Cannabis Business Executive Guide to SEO

If you’re running a cannabis business and looking to boost your website’s visibility without running afoul of advertising restrictions, SEO is your best bet. Here’s a quick guide to what you need to know:

SEO Basics: Improve your site’s ranking on search engines to attract more visitors.
Navigating Regulations: Understand the limitations on advertising cannabis products online.
Industry Trends: Stay updated with SEO practices including local search, mobile optimization, and link building.
Technical SEO: Ensure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and secure.
Keyword Research: Use tools to find the right terms your audience is searching for.
On-Page SEO: Optimize your content and site structure around your target keywords.
Content Strategy: Create informative content that matches your audience’s search intent at different stages of their journey.
Local SEO: Optimize for local search to attract nearby customers to your dispensary.
Backlinks: Secure quality backlinks to enhance your site’s authority.
Analytics: Use Google Analytics to track your progress and refine your strategy.

By focusing on these areas, you can improve your site’s visibility, attract more traffic, and navigate the complex landscape of cannabis marketing with SEO.

Federal Regulations and Restrictions

The cannabis business has a tough time with SEO and online marketing because of strict rules. Since the government still sees cannabis as illegal in some ways, companies can’t directly sell or make big claims about their products online. This means they need to be smart about how they share information, focusing more on teaching people with their content rather than selling.

Some important rules to keep in mind include:

No paying for ads on big search engines like Google
Limits on sending marketing emails or following up with website visitors
You can’t use big social media sites to advertise
Stay away from making health promises about cannabis that you can’t back up

To work within these rules, cannabis brands should create content that helps and informs, like guides on how cannabis works or the latest industry news, instead of pushing sales.

Adapting to Industry Trends

The cannabis market is changing fast, and SEO needs to keep up:

Local Search

With more places making cannabis legal, people want to find shops and delivery near them. This makes local SEO super important.
Make sure your business shows up in local searches by using Google My Business, writing about local topics, and getting listed in local directories.

Voice Search

More people are using voice search, so your content needs to sound natural and answer the questions people might ask out loud.

Mobile Usage

Most people looking up cannabis info are doing it on their phones. Make sure your website is easy to use on mobile.
Using AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) can make your site faster and better on phones.

Link Building

Having other respected websites link to yours is still a big deal. It helps more people find you.
Try to get mentioned on other sites, write guest posts, or partner with other businesses to get those important links.

Understanding these parts of the cannabis SEO world can help your brand stand out. Keep an eye on what people are searching for and make your content match those trends for the best results.

Establishing Your Technical SEO Foundation

Why Technical SEO Matters

Technical SEO is all about making sure your website works well so it can rank higher on search engines. For cannabis businesses, this is super important because you’re competing with lots of other sites.

Here’s why you should care about technical SEO:

Fast websites get more visitors: If your site loads quickly, within 3 seconds, it’s more likely to rank well on search engines.
Your site needs to work on phones: Since most people use their phones to look stuff up, your website has to be easy to use on mobile devices.
Secure sites are trusted more: Using HTTPS, which means your site is secure, can help your site rank better.
Making your site easy for everyone to use is key: If your site can be used by people with disabilities, you’ll get more visitors.
Details matter for search engines: Adding extra info to your site’s code helps search engines understand your site better, making it more likely to show up in search results.

By focusing on these technical bits first, you set up your cannabis website for success, making it easier to get more people to visit.

Technical Optimization Checklist

Here’s a list of things to do to make sure your site is set up right:

Make sure your site works on all devices: Your website should look good and be easy to use whether someone is on a computer, tablet, or phone.
Make your site fast: Try to get your site to load in less than 3 seconds. You can do this by making images smaller, simplifying your website’s code, and making sure your web host is fast.
Use AMP for faster mobile pages: This makes your site load super quickly on phones.
Switch to HTTPS: This makes your site secure, which is good for both visitors and search engine rankings.
Fix any broken links: Make sure all the links on your site go where they’re supposed to.
Keep your site simple: Don’t bury important pages deep within your site. Keep things easy to find.
Add extra info for search engines: Use special code to give search engines more details about your site, helping it show up better in search results.
Make your site accessible to everyone: Add features that make it easier for people with disabilities to use your site.

Sticking to these basics can really help your cannabis website get noticed by more people. Remember to check your site regularly to make sure everything is working as it should.

Conducting Keyword Research

Tools and Data Sources

When you’re looking for the right words to help people find your cannabis website, you’ll want to use some tools to help. Here are a few:

SEMrush – This is a paid tool that helps you find out what words people use when they’re looking for cannabis products. It shows you how many people are searching for these words and how hard it might be to show up in search results with them.
Ahrefs – Another good paid tool that helps you find words and phrases related to cannabis. It also checks how well your website is doing and what other websites are linking to you.
Ubersuggest – A free tool by Neil Patel that gives you ideas for cannabis-related words that might not be so obvious.
Google Trends – A free way to see which cannabis words are getting more popular over time.
Reddit – A place to find out what real people are saying about cannabis in forums. You can find slang and natural ways people talk about cannabis.
Competitor Websites – Look at what words other cannabis websites are using. Tools like SEMrush or MozBar can help with this.

Using both paid and free tools gives you the best chance to find all the right words for your website.

Analyzing the Competition

Looking at what other cannabis websites are doing can give you great ideas. Here’s how:

Check out the top websites that come up when you search for your cannabis keywords.
See if they’re missing out on using some words that you can use.
Look for topics they haven’t covered much.
Find out what words they’re not showing up for in search results.
Also, see if there are any local or specific words they’re not using.

This helps you figure out where you can do better than them.

Clustering Keywords

Put similar words together in groups. This could be:

Words about products like vape pens or CBD oil
Words about why people might use cannabis, like for pain or sleep
Words about places, like dispensaries in a certain city
Words about actions, like buying cannabis online

Grouping words helps you see how they’re connected and makes it easier to write about lots of related topics.

Remember to keep looking for new words as the cannabis world changes. This helps you stay up to date with what people are searching for.

Optimizing Pages for Target Keywords

Creating Keyword-Focused Content

When you’re putting together articles or guides for your cannabis website, make sure they’re centered around the keywords you want to be found for. Here’s how to do it:

Look up questions or topics people might be searching for related to your keyword. Write your content to answer these questions.
Put the keyword in your title and right at the start of your article.
Mention the keyword a few more times in your article, but don’t go overboard.
Also, throw in some related keywords or longer versions of your main keyword.
Make certain keywords stand out by making them bold or italic.
Organize your content with headings and subheadings that use your keywords.

Your main aim is to give your readers useful information, using keywords in a way that feels natural.

Title and Description Meta Tag Optimization

For your page titles and descriptions, remember to:

Start with your main keyword in both the title and description.
Keep your title under 60 characters and include your brand name.
Make sure your description is enticing and stays under 160 characters.
Use other related keywords in your description too.

This approach helps people click through from search results without stuffing too many keywords.

On-Page Optimization Tactics

Try to use keywords in your page URLs.
Use keywords in your main headers and the headers below them.
Name your images with keywords and describe them with keywords in the ALT text.
Use special code (schema markup) on your pages and include keywords.
Link pages on your site to each other using keywords as the link text.
Make sure keywords are in the first few lines of your content.

Keep checking your pages to make sure you’re using keywords well without going too far. Look at what competitors are doing for more ideas on how to use keywords on your pages.

Leveraging Content for SEO

Content marketing and SEO work together like a team to help cannabis companies grow. By making high-quality, useful content that’s easy for search engines to find, brands can get more people to visit their website, become more visible, and get more customers.

Educational Content Converts

In the world of cannabis, it’s better to teach than to sell directly. Since you can’t make direct health claims or push sales too hard, sharing information helps build trust and shows your brand knows its stuff. Writing about how things work, the latest news, and what’s happening locally can draw in the right audience.

Align Content to Buyer’s Journey

Make sure your content matches what people are looking for at different times:

Awareness Stage

Basic guides
Summaries of products or how to use them
Info on local or state cannabis rules

Consideration Stage

Articles comparing different products
Reviews
Advice on how to pick products

Decision Stage

Suggestions on what to buy
Highlights of local shops
Deals or discounts

Optimize Every Piece of Content

When you write, remember to:

Use the main topic in titles, headings, and web addresses
Write short descriptions with key topics
Make sure pictures are named and described properly
Link to other related articles
Use special website code to help search engines understand your content

This helps make sure your articles can be easily found online.

Promote and Distribute Broadly

It’s important to share your articles widely. You can use:

Email lists
Social media
News articles
Building links to your site
Ads that follow people around the internet

Turning articles into videos or podcasts can also help spread the word. The more people see your content, the more will visit your site.

Analyze Performance

Use tools to see which articles people like most. Focus on those topics or styles for your next pieces. Always check what’s working so you can keep improving.

By combining SEO and content, cannabis brands can create helpful information that also guides customers towards buying. With the right approach, good content can lead to more people visiting your site naturally.

Local SEO for Cannabis Dispensaries

Local SEO is super important for cannabis dispensaries that want to get more people walking through their door. Here’s how to make it work for you:

Optimize Google My Business Listing

Make sure you fill out your Google My Business profile completely. Include things like your business name, what you do, pictures, and how to get in touch.
Ask your customers to leave reviews. Having a lot of good reviews (think 20 or more) with a high rating (above 4 stars) can really help.
Make sure your Google My Business profile is officially verified and connects to your website.

Target Local Keywords

Look for keywords that include the name of your dispensary, your city or neighborhood, and what you sell, like "dispensary," "delivery," "vape store," and so on.
Use these local keywords on your main page, pages for specific locations, and in your blog posts.

Build Local Links and Citations

Get your business listed in local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Facebook Places. Also, don’t forget about places that are all about cannabis.
Team up with local groups, events, or people who are known in the cannabis world to get links back to your site.
Write guest posts for local news websites or blogs that talk about your community.

Engage Your Audience

Support local events to meet people in your area.
Have special offers for locals or do something nice for the community.
Post about local news and what’s happening on your social media.

By focusing on both your online stuff and getting out there in the community, your dispensary can become the first place people think of when they want cannabis nearby.

Securing Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are really important for making your cannabis site more visible online. Getting links from other respected websites can make your site seem more trustworthy and help it show up better in searches. Here’s how to get good backlinks.

Outreach for Guest Posts and Links

Reaching out to bloggers and other websites is a great way to get guest posts and backlinks. Here are some steps to follow:

Look for well-known cannabis websites or people who talk a lot about cannabis. Choose those with a strong reputation.
When you send them an email, make it personal. Tell them why you like their site and suggest ways you could work together.
Offer to write an article just for their site that their readers would find interesting. Make sure there’s a spot for a link back to your site.
Think about working together on something like a contest, a special offer, or an online event.
If you don’t hear back right away, send another email. Maybe try a different approach or offer something else.

Creating good relationships and offering something valuable can help you get better backlinks.

Promoting Content

Sharing your content on social media can also help you get backlinks. Here are some ideas:

Post your articles in cannabis-related Facebook groups or on Reddit. Start conversations and encourage people to link to your site.
Use Twitter to share your articles and tag people who talk a lot about cannabis. This can get their attention.
Turn your articles into posts on LinkedIn and join in on cannabis industry group discussions.
Make infographics, stats, or quotes from your articles that people will want to share. Include links back to your site.
Try running some ads on Facebook and Instagram about useful resources you offer, just make sure they follow the rules for cannabis.

Getting your content out there to people who are interested in cannabis can lead to more people talking about your site and linking back to it. Keep an eye on where your backlinks are coming from so you can see what’s working best.

Tracking Progress in Google Analytics

Google Analytics is like a super tool for checking how well your cannabis website is doing in terms of SEO. When you link your website to Google Analytics, you get a lot of useful information that shows you what’s working and what’s not.

Here are the main things to keep an eye on in Google Analytics:

Keyword Rankings

Google Analytics doesn’t directly tell you where your website ranks for certain keywords, but you can get around this by:

Adding the Google Search Console to see how your keywords are doing over time.
Linking your SEMrush account to bring keyword rankings into your Google Analytics reports.

Keeping an eye on your rankings lets you know if more people are seeing your site when they search.

Organic Traffic

Look at the acquisition reports in Google Analytics to see how many people are coming to your site from search engines, and which pages or keywords brought them there.

This helps you understand the link between your search rankings and the number of visitors.

Conversions

Don’t just look at traffic. Check out how many visitors are actually doing what you want them to do on your site, like buying something or signing up. This tells you if your SEO is really paying off.

Click-Through-Rate

This is about how often people click on your site after seeing it in search results. If the number is low, it might mean your site’s title or description isn’t catchy enough.

Mobile vs. Desktop

See how your site performs on phones versus computers. This is important because a lot of people use their phones to look things up.

Page Speed

Find out how fast your pages load. Fast-loading pages are more likely to rank well and keep visitors happy.

Best Practices for Monitoring Cannabis SEO Performance

Set Up Dashboards: Make special reports that focus on the most important SEO numbers to make tracking easier.
Connect Other Tools: Bring in data from other places like Search Console, SEMrush, and Ahrefs.
Schedule Reviews: Take a close look at your SEO data every few months to find any problems or chances to get better.
Test and Iterate: Try different things with your site’s titles, descriptions, and content to see what works best. Use what you learn to make your site better.

Keeping a close watch on your SEO through Google Analytics helps you tweak your approach and show that your efforts are worth it. Always aim to get better numbers for a stronger website.

Adapting to Changes Over Time

The cannabis business and how search engines work keep changing. It’s key for businesses to watch their website’s performance and update their SEO plan regularly. Here’s how to stay sharp:

Regularly Review Analytics

Make it a habit to look at your Google Analytics. Look for shifts in rankings, where your visitors are coming from, which pages they like most, and if they’re taking actions like buying or signing up.
Spot new chances or problems that need fixing.
Create reports that focus on key SEO info for cannabis businesses.

Stay on Top of Algorithm Updates

Keep an eye out for changes in how Google ranks pages. See if these changes affect your site’s position for important keywords.
Update your site’s content if needed to meet the new rules.
Aim to get links from big-name sites if Google starts favoring them more.

Monitor Competitor Actions

Use tools like SEMrush to watch what other cannabis sites are doing.
If competitors are doing well with certain types of content or links, figure out why and try to do it better.

Adapt to Industry Trends

Keep up with the latest news in the cannabis world.
Look for new search trends and jump on them with content that matches.
Think about moving into new areas or types of business that are picking up.

Test and Iterate

Experiment with different ways of writing titles, descriptions, and setting up your content. Also, try getting links from new places.
Use Google Optimize or other tools to test what your visitors like best.
Stick with strategies that work and stop using ones that don’t.

The cannabis industry moves quickly. By always checking your data, experimenting, and being ready to change, you can keep your SEO game strong and stay ahead.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

For cannabis businesses looking to get noticed and bring in more visitors, SEO is really important. Here are the main points to remember:

Follow the rules when you’re writing online. Make sure to teach rather than sell, and don’t make claims you can’t prove.
Make sure your website is quick, works well on phones, is safe, and everyone can use it.
Use tools to find the best words that people search for. See what your competitors are doing and group similar words together.
Use your chosen words carefully in your website’s titles, headings, descriptions, and articles.
Keep making helpful articles that answer people’s questions. Share these articles a lot.
Try to get other websites to link back to you by writing guest posts, working together, and sharing your content.
Keep an eye on your website’s data like how many people visit, how many buy something, and how often they click on your site. Use tools to make this easier.
Always be ready to change your strategy based on new rules from Google, what’s popular, and what others are doing. Keep testing different ways to see what works best.

By focusing on these steps and always trying to do better, cannabis companies can grow their online presence and attract more people.