And I feel like we just have this nice, big family. So like you coming here to show, it's hey! We're still Clubhouse OGs.

'cause we've had that much time to [00:19:00] spend off the app. 

Creating Content for Clubhouse

Favour Obasi-ike: Can still give value, but the app has definitely changed. 

And even when the app started, I remember SEO Wise. 

There was no clubhouse articles on Google. 

So I used to type in what is Clubhouse? And I said, you know what? I'm gonna create an article about Clubhouse.

And even till now, those articles are still showing up on the Google search results years later with those, archived, screenshots of how Clubhouse used to be. It's still there. 

So I feel like that's also what gives people that respect and that credibility over the person that they're connecting with online over time.

Crystal Waddell: I had written some articles myself. 

But I've switched websites a couple times since then and haven't republished articles. I've got some pins that are not going anywhere, which is probably hurting me. 

Personal Reflections on Clubhouse

Crystal Waddell: But yeah, it was just such a fun time. And it was such a great time too because I had just had my heart event.

And so I remember I was like on my way to cardiac rehab. 

And I'm on the treadmill trying to have conversations in my clubhouse. It was just ridiculous. 

But that's how much it meant [00:20:00] to be is just like to stay connected.