Cannabis dispensary SEO checklist
We’ve heard it all here at weedpages and whether you think so or not we’re a force to be reckoned with. We know that social media can help your cannabis dispensary improve their online presence which will in turn lead to better sales!
Table of Contents
Social media
There’s an unending number if ways people interact on the internet, but one way in particular has taken off like wildfire – Social Media Marketing! There are numerous services available online with some being free or paid depending on what type of account you’re looking for. This blog will be focusing specifically on dispensary specific marketing through different types of social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more so lets get into it!
Platforms
Twitter – Very limited restrictions
Twitter is one of the only platforms you can actually market your dispensary on without worrying about having your account shutdown. That’s because Twitter doesn’t have very many regulations on the content that they allow to be posted there. What that means is you can post about events and sales on Twitter without prices*
Facebook – Restrictions apply
Facebook has started to remove certain keywords from users searches like cannabis, weed, and marijuana. So make sure you don’t include any cannabis keywords in your name or description here. Instead what you should do is make informational posts through your blog, and ask interactive questions to your audience to keep them engaged.
Instagram- Restrictions apply
Instagram was recently purchased by Facebook so the same rules apply here. So no posting about prices, no talking about selling cannabis products and don’t ask your followers to visit your page for more details. Nothing. Informational and engaging posts only. The best way to follow restrictions and still create quality content is to make blog posts about strains, or news in the industry, and link to your website from these posts.
LinkedIn for business let’s you connect with other professionals in the industry,
Tools
Tools for social media management and advertising are one of the best things you can do for your dispensary to decrease the amount of time you need to manage social media and emails as well as advertise to your clients. Most of these services have automations, and analytics and drastically decrease the time spent on managing your online presence.
Crowdfire – Social Media Management
Crowdfire is one of the better options for social media management, not only do they offer a free version. Their paid version also has a ton of features and lets you manage up to 10 different social media accounts. Post scheduling, automation, calendars and post ideas.
Hubspot – All-in-one Email tools
HubSpot is a company that sells software designed for inbound marketing, including content management, search engine optimization and other tools.
They offers three products: CRM Free, Marketing Hub and Sales Hub.
CRM Free is a customer relationship management tool that organizes sales leads and tasks in one Dashboard. It also keeps track of sales and communications by logging them automatically. It can be integrated with HubSpot’s other sales products.
HubSpot Marketing Hub is a content management software that sales teams design websites that will bring in more traffic. The program helps with search engine optimization and designing effective calls to action.
Sales Hub uses email automation and tracking to allow salespeople to connect with and follow up on leads more easily. It also offers tools that make it easier to schedule meetings and speak with potential buyers.
Omnisend – Email and SMS Marketing
Personally this is one of the best services I’ve used for customer support,
Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing automation platform for growth-focused ecommerce businesses. They allow you to add several channels to the same automation workflow for seamless communication via email, SMS, web push notifications, and more.
At Omnisend they offer a user-friendly drag-and-drop visual composer for emails and email capture features (popups, landing pages) to build your customer base. Automation features help create robust automation workflows and personalize your message based on customer data, campaign engagement and shopping behavior.
Omnisend offers integration with the majority of ecommerce platforms and other marketing tools. Services are offered on a monthly subscription basis, and include support via email, live chat and an online knowledgebase.
Springbig – Cannabis Marketing Platform
springbig is the industry leading loyalty marketing, communication, and automation software serving the cannabis space. Servicing over 14m+ consumers and 1000+ cannabis retailers nationwide and Canada.
Foottraffik – Dispensary Advertising and Marketing
Foottraffik is a cannabis marketing software (SAAS) and online cannabis marketing agency focused on helping dispensaries attract new customers with Geo-Ads, Google Ads, SEO, and SMS Marketing. And, they employ laser focus, working exclusively with the most exceptional dispensaries in the cannabis industry. Isnt it refreshing to know youll be working with an agency that not only delivers unparalleled results but values clients like family?
They’re your all-in-one software solution and marketing agency.
Other ways to improve your SEO
Your online identity and search engine rankings depend on your website’s content. Make sure you hire a professional SEO expert to help maintain the quality of this important asset so that customers can find what they’re looking for easier, and better compete with other companies in their industry space.
The success or failure of every company depends largely on how easy it is for people to find them using traditional internet searches like Google, Bing-Yahoo!, etc… Hire an experienced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist who will know best practices from years experience managing websites which run more smoothly than yours!
Online presence
If you’re looking for a way to take your dispensary’s online presence from great to amazing, these services are the perfect place to start. Whether it be managing Yelp reviews or increasing visibility on Google Maps, this list will help get you going in no time.
Google Business – Restrictions apply
This is one of the first things you want to setup for your dispensary. because this helps with local SEO, and getting your webpage ranked on google maps. You can post photos, events, special hours, and products* on google business. But make sure to follow the advertising restrictions for cannabis dispensaries. Since google isn’t age gated you can’t post any cannabis based products here and advertising on google is very limited. Don’t let that discourage you! This is one of the biggest opportunities for dispensaries because local SEO is largely based on location.
Google Business also lets customers review your business, ask questions, or post their own photos. Make sure to respond to these reviews in a timely manner and ask customers to review your business on google because they also takes reviews into consideration when suggesting businesses.
Google Search Console
GSC lets you verify your domain and submit your website to be indexed in google searches. Without this it’s up to the google bot to find your website itself. Which wont happen without any backlinks ! So it’s always best to verify your domain with google search console. GSC will notify you of any errors on your website. including slow pages. And if your website is unable to be indexed it will tell you exactly why.
Bing Webmaster tools – Yahoo/Bing
Similar to Google Search Console, Bing lets you verify your domain and submit your website to be indexed in yahoo and bing search engines. Bing webmaster tools has a Google Search Console integration so all you have to do is login with your google account to verify. Nice and easy !
Apple Maps – Apple’s version of Google Maps
This is Apple’s version of Google maps. It comes installed on all Apple devices so this is another one that you should be looking into for your dispensary. Siri also uses Apple Maps to find businesses when you ask for things like “Where’s the closest dispensary?”, “Find weed near me”, and “Where can I buy weed?”.
Google Analytics
If you have a website, which you should. Then you should be using Google Analytics. What it does is help you understand how people use your sites and apps, so you can take action to improve their experience. It offers detailed reports so you can see where your customers are coming from.
Dispensary Finders
Dispensary finders like Weedmaps, Leafly, and Dutchie are some of the best ways to advertise and improve your online presence because they usually include dofollow backlinks to your website. A dofollow backlink is a link that helps improve your ranking on search engines by passing the authority of the origin site to the destination site. Acquiring dofollow backlinks will help improve a website’s domain authority, or domain rating, which in turn, helps you to rank on search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo. Here’s the list we’ve gathered so far sorted by domain rating.
Leafly: Find, Buy and Learn about weed
Leafly originally started as a strain information site but as cannabis has started to become legal across the US and Canada, they’ve opened up their site to dispensary listings and ordering. They’re one of the leaders in the industry to learn about, find, and order cannabis. Learn about types of weed strains and discover marijuana dispensaries near you – All on Leafly.
Weedmaps: Marijuana Dispensaries & Delivery Near You
Provides consumers with information regarding cannabis products, including online ordering, local retailer and brand listings, product discovery, and consumer education on cannabis and its history, uses, and legal status.
dutchie: Order cannabis online for pickup or delivery
Dutchie is the easiest way to order cannabis products from the best dispensaries near you. Search the top marijuana stores, find the best cannabis products, place an order online, and pick it up or have it delivered in under an hour. Shopping for marijuana has never been quicker or easier. With dutchie, simply type in your address and click on your favorite local dispensary to browse their menu for the best flower, vaporizers, concentrates, edibles, and more! So kick up your feet, place an order online, and let your marijuana come to you.