Marijuana Dispensary SEO Strategy
SEO Strategy Guide for Marijuana Dispensaries
With the legalization of some forms of marijuana use, a new market has opened for vendors and providers. While this is great news for those who sell marijuana, the market is not always easy to navigate. Regardless of changes in laws across the country, dispensaries still face challenges as they attempt to advertise.
Popular sites such as Facebook and Google Adwords are still opposed to the use of marijuana, making it impossible for a dispensary to market through their platforms. While dispensaries are anxious to find a way to spread the word about their products, they are finding it quite difficult. The money that most dispensaries put into marketing often goes to waste, leaving them frustrated and unsure how to reach the public.
The answer is simple: It’s time for dispensaries to turn back to search engine optimization. Despite the rise in the social media, Google is still the largest search engine and controls approximately 98% of users online. Smart local SEO strategies are vital if dispensaries want to be found and recognized by those who need their services.
How Can marijuana Dispensaries Use SEO?
Search engine optimization is a tried and true method of gaining website views by getting high listings in relevant Google search results. Dispensaries that want to hone in on SEO need to focus on constantly adding new, valuable content to their website and blogs. Through SEO, dispensaries can reach out to those who most need their products and target potential customers within their area.
While competing dispensaries are still trying to fight their way through Facebook’s difficult policies or turning to direct mail advertising, you can opt to engage Google and receive high-quality traffic. The results you receive through Google will provide you with viewers who are actively searching for marijuana and are interested in connecting with a dispensary.
How Can You Become Number One on Google?
It’s every individual’s dream to have their website ranked as number one on Google’s search results. While this can be a challenge, it is totally within the realm of possibility if you are marketing a marijuana dispensary. With the market fresh and open, this is the time for you to move your dispensary to the top of the results and do what it takes to keep it there. Keep reading to discover how you can get your site listed as number one, making it possible for you to draw in the most viewers and gain the most customers.
Take Advantage of Local Viewers Dispensary Local SEO targets those who are located near your specific area. While you may not want to focus all your energy on those who are local, it’s important to realize the impact that you can have when you market to those living close by.
When someone searches for a dispensary, they are likely to type “marijuana dispensaries near me”. While shipping is a possibility, website users often look for suppliers that are located in their area so that they can go visit the store or have the shortest ship time. When Google is asked to display “marijuana dispensaries near me”, it will automatically display the dispensaries that are closest to the individual. While being first on the list doesn’t promise all the leads, research shows that the first listing gets a third more clicks than any of the others.
How to Outrank Your Competition
Your first step is to verify your business with Google by visiting www.google.com/business. This web address will take you to a page where you can tell more about your business, providing details such as work hours, where you are located, a description, videos, and pictures. While filling out this information can seem like a drag, it will be well-worth your time – the more information you list, the higher you will rank on local results.
Include Your Marijuana Dispensary on Directories
While verifying your dispensary details through Google is a good start, it’s not enough to secure you first place on search engine results. Google is very passionate about making sure that businesses are truly where they say they are and, the more times they see your dispensary details listed online, the more likely they will move you to number one on search results.
Since you are marketing to marijuana users, make sure to get your main details (name, address, and phone number) are listed on the sites of WEEDMAPS, CANNABISSER and POT GUIDE. These directories will provide Google with more proof that you are a marijuana dispensary and that you truly are located where your address is listed.
Don’t just stick to those two directories; instead, let them simply be the starting line. Get a good feel for directories, especially those that target your local area, and make sure to get your details added. Some popular directories include Yellow Pages, Yellowbook, Indeed, BBB, Facebook, and YouTube. Be slow and careful when you enter your details, taking care not to make sloppy mistakes such as typing out the wrong address.
Consider a Listing Service
While entering details in every directory can be exhausting, there are tools such as MOZ and YEXT that will automatically list them for you. MOZ requires more work but only costs $100; YEXT provides more but costs a heftier fee $500.
Make Sure Your Marijuana Dispensary Does This for SEO!
While we often think of Google as people sitting at a computer screen, determining who gets the winning place on search results, Google is actually just a robot. Google doesn’t use a human brain to calculate search results; instead, it gathers data like a robot and then displays it. When Google inspects your site, it is simply doing it robotically – it’s not actually a human reading your information.
Here are some of the things Google looks for on marijuana dispensary sites:
1. Well optimized sites complete with Title Tags, Headlines, Descriptions, META Tags, and Keywords
2. Content that is relevant to your site and business.
3. The way that viewers interact with your site.
4. The time visitors spend on your site – if they immediately leave after opening the page, Google isn’t happy!
If you want Google to appreciate your dispensary SEO efforts and give you a good ranking, remember the following:
1. Keep Your Site at 1,000 or more words. Don’t skimp on details but, on the other hand, don’t exhaust your real customers with too much information. Make sure that your marijuana dispensary content is easy-to-read and relevant.
2. Keywords. You need to have your target keywords used at least 10 times on your site.
3. Employ Videos. It can be hard to come up with videos that will be appropriate; however, this is something that Google is looking for during its ranking process.
4. Map Listings. Show exactly where your business is located on an on-site map.
5. Https Certification
Are You Doing Something Wrong?
Sometimes the entire SEO game seems impossible to win. If your site seems to have problems or if you just want to make it better, go to the Neil Patel website where you can check your site’s details for free! Just go to neilpatel.com and enter your URL in the website analyzer. After this tool analyzes your website, you can view problems and then go through each page to fix them. The fewer problems your site presents, the higher it will be on Google search engine rankings.
Are Blogs Necessary for Marijuana Dispensary SEO?
Running a good blog can be time consuming and even frustrating as business owners search for something to write about. Despite the nuisance of blogging, Google has repeatedly announced that blogging plays a vital role in any type of SEO. Since blogging isn’t always fun, it is something that your competition probably isn’t doing – which gives you a head start!
Blogs work to help websites by providing constant, fresh content and giving more room for keyword optimization. Rather than run away from the prospect of blogging, grit your teeth and run toward it!
What to Blog About with a Marijuana Dispensary
Rather than randomly shoot into the dark, trying to come up with a blog post that will be worthwhile, you can employ tools like Buzzsumo that will show you what content is well received and what isn’t. By using these tools, you can get a good feel for what will work with your readers. Amazingly enough, Buzzsumo doesn’t require you to write any content of your own; instead, it focuses on the content that others have already written. Consider this site to be your cheat-sheet for composing a good blog!
If you are a marijuana dispensary that feels overwhelmed by the lack of support online, don’t give up yet! By employing the dispensary SEO tips listed above, you can help to raise your site to the top of search engine result, making it possible to target local customers and generate sales.
