Steve Wiideman
| Steve Wiideman | |
|---|---|
| |
| Full Name | Steven John Wiideman |
| Born | July 3, 1976 Newport Beach, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Franchise & Multi-Location SEO Consultant, Author, Educator |
| Known For | Franchise SEO Strategy; SEO: Strategy & Skills |
| Years Active | 1998–present |
| Company | Wiideman Consulting Group (Founder & CEO) |
| Education | B.S. Information Technology Westwood College of Technology |
| Academic Roles | Adjunct Professor, CSU Fullerton & UC San Diego |
| Military Service | U.S. Army Infantry (1994–1997) Army Achievement Medal |
| Notable Clients | Applebee’s, IHOP, Disney, Public Storage, Honda, Skechers, Jollibee |
| Awards | Army Achievement Medal; Congressional Recognition Award; Conductor Searchies MVP; Web Excellence Award |
| Website | stevewiideman.com |
| LinkedIn Profile | |
Steven John Wiideman (born July 3, 1976) is an American franchise and multi-location SEO consultant, author, and educator. He is known for his work in scalable search frameworks for enterprise and franchise organizations and for co-authoring the academic textbook SEO: Strategy & Skills.[1] Wiideman is the founder and CEO of Wiideman Consulting Group, a digital marketing agency specializing in local SEO systems, Google Business Profile optimization, and multi-location data operations.
His expertise has been cited by major business and technology publications, including CNBC[2] and Entrepreneur,[3] and he has contributed to industry research through multiple features in Search Engine Journal.[4][5][6]
Early life and education
Wiideman was born in Newport Beach, California, and raised in Anaheim and Stanton. He attended Western High School in Anaheim, where he was a classmate of professional golfer Tiger Woods.
From 1994 to 1997, he served in the United States Army Infantry, earning the Army Achievement Medal for his service.[7] He later received a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Westwood College of Technology.
Academic roles
Wiideman has held multiple university-level teaching appointments in digital marketing and search strategy. He has taught courses in search engine optimization, analytics, and site optimization at:
- California State University, Fullerton – Site Optimization & Strategic SEM
- University of California, San Diego – SEO Tools & Analytics.[8]
- Fullerton College – Digital Marketing Program.[9]
He also contributes to BrightLocal Academy, where he teaches franchise SEO methodologies and multi-location optimization frameworks.[10]
Career
Wiideman began his professional career in IT and online marketing with roles at IBM Global Services and Disney Parks & Resorts Online. He established a freelance SEO practice in 2005 that later grew into Wiideman Consulting Group in 2015.
The agency has supported search initiatives for national and international brands, including Applebee’s, IHOP, Jollibee, Disney, Public Storage, Honda, Meineke, and Skechers.[11]
Wiideman is recognized for developing scalable franchise SEO systems, location-level data workflows, and structured search frameworks for multi-unit organizations. He is routinely interviewed on topics such as algorithm updates, local search scalability, and enterprise SEO operations.[12]
Publications
- SEO: Strategy & Skills (2021), co-author.
- Scaling Search Engine Visibility for Franchises — Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing (2021).
Additional author credits and contributed articles appear on professional platforms including WordTracker and QuickMail.[13][14]
Speaking engagements
Wiideman has presented at conferences and industry events including Pubcon, DigiMarCon, RD Summit Brazil, ProfCon, Innovate Marketing Summit, and DMO Advanced Napa. He has been featured on multiple industry podcasts and recorded panels.[15][16][17]
Awards and recognition
- Army Achievement Medal (1996).
- Congressional Recognition Award (2004).
- CCA G.R.E.A.T. Award (2006).
- NatLo Top 30 in Marketing (2014).
- FORTUNE GameChangers (2016).
- Conductor Searchies Industry MVP (2018).
- Web Excellence Award (2021).
Personal life
Wiideman was born on July 3, 1976, in Newport Beach, California, to Marilyn Ann Threlfall and Randall Norman Wiideman. He grew up in Anaheim and Stanton and attended Western High School in Anaheim from 1990 to 1994, where he was a classmate of Tiger Woods.
He married Melissa Ann Del Rosso on July 15, 2000, and the couple has two daughters, Paris Rose (born April 23, 2005) and Trinity Faith (born August 16, 2006). In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family and attending concerts featuring 1980s pop and rock bands. He resides in La Mirada, California.
References
- ↑ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/step-step-seo-strategy-development-interview-steve-wiideman/119887/
- ↑ https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/07/has-google-lost-control-of-its-anti-spam-algorithm.html
- ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/your-site-seo-high-search-rankings/200182
- ↑ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/sejthinktank-recap-local-seo-case-studies-big-brands/144112/
- ↑ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-military-veterans/277619/
- ↑ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/algorithm-updates-local-seo-recap/445330/
- ↑ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-military-veterans/277619/
- ↑ https://profiles.ucsd.edu/steven.wiideman
- ↑ https://extension.fullerton.edu/professionaldevelopment/digital-marketing-interview
- ↑ https://www.brightlocal.com/podcast/steve-wiideman-navigating-big-brand-local-seo/
- ↑ https://www.agencyspotter.com/wiideman
- ↑ https://rockstarcmo.com/74-the-whos-driving-the-bus-seo-steve-wiideman-cocktail-for-change-and-a-parrot-episode/
- ↑ https://www.wordtracker.com/authors/steve-wiideman
- ↑ https://quickmail.com/authors/steve-wiideman
- ↑ https://rockstarcmo.com/74-the-whos-driving-the-bus-seo-steve-wiideman-cocktail-for-change-and-a-parrot-episode/
- ↑ https://www.brightlocal.com/podcast/steve-wiideman-navigating-big-brand-local-seo/
- ↑ https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/sejthinktank-local-seo-for-big-brands-wsteve-wiideman/54491693