The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing and most competitive markets in the United States. With more states legalizing weed and more customers looking for cannabis products online, having a strong online presence is crucial for any cannabis business.

However, cannabis businesses face unique challenges when it comes to online marketing. Most platforms, such as social media and paid ads, do not allow cannabis-related content due to legal restrictions. This means that cannabis businesses have to rely on organic search traffic to reach their target audience.

This is where cannabis SEO comes in. By utilizing SEO best practices, cannabis businesses can rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive more traffic, leads, and sales to their website.

But how can you do SEO for cannabis effectively? What are the best strategies and tips to optimize your website for cannabis-related keywords and topics? And how can you measure and improve your SEO performance over time?

In this article, we will answer these questions and provide you with a comprehensive guide to cannabis SEO. We’ll cover the following topics:

• Why cannabis SEO is important and how it can benefit your business
• How to do keyword research and understand user search intent for cannabis SEO
• How to create engaging and authoritative content for cannabis SEO
• How to optimize your website for technical, on-page, and off-page SEO factors
• How to use analytics and KPIs to track and improve your cannabis SEO results
• How to choose a professional cannabis SEO agency to help you with your SEO needs

Why Cannabis SEO is Important and How it Can Benefit Your Business

Cannabis SEO is important for several reasons. First, it helps you bypass the advertising restrictions that limit your online exposure. Google Ads policies are strict in forbidding PPC and paid ads related to recreational drugs. By using SEO, you can leverage the power of search engines to promote your products and services to potential customers who are actively looking for them while not running afoul of Google policies.

Second, SEO  helps you build trust and credibility with your audience. Cannabis is still a controversial industry with a complex web of regulations around it that vary by state and country, and many people are not familiar with its benefits and uses. By creating informative and authoritative content that answers their questions and educates them about cannabis, you can establish yourself as a reliable and reputable source of information and products.

Third, it helps you increase your conversions and sales. SEO doesn’t just drive traffic to your website, but qualified and relevant traffic eager to engage with you and follow your sales path. By targeting the right keywords and topics that match the search intent of your audience, you can attract visitors who are more likely to become customers and loyal fans of your brand.

How to Do Keyword Research and Understand User Search Intent for Cannabis

Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. By identifying and targeting the right keywords for your cannabis niche, you can optimize your website and content for the queries that your audience is using to find the info they’re looking for.

But how do you find the right keywords for cannabis SEO? And how do you know what your audience is looking for?

The best way to do keyword research for cannabis SEO is to use a keyword research tool. A keyword research tool can help you discover the most popular and relevant keywords for your niche, as well as their search volume, difficulty, and competition.

• Search volume is the average number of monthly searches for a specific keyword. The higher the volume, the more traffic that can be generated, as long as the website is optimized.
• Difficulty is an SEO metric that can tell you how hard it would be to rank on the first page of search results for a particular keyword. The score is usually measured on a scale of 0-100. A query with a difficulty score of 0–30 is considered easy, 31–70 is considered moderate, and 71–100 is considered difficult.
• Competition is the level of rivalry among the websites that are ranking for a specific keyword. The higher the competition, the harder it is to outrank them and get to the top of the SERPs.

Using a keyword research tool, you can find the best keywords for your cannabis niche by following these steps:

1. Start with a seed keyword that describes your main product or service, such as “CBD oil” or “cannabis dispensary”.
2. Enter the seed keyword into the keyword research tool and analyze the results. You’ll see a list of related keywords, along with their search volume, difficulty, and competition.
3. Filter and sort the results by the criteria that are most important for you, such as search volume, difficulty, or relevance. You can also use advanced filters to narrow down the results by location, language, or device.
4. Select the keywords that are most relevant and profitable for your niche, and add them to your keyword list. You can also use the keyword research tool to generate more keyword ideas by using features such as keyword suggestions, related keywords, or question keywords.
5. Repeat the process for other seed keywords that are relevant to your niche, and expand your keyword list with more variations and long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are keywords that consist of three or more words and are more specific and less competitive than short-tail keywords. For example, “CBD oil for anxiety” is a long-tail keyword, while “CBD oil” is a short-tail keyword.

Long-tail keywords are important for cannabis SEO because they can help you target more specific and qualified traffic, as well as rank higher for less competitive queries. Long-tail keywords also reflect the user search intent more accurately.

User search intent is the reason why someone conducts a specific search. It’s the goal or outcome that the user wants to achieve by typing in a query. Understanding user search intent is crucial for cannabis SEO because it helps you create content that matches the expectations and needs of your audience.

There are four main types of search intent, or why someone types in a query in a search engine:

• Informational: The user wants to learn something or find an answer to a question. For example, “What are the benefits of CBD oil?” or “How to grow cannabis indoors?”
• Navigational: The user wants to find a specific website or page. For example, “Facebook login” or “Amazon customer service”.
• Transactional: The user wants to buy something or perform an action. For example, “Buy CBD oil online” or “Book a cannabis tour”.
• Commercial: The user wants to compare different products or services before making a purchase decision. For example, “Best CBD oil for pain” or “Cannabis dispensary near me”.

To optimize your website and content for user search intent, you need to do the following:

• Identify the search intent of your target keywords by analyzing the SERPs and the type of content that is ranking for them. For example, if you see a lot of product pages, reviews, or comparison articles, the search intent is likely transactional or commercial. If you see a lot of blog posts, guides, or FAQs, the search intent is likely informational.
• Create content that matches the search intent of your target keywords by providing the best possible answer or solution to the user’s query. If the search intent is informational, create an informative and authoritative article that answers the user’s question. If the search intent is transactional, create a product page that showcases the benefits and features of your product and encourages the user to buy it.
• Optimize your content for the search intent of your target keywords by using the appropriate format, structure, and elements. If the search intent is informational, use headings, subheadings, bullet points, images, and videos to make your content easy to read and understand. If the search intent is transactional, use clear and compelling calls to action, testimonials, reviews, and trust signals to persuade the user to take action.

How to Create Engaging and Authoritative Content for Cannabis SEO

Content is the core of any SEO strategy. It’s what attracts and engages your audience, provides value and information, and converts them into customers. Content is also what search engines use to understand and rank your website for relevant keywords and topics.

But how do you create engaging and authoritative content for cannabis SEO? And what are the best practices and tips to make your content stand out from the competition?

Here are some guidelines to follow when creating content for cannabis SEO:

• Know your audience and their pain points, needs, and interests. Create content that solves their problems, answers their questions, and educates them about cannabis. Use a tone and language that resonates with them and reflects your brand personality.
• Do thorough keyword research and use your target keywords strategically throughout your content. Use your main keyword in your title, URL, meta description, headings, and first paragraph. Use related keywords and synonyms in the body of your content to avoid keyword stuffing and create semantic relevance. Use long-tail keywords and question keywords to target specific and low-competition queries.
• Write original and unique content that provides value and information that is not available elsewhere. Avoid copying or duplicating content from other sources, as this can hurt your SEO and reputation. Use your own words and voice, and cite your sources when using facts, statistics, or quotes.
• Write in-depth and comprehensive content that covers the topic thoroughly and satisfies the user search intent. Aim for at least 1000 words per page, and use subheadings, bullet points, lists, tables, charts, images, and videos to break up your content and make it more readable and engaging. Use internal links to connect your content and guide the user to other relevant pages on your website. Use external links to provide additional resources and references for your content.

• Write catchy and compelling titles and meta descriptions that entice the user to click on your page and read your content. Use your main keyword and a benefit or a curiosity gap in your title to capture the user’s attention and interest. For example, “How CBD Oil Can Help You Sleep Better Tonight”, or “The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis SEO (You Won’t Believe #7)”.
• Use your main keyword and a summary or a call to action in your meta description to entice the user to click on your page and read your content. For example, “Learn how CBD oil can improve your sleep quality and health with this comprehensive guide. Find the best CBD oil products, dosages, and tips for better sleep.” or “Discover the best strategies and tips to optimize your website and content for cannabis SEO. Boost your online presence and beat the competition with this ultimate guide.”
• Write for humans, not for robots. Use a natural and conversational tone and language that’s easy to understand and relate to. Avoid jargon, slang, or technical terms that your audience may not be familiar with. Use humor, stories, or anecdotes to make your content more engaging and memorable. Use transitions, connectors, and signposts to make your content more coherent and logical. Use active voice, short sentences, and simple words to make your content clearer and more concise.

How to Optimize Your Website for Technical, On-Page, and Off-Page SEO Factors

SEO is not only about content, but also about the technical, on-page, and off-page aspects of your website. These are the factors that affect how your website is crawled, indexed, and ranked by search engines, as well as how your website is perceived and linked to by other websites and users.

Here are some of the best practices and tips to optimize your website for technical, on-page, and off-page SEO factors:

• Technical SEO:
  • Improve your website speed by using a fast and reliable hosting service, compressing and optimizing your images and files, minifying and caching your code, and using a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce the loading time of your website.
  • Secure your website by using HTTPS, which is the secure version of HTTP that encrypts the data between your website and the user’s browser. HTTPS can also improve your SEO and user trust, as search engines and browsers favor secure websites and warn users of insecure websites.
  • Make your website mobile-friendly by using a responsive design that adapts to the screen size and device of the user. Mobile-friendliness is important for SEO and user experience, as more and more users are accessing the web from their smartphones and tablets, and search engines use mobile-first indexing to rank websites based on their mobile version.
  • Make your website crawlable by using a well-structured and updated sitemap that lists all the pages and resources of your website, and submit it to search engines via their webmaster tools. A sitemap can help search engines discover and index your website more efficiently and accurately. You can also use a robots.txt file to instruct search engines which pages and resources of your website they can or cannot crawl and index.
• On-page SEO:
  • Optimize your title, URL, and meta description for each page of your website by using your target keyword and a benefit or a call to action. These elements are the first thing that users and search engines see when they encounter your page, and they can influence your click-through rate and ranking.
  • Optimize your headings, subheadings, and body content for each page of your website by using your target keyword and related keywords. These elements are the main content of your page, and they can influence your relevance and authority on your topic.
  • Optimize your images and other media for each page of your website by using descriptive and keyword-rich file names, alt texts, and captions. These elements can help search engines and users understand what your images and media are about, and they can also improve your website’s accessibility and user experience.
  • Optimize your internal links for each page of your website by using descriptive and keyword-rich anchor texts, and linking to relevant and valuable pages on your website. These elements can help search engines and users navigate and explore your website, and they can also improve your site structure, accessibility and authority.
• Off-page SEO:
  • Build high-quality and relevant backlinks to your website from other authoritative and trustworthy websites in your niche. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website, and they can influence your popularity and credibility in your niche. You can build backlinks by creating valuable and shareable content, reaching out to influencers and bloggers, guest posting on other websites, participating in forums and communities, and using social media and online directories.
  • Leverage social media to promote your website and content to your target audience and potential customers. Social media can help you increase your brand awareness, engagement, and traffic, as well as generate social signals that can influence your SEO and user trust. You can leverage social media by creating and sharing valuable and engaging content, interacting and building relationships with your followers, joining and creating groups and pages, and using viral hashtags and relevant keywords.
  • Encourage and manage online reviews to boost your business reputation and trust. Online reviews can help you increase your customer satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals, as well as generate user-generated content that can influence your SEO and user trust. You can encourage and manage online reviews by asking for feedback from your customers, responding to positive and negative reviews, offering incentives and rewards, and using review platforms and tools.

How to Use Analytics and KPIs to Track and Improve Your Cannabis SEO Results

SEO is not a one-time thing, but an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and improvement. To measure and improve your cannabis SEO results, you need to use analytics and KPIs (key performance indicators) to track and analyze your website and content performance, and identify and fix any issues or opportunities you discover over time.

Some of the most common and important analytics and KPIs for cannabis SEO are:

• Traffic: The number and quality of visitors that come to your website from organic search and other sources. You can use tools such as Google Analytics to track and analyze your traffic, including the total number of sessions, users, and pageviews, the average session duration, bounce rate, and pages per session, traffic sources and channels, geographic and demographic data, and user behavior and flow.
• Keywords: The words and phrases that users use to find your website and content on search engines. You can use tools such as Google Search Console to track and analyze your keywords, including the total number of impressions, clicks, and click-through rate, average position and ranking, search queries and terms, and landing pages and URLs.
• Conversions: The actions and outcomes that you want your visitors to take when they visit a specific page, such as buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form. You can use tools such as Google Analytics to track and analyze your conversions, including the total number of conversions, conversion rate, and revenue, conversion goals and funnels, attribution and value, and user segments and personas.
• Backlinks: The links from other websites that point to your website and content and influence your popularity and credibility. You can use tools such as Ahrefs or Moz to track and analyze your backlinks, including the total number and quality of backlinks, domain authority and rating, anchor texts and keywords, referring domains and pages, and link types and attributes.
• Content: The quality and performance of your website and content, and how they satisfy the user search intent and needs. You can use tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or BuzzSumo to track and analyze your content, including type and format, length and depth, relevance and authority, engagement and shares, and optimization and ranking.

How to Choose a Professional Cannabis SEO Agency to Help You with Your SEO Needs

Cannabis SEO can be a complex and challenging task, especially if you’re not familiar with the best practices and tools, or if you don’t have the time and resources to do it yourself. In that case, you may want to consider hiring a professional cannabis SEO agency to help you with your SEO needs.

A cannabis SEO agency can help you with various aspects of SEO, such as keyword research, content creation, website optimization, link building, analytics, and more.

But how do you choose a professional cannabis SEO agency that can deliver the best results for your cannabis website and business? And what are the criteria and factors that you should consider when hiring a cannabis SEO agency?

Here are some of the tips and questions that you should ask when choosing a professional cannabis SEO agency:

• Browse their portfolio and case studies. A professional cannabis SEO agency should be able to show you their previous work and results, and how they have helped other cannabis businesses achieve their SEO goals and objectives. You should look for examples of their work and results that are relevant and similar to your niche, industry, and market, and that demonstrate their expertise and skills in cannabis SEO.
• Check their reviews and testimonials. Professional cannabis SEO agency should have positive and authentic feedback from their previous and current clients which reflects their satisfaction and trust in the agency’s services and solutions. Look for reviews and testimonials that are detailed and specific, and which highlight the strengths and benefits of working with the agency.

• Shop their services and packages. A professional cannabis SEO agency should offer a range of services and packages that suit your needs and budget, and that cover all the aspects of cannabis SEO, such as keyword research, content creation, website optimization, link building, analytics, and more. Look for services and packages that are customized and flexible, and that can be tailored to your specific goals and objectives.
• Analyze their team and communication. A professional cannabis SEO agency should have a qualified and experienced team of experts that can handle your cannabis SEO project, and that can communicate with you effectively and efficiently. Look for a team that has a background and knowledge in cannabis, SEO, and digital marketing, and which can provide you with regular updates, reports, and support.

ArticleHub understands the pitfalls of pursuing SEO strategies and tactics for cannabis businesses. Our top-flight team is made up of industry veterans who know the ins and outs of specialized cannabis SEO like the back of their hand. They have the knowledge, expertise and tools to ensure the success of your SEO campaigns in both the short and long term.

Contact us to learn more!