The One Big Tip Podcast with Jeff Mendelson
Business:Entrepreneurship
Steve Wiideman, CEO of Wiideman Consulting Group, works with globally recognized brands helping them increase their organic traffic using SEO and SEM. With a portfolio of growing traffic for brands like Disney, IBM, and Sketchers, Steve knows the importance of search engine optimization and its effect on sales. When your SEO and SEM aren’t optimized, you’re leaving money on the table. When Steve isn’t increasing Google ranking for household names, you can find him teaching at UC San Diego, Cal State Fullerton, and Fullerton Community College. Follow along if you’re interested in learning about SEO and SEM best practices and how they can increase your Google ranking.
As an Author of The Marketing textbook SEO strategy and skills, Steve understands that SEO is not a rule you must follow to win. It’s really about focusing on the evergreen principles that carry over from every industry, product, and service you market for. SEO and SEM are forever changing, but the winning tactics and strategies remain the same. For instance, Google ranking will always be necessary, as well as inbound and outbound links. This understanding allows you to focus on things that will push the needle forward yet directs you to the concepts you need to update to stay relevant.
SEO and Google ranking are what keep the lights on for many businesses. For example, during the pandemic, restaurants had to shut doors for indoor dining when everyone was under lockdown. Creative minds came up with the solution. Restaurants and eateries had to pivot to survive. Many introduced take-out or delivery and curbside pickup, yet customers had to be made aware of their new offer. That’s where SEO and inbound marketing come into place. . Many restaurants had to update their SEO and create pages to educate their consumer on their new offer. The eateries that pivoted with the times are the ones that survived.
In Steve’s opinion, there is no “one thing” that you have to do or that you should do to rank high on Google. There is no magic formula for a new business to rank high for SEO. Steve recommends that new companies in competitive markets focus on building relationships within the same vertical as you so that you can get referrals rather than concentrate on SEO directly. Once you’re established in your market, that’s when you should focus intensely on SEO. Do things to start ranking for the competitive keywords. If you’re well-versed in SEO you understand that top ranking doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to unroot a business that ranks #1.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re a new business in an unknown industry, you need to create a demand for what you’re selling. SEO is not your number one priority because your audience doesn’t even know you exist, so they can’t search for you. You first need to create content to drive traffic to your website. Put yourself out there and collect email addresses. Build a list of subscribers to your blog or newsletter. Once your company is well known, that’s when you focus on SEO.
An essential aspect of SEO and ranking is understanding that it doesn’t happen overnight. There are many things to focus on that drive SEO, and you can’t use all the different methods and strategies at once because then you don’t know what works for your brand and what doesn’t. Take the time to learn about your consumer, what they are searching for, why they are searching, and what keywords they use. One of the best tools that Steve recommends for claiming a top Google ranking is Google Console. If you take the time to understand the information Google is gathering for you and learn about the keywords you need to rank for, you can progress in your SEO. Keep at it, and you’ll rank in the top 5.
In this episode:
[2:40] Steve goes over his passions and how he became a professor at three colleges
[5:02] SEO is not a one-and-done game or strategy
[9:15] SEO is forever changing in strategy and tactics. Still, the basics are evergreen
[15:24 Know your audience
[18:22] Patterns make the world go ‘round. Search patterns that are
[22:50] Never underestimate the power of good inbound marketing
E369 - Embracing AI: Revolutionizing Digital Marketing Agencies with Karen Hite
E368 - The Power of Storytelling: How to Earn Media and Build Trust in the Business World with Yasmeen Hassan
E367 - The Power of Teaching: Building a Real Estate Empire with Dani Beit-Or
E366 - The Power of Laser-Focused Goals: Lessons from a Celebrity Concierge with Tarra Stubbins
E365 - The Rise of Gaming: A Lucrative Market and Untapped Opportunities with Jamin Warren
E364 - Mastering Productivity: 5 Actionable Strategies for Success with Miriam Ortiz y Pino
E363 - Expert Career Optimization Coach Empowers Ambitious Women for Financial Success and Work-Life Balance with Christelle Pillot
E362 - Insights from an award-winning brand consultant on building a strong marketing strategy with Megan Prejzner
E361 - Strategies, frameworks, and hiring tips for Entrepreneurs to master business growth with Gary Garth
E360 - Thrive by living authentically, and overcoming imposter syndrome to reach your full potential | with Self Worth Sam
E359 - The importance of aspirational culture for employee engagement and organizational success | with Kevin Eikenberry
E358 - Insights from a highly respected attorney on niche specialization, tech adoption, and coaching | with Luis Scott
E357 - Strategic Support for Achieving Goals and Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs by Leading with Passion | with Alessandra Wall
E356 - A passionate marketing professional who leads business owners to success with empathy and experience | with Tyler Pigott
E355 - Crafting effective email marketing strategies for small businesses: Best practices from an expert | with Scott Hartley
E354 - From financial struggle to online success, learn the secrets of affiliate marketing | with Chris Myles
E353 - The importance of building trust and creating fans instead of customers for your product | with Matthew Bertulli
E352 - Valuable lessons from Athlete to Entrepreneur and a journey of growth and discipline | with Louis Skupien
E351 - Get over it! Embracing the discomfort of change, insights from a keynote speaker | with Anne Bonney
E350 - Reviving dead email lists: The power of personalization and quality over quantity in email marketing | with Troy Ericson
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Organic Marketing Simplified: Master podcast marketing, fuel podcast growth, and make money podcasting!
THE GO BIZ GUY
The Sigma Femme Podcast
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
The Tim Ferriss Show