Why Is SEO Important for the Cannabis Niche?
The industry of cannabis products and services has been actively evolving in recent years in the USA. Even though marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes has greatly contributed to the niche popularization.
Let figures speak for themselves:
- In 2020, cannabis-related business activities in the USA were estimated at around $10 billion.
- By 2023, the number is expected to reach a whopping $23 billion.
Taking into account that more and more states are working on the adoption of the legislation that will legalize cannabis products and services, this growth will increase. This makes the niche not only promising and profitable but also increasingly competitive.
It does not matter if you are already involved in the business or only plan to launch your project in the cannabis niche, be ready for tough competition. And the specifics of contemporary businesses foresee that you are going to compete for clients not only offline but also in the digital space. And the latter is not going to bring any results without SEO. So, let us dwell on the impact of digital marketing on the cannabis niche and how SEO can help canna-businesses in 2021 and the future.
Specifics of the Niche
In a contemporary world, it is not a surprise that a company (regardless of the industry it works in) needs to have a solid online presence. However, the specifics of the cannabis niche need to be considered.
First of all, it is the use of paid ads that is not the same as for any other traditional online business or e-commerce store. Google and Facebook have their own quite strict policies in terms of using words related to the cannabis industry. To make a long story short, one wrong move — and you are out of the game. In this regard, working on the attraction of organic traffic is a sure-fire way to attract the target audience. Thus, to increase brand awareness and sales. As a result, SEO campaigns become the main source of traffic.
Secondly, it is worth mentioning that mobile traffic and the use of smartphones for buying anything online are the tendencies of the nearest future. This is already confirmed by Google’s mobile-first algorithm. And there is something canna-businesses need to take into consideration:
- The site pages have to be optimized for mobile devices;
- The loading speed needs to be improved;
- The content needs to be catchy to attract the attention of potential clients within a few first seconds.
As you can see, a cannabis business requires not just a well-thought-out SEO strategy. It needs a complex of activities, including local and national SEO campaigns, that will help businesses attract clients from the Internet to their physical stores. With all this in mind, it is wise to resort to the services of professionals from MjSeo Agency. In this way, you can expect at least:
- A solid digital presence,
- A full portfolio on social media (following the rules),
- A well-optimized site meeting the contemporary guides and algorithms of the search engine.
The Importance of SEO
Until recently, it has seemed that the cannabis niche requires more offline promotional activities rather than online. However, 2020 has changed everything upside down and speeded up the transition of businesses to the online environment. No wonder that the participant in the marijuana market may not be aware of the main SEO practices. Therefore, we have collected the most fundamental basics.
Aside from what we have already mentioned, it is crucial to underline how significant content is for SEO. There is even a saying that content is king. Well, the situation is a bit different nowadays. But in any case, every business needs to remember that texts packed with keywords will not work. You need to provide valuable content to your target audience.
Therefore, you will undeniably have to work on the creation of such content for your website and other channels through which you are going to promote your business. The functions of the content are the following:
- It helps search robots understand what your site is about. Therefore, in which niche you work so your platform will appear in the search results by the relevant queries.
- It will make users that click on your links understand what your business is about and hint if they can find a solution to their problem on your platform.
- Furthermore, it will assist you to convert users and readers into buyers forming the base of loyal clients if you have done everything in the right way (not only in terms of SEO but also the level of service and quality of the products).
As you might have understood, content is essential. However, it is not the most crucial since it works together with other tools and strategies. And businesses that manage to combine and wisely implement them in life can achieve high rankings of their websites in the SERP. And there are plenty of technical issues that need the attention of business owners. It is when you will understand that hiring professionals will be your best bet:
- Analysis and optimization of keywords for your specific business niche;
- Optimization of the site for mobile devices;
- Elimination of technical bugs and other possible issues like broken links, absent alt texts or meta tags, etc.;
- Works on the construction and user-friendliness of the site;
- Content creation and optimization;
- Promotions, thanks to link building, etc.
Still Doubt If You Need a Professional Agency?
Finally, it is noteworthy that building a website that will meet all the guidelines of the search engine from the very beginning is the best way to ensure the presence of your business in the digital space. But if you have already got a site, the first and most crucial step to take is to carry out the site audit to understand which strategy needs to be developed for a successful promotion of your site.
We've helped dozens of clients achieve remarkable results by increasing organic traffic and revenue for their online businesses. Let us put our expertise to work for you and help you reach new heights of success.
Andrew Shum is an experienced digital marketing expert. He specializes in helping businesses within the marijuana industry market their products and services online. With years of experience in creating marketing strategies for cannabis-related businesses, Andrew has a proven track record of success.
