eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection

Today's episode pulls back the curtain on one of the highest ROI strategies for Shopify brands: AI-powered SEO and organic growth.

If you're watching 98% of your paid traffic slip away before converting while acquisition costs keep climbing, this episode is your wake-up call. We're diving into the new playbook for driving organic reach that actually moves the needle.

My guest is Mike Simmons, CEO of Plug In Useful, whose SEO and site speed solutions power over 30,000 Shopify stores. He's a builder and operator living on the front lines of traffic acquisition for direct-to-consumer brands.

Plugin Useful's suite goes beyond "best practice" checklists. We're talking actionable recommendations, specialized keyword analysis, bulk content optimization, and tracking that shows if your SEO changes actually work.

Mike shares why native solutions like Shopify Magic leave money on the table, and reveals overlooked strategies like leveraging collection pages and schema markup. Plus, his take on how AI tools like Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews are changing the game.

Whether you're a founder, marketer prepping for Q4, or operator fighting complexity, this episode gives you clarity and tools to own your organic growth.

Reach out to us! We welcome questions and comments about this episode. Connect with us here or through our socials — your feedback is always welcome.
For more ecommerce, marketing, and growth strategies, check out the eCommerce Fastlane Insights Blog. 

What is eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection?

Running a Shopify store? You already know success isn't about finding the right app—it's about knowing which strategies actually work at your specific stage of growth.

I'm Steve Hutt, and I've lived every level of the ecommerce journey. From eBay Power Seller shipping products from my garage, to co-founding and scaling VisionPros.com (an optical DTC startup) through to a successful exit, then spending 6+ years as a Shopify Merchant Success Manager helping 100+ brands from startup to enterprise scale, including working with teams at Tentree, Dr. Squatch, Bulletproof Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, MUD/WTR, Bokksu, and many more.

Here's what makes this podcast different: I've been on both sides of the table.

6+ years working inside Shopify gave me access to what's coming before most merchants know it exists. Building, scaling, and successfully exiting my own ecommerce businesses taught me what actually works when your money and reputation are on the line. That combination of insider access plus real operator experience gives you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

Since 2018, eCommerce Fastlane has delivered over 430 episodes and more than 2 million downloads to ambitious Shopify founders and marketers. Every week, I chat with operators, developers, and experts who share what's actually moving the needle right now—not theory, but patterns I've seen work consistently across dozens of brands at multiple stages.

Whether you're launching your first store or scaling past seven figures, every episode gives you stage-aware strategies you can implement this week. We cover Shopify apps and best practices, digital marketing and retention tactics, AI and automation tools, as well as operations and logistics that reduce overwhelm while building lasting customer loyalty.

You'll learn how to leverage emerging tech without losing what makes your brand unique. You'll also hear real founder stories, including lessons from my own journey building and exiting a DTC brand, plus insights from 430+ industry leaders who've been exactly where you are.

This isn't content for content's sake. It's the insight you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's succeeded at every level, helped hundreds of others do the same, and has the pattern recognition to show you what actually works at your current stage.

Ready to grow smarter, not just faster? Join thousands of founders and marketers in the eCommerce Fastlane community through our podcast, newsletter, blog, and forthcoming book "Thriving with Shopify."

Steve Hutt
DTC Founder | Podcast Host

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Email: steve@ecommercefastlane.com