When you market your Cannabis company to the world, local SEO matters. Let’s say you incorporate local SEO into your digital marijuana marketing campaign. In that case, you can boost the amount of online traffic your company’s website receives and increase foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar business. No matter where you sell your products, if you want potential customers to know your company exists, you have to reach them where they are—online.
Often, customers will never go past the first page of search results in their quest to find a product or service. For your business to appear on Google’s first page and for customers to see you, it is crucial to ensure that the right pieces are in place. Therefore, the following sections of this post will determine what local SEO is and why it matters. So, let’s dive in.
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What is Local SEO?
SEO enables your website to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs) for keywords relevant to your business. However, a local CBD and Cannabis SEO campaign allows you to rank high for keywords relating to your company and your operation areas.
Assume you have a dispensary in Texas. Wouldn’t it be helpful if it appeared when people typed in “cannabis stores in Texas” into Google instantly? You’ll need to implement some local SEO strategies to achieve that goal.
Local SEO drives traffic to your website and maximizes your conversion rate since people are more likely to engage with nearby businesses. Google searches on local information account for almost half (46%) of all searches. It means users are actively seeking local information. Besides, 88% of local smartphone searches lead to a store visit or call within 24 hours.
Why Local SEO For Cannabis Matters
Cannabis advertising is a complicated topic. Google’s policy forbids the marketing of marijuana-related products through paid ads. Due to this, local SEO and SEO have become essential tools for businesses to build their online presence. A new brand that struggles to rank high on Google search results might find it challenging to compete with more established national or global brands. However, local searches always present less competition.
By leveraging local cannabis SEO, you enhance your chances of becoming visible to potential customers in your locality. You can increase in-store sales and word-of-mouth marketing within your target audience’s social circles by earning their recognition, which will also contribute to customer loyalty.
How to Use Local SEO to Market Your Cannabis Company
You can overtake organic search rankings in a search query in various ways, all of which allow you to promote your location. These include:
Using Local Keywords
Google’s free tools are only the beginning of local SEO for cannabis businesses. You can enhance your local search rankings by using keywords. By including local search terms on your website and Google My Business profile, like your company’s city or state, you can increase your search results and the number of potential customers who see you online.
You can include local keywords in your website’s headings, meta descriptions, and pages. Add a geo-specific or keyword-specific term to the URL, or you could use alt tags to pinpoint your location through your photos and videos.
Google Local Pack
When you type “cannabis company near me” on Google, the top three local marijuana listings appear immediately. Google refers to this as Google Local Pack. One significant advantage is that it features only local businesses.
Cannabis companies need to provide Google with enough information to match their details with location-based searches to join this pack. It doesn’t rely on regular SEO rankings to determine what shows up first. Instead, it depends on relevance, distance, and prominence to determine what shows up first.
- Relevance—It’s the usefulness of your business’ keywords for the search query
- Distance—It’s the distance between your company and the location people search
- Prominence—It’s the popularity of your business in online communities
Optimize For Voice Search
Voice search will boom in the coming years as more people use it. It is, therefore, crucial to optimize for speech rather than the way they type. Although this may seem a non-issue, you should consider many critical differences.
Speaking, for example, uses more long-tail keywords. They’re also more conversational and natural in their approach. Therefore, when creating your content, be sure to include the traditional question starters like who, when, why, or how.
The key is not to stuff your cannabis-related content with only long-tail keywords. When you write and optimize your content for voice searches, keep these ideas in mind. And, remember, SEO is constantly changing. It would be best if you adapted as the industry does.
Leveraging Directory Listings
Leveraging directory listings will help market your business’s name extensively to boost local cannabis SEO. These directories will further optimize your local results and make you an authority. Get your Cannabis company listed on various directories, which include:
- Yellow pages
- Yelp
- Weedmaps
- Foursquare
- MapQuest
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, local SEO for cannabis companies matters. If you implement a regional SEO strategy effectively, search engines like Google will rank you higher when users search for related goods and services in your local area. It means more people will engage with your business and potentially bring you business, which is your ultimate goal.
