Is Brand Awareness The 5th Pillar of SEO for Cannabis?
Most people understand that typical cannabis dispensary SEO techniques are great for non-branded searches, however, they can be ineffective for branded searches.
In this article, we will dissect SEO for cannabis and how it can improve your weed dispensary’s SEO ranking and, more importantly, brand awareness.
Search engine optimization can be used to increase a site’s organic traffic from search engines.
This process requires techniques in four major pillars of cannabis SEO: on-site SEO, off-site SEO, technical SEO, and Keyword and Content SEO.
These 4 aspects work together to enable a website to rank well on numerous search engines.
Nevertheless, while these aspects are extensive, your dispensary SEO strategy isn’t complete without having the right level of brand awareness.
Let’s examine the four pillars in detail to understand how and why brand awareness should be the fifth pillar of your cannabis dispensary SEO strategy.
The Four Pillars of Cannabis Dispensary SEO
1. On-site SEO
One of the most important cannabis search engine optimization tactics is on-page or on-site SEO.
On-site SEO is all about optimizing each individual page ensuring it ranks higher and gets more traffic.
This process includes optimizing meta tags such as meta description and title tags and utilizing relevant cannabis dispensary SEO keywords associated with the right target audience.
On-Page cannabis dispensary SEO also involves optimizing multimedia elements, images, and the overall user experience.
2. Off-site SEO (Backlinks)
When it comes to off-site cannabis search engine optimization, it is all about the activities and tasks you perform outside the website to improve its rankings on search engines.
These tasks can include creating high-quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites, optimizing Google My Business and other listings, and earning mentions and citations from reputable sources.
Additional tasks include engaging in social media marketing and fostering positive brand reviews and mentions.
3. Technical SEO
Technical SEO concentrates on optimizing the technical part of a site ensuring search engines can crawl, index, and effectively understand its content.
This process includes tasks such as making the website mobile-friendly, increasing its loading speed, fixing crawl errors, creating XML sitemaps, and implementing structured data markup.
Technical SEO for dispensary websites is vital for effective cannabis dispensary SEO due to the high level of competition.
4. Keywords & Content Marketing
Content is an especially important aspect of cannabis dispensary SEO. It combines both on-site and off-site elements.
Dispensary marketing requires content, which in turn, requires creating high-quality, relevant, and valuable information that addresses the interests and needs of your target audience.
This includes blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, whitepapers, and other forms of content that attract and engage users.
Quality content not only helps improve search engine rankings but also enhances user experience, encourages sharing and backlinking, and establishes authority and expertise, making your brand a subject matter expert.
By focusing on these four pillars of cannabis dispensary SEO and implementing effective cannabis SEO marketing strategies within each pillar, you are able to enhance your online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and ultimately achieve your business objectives.
Non-Branded vs. Branded Searches
Branded searches
Branded searches refer to queries made by users on search engines that include specific brand names or variations thereof.
A branded search refers to when someone specifically searches for your company’s name or variations of it on search engines like Google.
For example, if your company is called ‘ACME Weed Store,’ a branded search would be when someone types ‘acme weed store’’ into the search bar.
This indicates a high level of brand awareness, that the user is already familiar with your brand, and that the user is actively seeking more information about it.
These searches directly relate to one brand, its products, services, or other brand-related information.
The search could also contain the names of its products, slogans, or even specific individuals associated with the dispensary.
Branded searches are especially vital for businesses and their cannabis SEO strategy as they indicate existing brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Users that conduct branded searches often have a higher level of purchase intent or are typically searching for specific information about the brand—this motive should be factored into every cannabis dispensary SEO strategy.
Monitoring branded search volume and trends can provide insights into brand perception, customer sentiment, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
Moreover, when you take marijuana SEO services seriously, you appear prominently in branded search results, which in turn, can help you maintain brand visibility, reputation, and credibility.
Every business, regardless of its customer base niche must optimize its online presence—the website, social media accounts, and directory listings—to ensure it ranks well for branded searches.
Non-Branded searches
Non-branded search in marijuana dispensary SEO refers to search engine queries made by users that do not include specific brand names or variations thereof.
Instead, these are generalized searches and are more focused on finding information, products, or services related to the cannabis marketing industry. These searches also do not reference any specific brand.
A non-branded search, for instance, could include phrases such as “weed delivery near me”, “online dispensary”, or “buy weed near me” and other cannabis search engine optimization keywords.
These searches indicate that users are looking to buy weed or other cannabis products without a predetermined brand preference.
Non-branded searches are essential for dispensary businesses because they represent opportunities to attract new customers who may not be familiar with your brand or are open to exploring different options.
To capitalize on non-branded searches, cannabis dispensaries need to optimize their website content and cannabis SEO marketing efforts to rank well for relevant keywords and provide valuable information or solutions that address users’ needs or interests.
This may involve creating high-quality content, implementing cannabis dispensary SEO best practices, and utilizing targeted advertising strategies to reach potential customers during their search journeys.
Why is Branded Search Important in Cannabis Marketing?
Branded search is important for cannabis dispensaries compared to non-branded search for several reasons:
1. Brand Recognition
Branded searches indicate that users are already familiar with a particular cannabis dispensary’s name or brand.
This suggests a higher level of trust and affinity towards the brand, making it more likely for users to choose that dispensary over others.
2. Customer Loyalty
When users specifically search for a cannabis dispensary by name, it indicates a pre-existing relationship or positive experience with the brand.
This loyalty can serve as a form of dispensary marketing, resulting in repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, which are invaluable for dispensaries in a competitive market.
3. Higher Conversion Rates
Branded searches often result in higher conversion rates compared to non-branded searches.
Potential customers conducting branded searches are usually further along in the sales funnel and more likely to make a purchase or visit the dispensary’s physical location.
4. Brand Authority
Consistent branded searches signal to search engines that the dispensary is a trusted and authoritative cannabis SEO expert within its industry.
This can positively impact the dispensary’s search engine rankings, visibility, and overall online reputation.
5. Protecting Market Share
In the cannabis industry, where regulations and competition are prevalent, branded search helps dispensaries protect their market share from competitors.
If users are actively searching for a specific dispensary by name, it’s essential for that dispensary to appear prominently in search results to retain its customer base.
This is why you need the right cannabis SEO agency like ColaDigital to spearhead your marijuana SEO efforts.
While non-branded search can help attract new customers and expand reach, adding branded search to your cannabis dispensary SEO strategy can be essential for building brand loyalty, trust, and authority.
This tactic will ultimately drive higher conversion rates and protect market share in the competitive cannabis market.
Different Traffic Drivers for Branded & Non-Branded Searches
Cannabis SEO experts understand that website traffic is fueled by two primary components: clickthrough rate (CTR) and keyword search volume on the search engine results page (SERP).
You should bear in mind that search traffic is the result of keyword search volume and clickthrough rate.
That being said, where does keyword ranking come into play in cannabis SEO marketing or SEO for cannabis?
Keyword ranking significantly influences the clickthrough rate. The higher a dispensary’s keywords rank, the greater the likelihood of a higher clickthrough rate.
So, how do the fundamentals of SEO for cannabis, impact search traffic? They contribute in two fundamental ways:
Maximizing Keyword Search Volume: dispensaries can expand their keyword search volume by undergoing meticulous keyword research and targeting.
Enhancing Keyword Ranking: By creating informative and keyword-optimized content, focusing on technical SEO for dispensaries, and optimizing both on-site and off-site factors, dispensaries can improve their keyword ranking to secure a higher SERP clickthrough rate.
Nevertheless, it is imperative to acknowledge that these cannabis SEO expert strategies primarily affect non-branded searches.
They aren’t as effective on branded searches due to the differing traffic drivers between the two.
Branded Traffic Driver:
For branded searches, if a dispensary has already attained the No. 1 rank for its brand name, ranking isn’t typically a concern or part of marijuana dispensary SEO.
Such a dispensary inherently possesses an advantage on Google for its branded keywords.
The primary focus for increasing branded search traffic revolves around augmenting the search volume for branded keywords.
Non-Branded Traffic Driver:
Conversely, for non-branded searches in the cannabis industry, dispensaries can add an extensive array of keywords and aggregated search volume into their cannabis dispensary SEO.
The primary mechanism for boosting non-branded search traffic is elevating the ranking of target keywords to capture a larger share of search clicks.
How to Enhance Brand Awareness and Branded Searches for Cannabis Dispensaries
Branded search traffic reflects a brand’s recognition and appeal.
Essentially, individuals wouldn’t search for a specific cannabis dispensary unless they were already aware of or interested in its products or services.
Therefore, to boost brand awareness and stimulate branded searches, dispensaries must amplify their visibility among potential customers, establish authority, and foster trust in the brand.
While content marketing and expanding non-branded search traffic can contribute to augmenting brand awareness, relying solely on website visits for brand discovery has limitations.
To truly scale up brand awareness, marketers must actively introduce their brand to potential customers instead of passively waiting for them to arrive.
1. Advertising
Advertising is a crucial component of SEO for cannabis businesses, combining brand awareness and retargeting campaigns.
Retargeting initiatives focus on individuals who have previously engaged with the cannabis website, such as visitors, while brand awareness campaigns aim to reach potential customers who have yet to interact with the brand.
Dispensary marketing teams have various targeting methods at their disposal to enhance brand visibility and attract potential customers.
These methods enable dispensaries to strategically reach their target audience and increase brand recognition, ultimately driving traffic and engagement on their website.
2. Contextual Targeting
In the realm of cannabis marketing, contextual targeting remains a fundamental advertising strategy.
Brands can strategically position ads on sites or mobile applications featuring content pertinent to their products or services.
What sets contextual targeting apart from other methods is its independence from behavioural or personal data regarding the target audience.
This approach prioritizes privacy, offering a more secure and respectful means for dispensary marketing teams to engage with potential customers.
3. Demographic Targeting in SEO for Cannabis
Demographic targeting is a potent strategy for marijuana SEO, leveraging insights from existing customers to attract new ones.
By understanding the demographic profiles and interests of your current customer base, you can effectively reach potential customers who share similar characteristics or preferences.
For instance, if your SEO for cannabis analysis reveals that your typical customers belong to specific age groups, genders, or geographical locations, you can tailor your cannabis dispensary SEO efforts to target individuals within these demographics.
Similarly, if your customers exhibit interests in particular activities, lifestyles, or cannabis-related topics, you can optimize your content to resonate with these interests.
By employing demographic and interest targeting techniques in your cannabis dispensary SEO strategy, you can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of your content, attract qualified traffic to your website, and ultimately drive conversions and sales.
Brand Awareness in Cannabis Dispensary SEO
Brand awareness is an integral cannabis dispensary SEO component.
Just as having a robust SEO strategy can boost both branded and non-branded searches, cultivating brand awareness is essential for attracting organic traffic and fostering customer loyalty.
While non-branded search traffic relies heavily on keyword rankings, branded search traffic is predominantly influenced by the search volume of branded keywords.
The more individuals are familiar with and interested in a cannabis dispensary brand, the greater the influx of branded search traffic it receives.
Recognizing the distinct growth drivers of both branded and non-branded searches, a cannabis SEO agency operating within the cannabis industry must integrate brand awareness as a foundational pillar of its SEO approach.
By elevating brand visibility, leveraging strategic marketing initiatives, and fostering genuine connections with consumers via marijuana SEO services, cannabis dispensaries can enhance their online presence and cultivate a loyal customer base.
We Can Help You With Your Cannabis Dispensary SEO Strategy
Choosing a specialized cannabis SEO agency like ColaDigital can be a strategic move for cannabis dispensaries aiming to thrive in the digital landscape.
With a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the industry, our cannabis marketing team offers tailored solutions for SEO for cannabis businesses designed to enhance brand visibility, attract qualified traffic, and drive sustainable growth.
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Contact us to request a quote or for a 30-minute phone consultation.
