Creating a strong cannabis business takes more than having the best bud.
Thanks to recent policy changes and a growing sense of acceptance in the public, business is booming.
Cannabis connoisseurs are thrilled, but emerging brands need to watch out. Without the right cannabis marketing, it can be easy to get lost in the weeds.
One of the best resources to take advantage of is SEO.
No matter if you are advertising an online shop or getting people through the door of a brick and mortar, SEO is your key to generating organic leads.
Here are seven simple tips you can use to build strong SEO campaigns.
1. Get an Audit
If you know more about growing greens than Google and gadgets, an audit is the best place to start.
Getting a site audit helps you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your website. It tells you what to continue doing and what to prioritize as you make edits.
This is the foundation for the rest of your cannabis marketing efforts.
Your audit can tell you how well URLs are performing. It identifies keywords to keep using and which ones to scratch.
They also look over your links and structure of your landing pages.
Bottom line? Audits understand what users want to see.
They tell you how to best use search engine strategies to get in front of the right people.
2. Engage, Engage, Engage
Another way to talk to your consumers is through social media.
However, you can’t expect your account to generate online traffic on its own.
Each new social media outlet you sign up for is a commitment to staying connected. Your posts have to be consistent and well-communicated.
Focus on creating a feeling around your brand.
Are you taking a medical stance on cannabis and natural healing? Or, are you all about recreational recipes like this Quantum 9 pot brownie recipe?
Know your audience and make a genuine effort to engage with them.
Share new product information on your Facebook posts. Go live on Instagram to answer common cannabis questions.
The better you brand on these fun, interactive systems, the better your SEO results will be.
3. Focus on Your Content
Don’t forget about your landing pages when you’re building social communication strategies.
Cannabis marketing only cares about engagement to get one step closer to conversions.
Think about it this way: it doesn’t matter if you have thousands of Instagram followers if you can’t make a sale on your website.
This is why well-branded content matters most at home base. Make sure the messaging on your site is properly aligned.
Use your audit to establish a set of keywords and make them feel natural as you write copy. Don’t overdo it though, because Google will catch on and penalize you.
You can check your efforts using keyword density ratios.
For more use of the right words, consider starting a blog.
Blogging boosts your credibility in the cannabis market. It’s your way to show you know what you’re talking about and keeps new content rolling in.
Plus, you can share posts on social media for even more interaction.
4. Use Link Building
Blog or no blog, you’ve got to use links.
Link building keeps users interested.
It points them to an area of your site they otherwise might not have discovered. You can use links to lead to deep-seeded pages or brand-new product releases.
Don’t be shy about linking to pages outside of your domain, either.
Linking to cannabis-conscious leaders can help build your professional network. It’s the SEO way of reaching out to prominent figures and establishing relationships.
Users will appreciate the insightful information, and you may find yourself with some new partnership opportunities.
5. Adapt Across Devices
As you’re building cannabis marketing strategies for SEO, consider the devices most people use for search.
Hint: it’s not a desktop.
About 60% of the market searches for things from their mobile device. Much of this audience is probably using their smartphone, but tablets are not to be forgotten.
How does your cannabis site look on all these different tools?
If it doesn’t adapt, you have a major issue.
Work with your hosting site or web developer to make sure users have a seamless UI experience. A well-made site adapts its screen size, navigation systems, and more.
It should be easy to find your different pages and products on any tool.
While you’re improving your adaptions, check for loading speed.
No one likes to wait to get the information they’re looking for. If your pages take too long to load, you may be losing more customers than you think.
6. Take Advantage of Local Opportunities
Don’t drop the ball when it comes to local search, either.
Remember those people searching for sites on their mobile phones? Many of them will be looking for nearby solutions to their needs.
A simple way to make your cannabis marketing local-friendly is to use phrases like “nearby” or “near me”. You can also include the name of your city.
Local optimization creates more effective keywords.
It boosts your SEO performance by competing against a much smaller market. For example, you’re more likely to come up for “best cannabis oil in Tallahassee” than just “best cannabis oil.”
7. Know the Data
Speaking of working against the competition, make an effort to understand SEO metrics.
Numbers never lie, and they almost always give you the key to see inside your users’ minds.
Cannabis marketing comes down to data.
Data tells you how well you’re doing and what your next steps should be. It can say to continue a campaign or to go back to the drawing board for a new idea.
You don’t have to know the ins and outs of SEO, either.
There are many tools and services ready to help you break down the numbers. Find the ones that work for you let them guide you to new opportunities.
Find the Right SEO Strategies for Your Cannabis Marketing
Digital advertising is not as intimidating as it seems.
Make no mistake though, it is absolutely necessary.
Your cannabis marketing needs a strategy to succeed. Otherwise, how will your potential customers be able to find you?
Thankfully, we’ve got your back.
Get your organic search strategies started with the help of our SEO tips.