The cannabis industry is booming, but competition is fierce. In order to thrive in this market, dispensaries need to find creative ways to attract new customers. One way to do this is through cannabis SEO marketing.
As cannabis dispensaries pop up all over the map, it's becoming increasingly important for dispensary owners to adopt strategic marketing plans that will help their business stand out from the competition. In this blog post, we'll discuss some tips on how dispensary owners can use cannabis SEO marketing to attract more customers to their weed dispensary.
But before you hire an SEO marketing company, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, there are a lot of SEO marketing companies out there, and it can be tough to figure out which one is the best for you. It’s important to do your research and find an SEO company that has a proven track record of success. Even better if they specialize in the cannabis industry, because a lot of the techniques that may be popular in other industries won't work for cannabis. For instance, social media can help boost a normal company's SEO, but talking about cannabis on Instagram and Facebook can lead to penalties and shadowbanning.
That's why a one-size-fits-all approach likely won't work for your dispensary. Let's take a look at what search engine optimization is and how it can benefit your weed shop.
How Do You Attract More Customers To Your Weed Dispensary?
There are a few things you can do to attract more customers to your weed dispensary. One is to offer loyalty programs and discounts to regular customers. You can also give out free samples of your products, or hold promotional events.
You can also use social media to promote your dispensary. Make sure to create a profile on all the major social media platforms, and post regularly about your products and services. You can also run ads on social media, or sponsor relevant podcasts and YouTube channels.
It's likely that you are alreay doing many of the above approaches, to varying degrees. But the most important thing you need to know is that in order to be effective, you need an overall plan. Why, because an effective, well-conceived marketing strategy will not only allow you to be more thoughtful in your approach and focus on the marketing techniques with the highest ROI, but you'll also be able to be more efficient, but reusing marketing content in multiple ways, or repurposing content so that it can continue to have a positive impact.
That's why SEO can be so effective when paired with a smart marketing strategy. SEO relies on quality content, which is also one of the key ingredients to high-value marketing. So why not kill two birds with one stone? (Please don't kill any birds to market your dispensary.)
What Is Cannabis SEO Marketing?
Cannabis SEO marketing is the process of optimizing a website or web page for the cannabis industry so that it appears as the top result in search engine results pages (SERPs). Cannabis SEO marketing can be used to improve visibility for websites that sell cannabis products, as well as for websites that provide information about the cannabis industry.
Cannabis SEO marketing is a subset of general SEO marketing that is focused on optimizing websites and content for the cannabis industry. This type of SEO is still new and growing, so there are many opportunities for businesses to get in on the action.
Since cannabis is now legal in a number of states, the industry is growing rapidly. The potential for profits in this market is huge, and Cannabis SEO marketing is the perfect way to capitalize on that potential. By optimizing your website and content for cannabis-related keywords, you can reach a large audience of potential customers.
Local SEO Is Essential For A Cannabis Dispensary
As the cannabis industry continues to grow, dispensary owners must take their online presence seriously. Not only is local SEO essential for brick-and-mortar dispensaries, but it’s also crucial for an eCommerce store. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of local SEO and how dispensaries can use it to their advantage.
The first step in optimizing your dispensary for local search is to claim your Google My Business listing. This is a free service that allows businesses to control their information on Google Maps and Google Search. Once you’ve claimed your listing, make sure to fill out all of the sections, including posting your dispensary hours, address, photos, and more. The more content and information you post, the bigger the boost will be to your search results.
Along those same lines, make sure your dispensary is listed on directories like Weedmaps and Leafly. Optimize your website for local search by including keywords like “dispensary” and “marijuana” in your titles, meta descriptions, and header tags, as well as mentioning your neighborhood location, and other keywords associated with your area. The more specific the better. Basically, make it as clear as possible to Google where your dispensary is located.
The entire goal of local SEO is that when someone near your location types "dispensary near me" into Google, your shop will be the first one listed. To learn more about local SEO, and about our Local SEO Blast package, click here.
On-Page SEO Tips For Your Dispensary
When it comes to on-page SEO, you have to make sure that all of your webpages are properly configured. You also need to target the right keywords and use them in the right places. This starts with choosing the right keywords. These are the words and phrases that you want your website to rank for in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Think about the terms that people would use to find dispensaries in your area. You can use Google’s Keyword Planner or a tool like SEMrush to find popular keywords related to your business. Once you have a list of keywords, you need to determine which ones are most relevant to your business. Then, you need to include these keywords in strategic places on your website.
As mentioned above, you'll also need to ensure that your metadata and descriptions are on point. The title of a webpage is one of the most important factors for SEO. It is also one of the first things that people see when your website shows up on a Google search.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as an increasing number of people are using their phones to browse the internet. A dispensary website that isn't optimized for mobile will be penalized by Google. You'll also want to use clear and concise information about your products, services, and location. Make sure your website is easy to navigate with plenty of internal links. You want to include high-quality images of your products and facility, but at the same time (and perhaps counter-intuitively) those photos need to be fast to load. Bonus points if you can include positive reviews and testimonials from your customers.
While it's possible to fix a dispensary website so that it will be fully optimized moving forward, your best bet is to have SEO best practices built in from the start. That's why working with a cannabis website designer who understands SEO is so important.
Dispensary SEO Depends Heavily On Regularly Updated Content
Cannabis dispensary SEO is heavily reliant on having a steady stream of new content. The good news is, dispensary SEO doesn’t have to be difficult. You can improve your website’s rank with a few simple steps, like regularly updating your content.
Google loves fresh, new content. If you can provide it on a regular basis, you’ll be rewarded with better search engine results. This means that you need to blog and post articles regularly, not just about cannabis but about the industry as a whole. Make sure that your site is updated with the latest news, trends, products, events, and more.
One of the best ways to create new content for your dispensary website is to start a blog. This can be a great way to share news about the industry, as well as updates about your dispensary. You can also interview guests, write product reviews, and post photos and videos.
If you aren't into writing or creating content, find someone on your team that does. Put them in charge of your content marketing, and watch the traffic start rolling in.
The More Links To Your Website, The Better The SEO
Link building is one of the most important aspects of SEO. The more links you have to your website, the better the SEO. This is because links are seen as a vote of confidence by Google and other search engines. They help to determine a website’s authority and relevance.
There are a number of ways to build links to your website. Some are more effective than others. But, all things considered, the best way to get links is to create great content that people want to share. When people share your content, they will link to it from their own websites.
Another tip for dispensaries is to work with your farms and vendors to exchange links (you'll link to their website if they link to yours). These are natural partners for your SEO strategy, as you can each benefit from promoting each other.
Eight Quick Tips For Cannabis SEO Marketing
Start by creating quality content. This will be the foundation of your SEO strategy.
Use keywords and phrases throughout your website and content.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
Optimize your website for search engines.
Research the best keywords for your business.
Use social media to promote your content.
Connect with other cannabis businesses.
Monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed.
What Does A Cannabis SEO Agency Do?
Cannabis SEO agencies can help dispensaries and cannabis brands improve their website’s search engine ranking. A good cannabis SEO agency can help increase web traffic, and improve the visibility of a dispensary or cannabis brand’s website. Cannabis SEO agencies can also help create or improve website content, including developing keyword strategies and optimizing website architecture for search engines.
Why You Should Choose The Hood Collective As Your Cannabis SEO Agency
If you're looking for help with your cannabis or dispensary SEO, The Hood Collective provides full service content marketing and web design with SEO built into everything we do. We have years of experience in the cannabis industry, and we're passionate about helping dispensaries find success. Whether you need help with a full SEO strategy, or just want a quick, cost-effective boost, our digital team of SEO professionals are standing by.
Get in touch today to schedule a free consultation.