The Green Rush is on its way to full bloom. With the legalization of marijuana in several US states, the American cannabis industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom. The US legal cannabis market is expected to reach $43 billion by 2025, up from $13.2 billion in 2019. CBD businesses are setting up shop online to take maximum advantage of this growing industry in a digital economy.
Many ecommerce CBD businesses, however, will flounder rather than flourish. Although legalized in some US states, cannabis is still illegal under federal law. It is extremely challenging to run a successful online business in a regulated industry. Digital advertising platforms like Google Ads prohibit cannabis promotion, making SEO the only solution to growing your CBD business’s online presence.
To grow in a regulated and competitive online cannabis marketplace, you need professional help from a CBD SEO agency. The right cannabis SEO company can boost your organic online presence to give you a leg up on the competition and increase sales. With so many CBD SEO companies out there, how can you choose the right one for your business? Look out for these factors to find the best cannabis SEO company for taking your business to the next level:
1. Have CBD Industry Experience
Unlike most other businesses, CBD merchants operate in a federally regulated industry. CBD merchants not only have to comply with federal law but must also abide by differing and shifting state regulations. An SEO agency with sufficient knowledge of the CBD market will use the proper cannabis SEO keywords and online marketing strategies to help your business thrive in a high-risk industry.
How can you determine if a CBD SEO agency has adequate experience in the cannabis industry? A little research and asking questions can help you discover plenty of information about the company’s background. Look around the agency’s website to see if they serve any clients in the CBD industry. You should also contact the agency and ask them the following questions:
- How many years of experience do you have in the CBD industry?
- How many cannabis businesses have you worked with?
- Who are your current CBD clients?
- Can you share information on the results of your cooperation with CBD businesses?
2. Employ Legally Compliant Marketing Strategies
Using keywords like “CBD oil for cancer” or “buy cannabis in Texas” can get your business into trouble with the law. Federal and state authorities are cracking down on CBD businesses that make unsubstantiated health claims or market their products to jurisdictions where cannabis is illegal. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) threatened 15 prominent CBD businesses with legal action for unlawful online marketing practices.
To build an enduring cannabis ecommerce business, you must hire a CBD SEO agency that employs compliant marketing strategies. The best way to determine if an agency uses compliant cannabis SEO keywords and advertising messages is to browse their CBD clients’ websites. If the agency’s clients claim their CBD products treat diseases or you find “buy cannabis online USA” on their websites, look for another SEO company.
3. Provide Frequent Client Reporting Meetings
Regular communication with the CBD SEO agency is necessary to help your online marketing strategy succeed. Poor communication is the leading factor in 56 percent of all projects that fail.
Therefore, it’s important to know how an SEO agency plans on keeping you in the loop. Before hiring an SEO company, you should ask them the following questions:
- How often do you plan on communicating with me?
- What is the meeting process like?
- How long does a meeting usually last?
- Who will I be meeting with?
It’s best to meet with an account manager or SEO strategist every few weeks to analyze campaign results and plan future tactics. To choose the best CBD SEO agency, go for the one that provides biweekly meetings with SEO specialists. Frequent communication with SEO experts will ensure both parties are on the same page to accelerate goal achievement.
4. Specialize in Local Search Optimization
While local customers are the bread and butter of many businesses, they have greater significance for cannabis dispensaries. Cannabis businesses can legally sell their products only in the state where they are licensed to do so. As a result, CBD merchants need local SEO more than any other business to generate sales. Local SEO increases your online visibility in location-specific search results, helping you attract nearby customers.
More than 78 percent of local-based searches on a mobile device result in offline purchases. To increase sales and beat the regional competition, you must hire a CBD SEO agency that specializes in local search optimization. Before you choose an SEO partner, ask them what tactics they use to help you appear on top of local search results. Link building, location-specific cannabis SEO keywords, and producing quality content are what you need to hear before hiring the agency.
5. Offer Month-to-Month Contracts
As service businesses, digital marketing agencies strive to get clients to sign up for as many months as possible so they can maximize their revenues. Many SEO agencies lock clients into 12-24 month contracts with steep cancellation fees to milk customers for as long as they can. Signing a long-term contract with a new SEO agency can bog you down in an unfruitful partnership that doesn’t deliver results and wastes your resources.
To find a first-rate CBD SEO agency, look for a company that offers month-to-month marketing contracts as they are confident in their ability to deliver quick results. Companies that provide monthly SEO packages will prove their marketing efforts with hard data to convince you to extend your contract. Short-term contracts allow you to walk away if you’re not seeing results, ensuring you’ll get the maximum value on your online marketing investment.
6. Present Numerous Cannabis SEO Case Studies
As more and more US states legalize cannabis, an increasing number of SEO agencies have begun offering online CBD marketing services to cash in on the Green Rush. Many of these SEO companies don’t have the expertise needed to help you navigate the complexities of the American cannabis industry. How can you determine if an SEO agency understands the CBD landscape? Top-notch agencies prove their expertise with plenty of cannabis SEO case studies.
Case studies are the most important factor to look for when hiring a CBD SEO agency as it demonstrates competence and a proven track record of success. A marketing agency with plenty of successful case studies knows what cannabis SEO keywords and marketing strategies work to grow your CBD business. If an agency can’t prove its cannabis SEO expertise, you need to walk away and find one that is proud to show off its accomplishments.
Learn More About the Best CBD SEO Agencies
Traditional methods of paid online advertisement are off-limits to cannabis businesses, making SEO the only solution for growing your ecommerce CBD business. You need a highly qualified SEO agency to help you succeed in America’s complex cannabis landscape. The right SEO agency can help you run a compliant CBD business and reap unlimited profits.
On your search for the best CBD SEO agency, use the factors discussed in this post to simplify your decision-making. If you need more tips to find the right SEO cannabis company, we can help. Best SEO Service Companies offers a comprehensive list of the top digital marketing agencies to narrow your search. You can also read our blogs to learn more about the world of SEO.