Looking to take your canna business website up a notch in 2023? The legal and social acceptance of the cannabis plant has grown significantly, contributing to a rise in the market and the competition within. Therefore, to help your business shine and avoid getting lost in the crowd, it's more important than ever before to build and maintain strong online visibility. Partnering with professional cannabis SEO agencies can assist your brand in reaching the top of the online search mountain.
However, when it comes to finding one that'll do best for your business, it's pretty easy to get confused by the plethora of choices. But leave your hesitations behind; this article is here to guide you through your selection process. Our expertly curated list will introduce you to five leading SEO vendors and equip you with everything you need to know about SEO for cannabis companies. Ready to dive in?
What Is Cannabis SEO and How Does It Work?
Cannabis or marijuana SEO refers to search engine optimization specifically tailored for businesses in the weed industry. It is an integral part of digital marketing that is responsible for improving a site so that it moves higher in Google, Bing, Yahoo, or other search engines. It can be achieved by employing different techniques, including:
- Competitor analysis
- Researching target keywords
- Writing optimized and unique content
- Building a quality backlink profile.
In other words, by combining and expertly implementing all these tactics, you get robust SEO. It helps your cannabis company become more visible online. This means that your platform appears in search results whenever people search for goods, products, and services similar to what your business offers or information on subjects in which you have expertise or experience.
The idea of search engine optimization is simple: The better the visibility, the higher the chances users will locate and click on the cannabis website. Hence, an SEO strategy focuses on driving organic traffic to your platform. Ultimately, they become customers or a curious audience that will keep coming back for more.
5 Best Cannabis SEO Agencies in 2023
Nevertheless, to get the publicity your cannabis business needs and start getting a steady flow of traffic — resulting in leads, conversions, and revenue — you should have a pro SEO provider on your side. That's why we have curated this list of the five best marijuana SEO companies. Below, you can explore the following ones:
- MjSeo Agency: Best choice overall
- SeoProfy: Best suited for promotion in highly competitive niches
- Coalition Technologies: Best for e-commerce businesses or those seeking quality lead generation services
- Nisonco: Best for optimization and generating media coverage simultaneously
- VictoriousSEO: Best for brand-new websites.
Now let's get straight to the point and look more closely at each company.
MjSeo Agency
Founded: 2020
Rates: $75 - $99/hr
Clutch ratings: 5.0
Case studies: Yes
Website: https://mjseo.agency/
We'll start with MjSeo as it's the top-rated cannabis SEO agency. Their deep focus solely on the canna industry is what makes them so unique. Possessing more than five years of experience in this field, they have grasped it inside and out and know what works best.
Before offering any strategy advice, MjSeo Cannabis SEO Agency will dig deep into the current state of your website. Then, they'll listen to your every wish and develop a comprehensive promotion plan to help you achieve your goals quickly. A dedicated team and regular weekly meetings with reporting will additionally elevate your SEO performance.
SeoProfy
Founded: 2012
Rates: $100 - $149/hr
Clutch ratings: 5.0
Case studies: Yes
Website: https://seoprofy.com/
SeoProfy has grown from a simple blog about search engine optimization to one of the leading SEO vendors. What sets them apart? They don't look only at metrics but establish their client's ROI as their number one priority.
As part of a tailored approach, the SeoProfy team implements custom tools to boost results. Perfectly mixing fast work speed, proactivity, and attention to detail allows them to bring your company to the high-ranking position it deserves. By the way, the cannabis SEO experts from MjSeo are a part of the SeoProfy community.
Coalition Technologies
Founded: 2009
Rates: $50 - $99/hr
Clutch ratings: 4.9
Case studies: Yes
Website: https://coalitiontechnologies.com/
Coalition Technologies shows its broad experience in SEO, pay-per-click (PPC), and online marketing promotion through its diverse case study portfolio. They utilize advanced technologies, tools, and scientifically tested techniques and base their work on hard data. You can undoubtedly consider them a top cannabis SEO company, but in fact, they specialize in many other niches as well.
NisonCo
Founded: 2013
Rates: n/a
Clutch ratings: 4.2
Case studies: Yes
Website: https://nisonco.com/
NisonCo is not only a cannabis SEO agency but also a public relations firm. They have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by cannabis businesses. So, these specialists craft custom-fit SEO strategies with a blend of PR, editorials, and blogging to deliver an impact.
VictoriousSEO
Founded: 2013
Rates: $100 - $149/hr
Clutch ratings: 4.9
Case studies: Yes
Website: https://victoriousseo.com/
Victorious is a state-of-the-art company offering a full package of SEO services. Among plenty of digital marketing agencies, this one is distinguished by its single-minded team and the tech-enabled and creative approach it applies to make a truly effective SEO strategy. Experienced in many niches, including weed, Victorious can rightly be regarded as an outstanding cannabis SEO agency.
Why Do You Need SEO for Cannabis Companies?
The weed industry is thriving, and many new cannabis companies are entering the market each day. But the resources for digital marketing remain very limited in that area. Social media platforms place many restrictions on advertising cannabis-related brands. At the same time, PPC campaigns are almost forbidden except for hemp-derived CBD products with a level of THC of 0.3% or less.
Considering all of the above, strong SEO strategies emerge as a valuable promotion tool for any cannabis business. In a space with limited advertising options and a crowded marketplace, investing in SEO for companies in the cannabis industry provides an ideal advantage. Raising your position in SERPs draws consumers' attention, delivers organic traffic, increases online sales, and establishes your canna brand as an industry leader.
Types of Cannabis SEO Services
Cannabis SEO services incorporate different types of strategies and techniques, each suited for different situations. So apart from being a single solution for online promotion, optimization can benefit your specific purpose. Understanding the different types of SEO services will help you identify which one is most relevant to your cannabis business's goals and needs.
Local SEO
For small and medium cannabis businesses with physical locations, local SEO is the way to go. That's because marketing for companies of these sizes works best with an emphasis on local strategy. However, this type of SEO for cannabis websites isn't only great for a dispensary but also for any business that targets a specific geographic zone.
Competition in local search results is less fierce than in national search results. Consequently, achieving better rankings in Google Business Profile, local directory listings, and localized content will be much easier. Also, optimizing your cannabis company's online presence for location-based search queries allows you to build a loyal local customer base.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is about working specifically with the technical aspects of a website. The main aim is to improve its performance, crawlability, and overall search engine friendliness. In other words, this service ensures that the site's content can be easily accessed, understood, and indexed by search bots.
Technical optimization, a crucial type of SEO service for cannabis sites, includes diverse tasks. It can include enhancing page speed by leveraging browser caching and minimizing server response time or adapting the platform for mobile devices. Additionally, it can include creating and submitting an XML sitemap and implementing schema markup.
Off-page SEO
Off-page SEO is probably the most important service most cannabis SEO agencies offer. Generally, it refers to activities performed outside of a website to increase its visibility and authority. It can be beneficial if the platform has internal SEO but requires more quality links.
That's where building backlinks comes into cannabis SEO strategy. Search engines regard them as votes of confidence. So the more quality backlinks from reputable sources your cannabis business has, the more credible and relevant your content appears in the eyes of search bots. To strengthen a link profile even more, this type of marijuana SEO may include partnering with industry experts and guest blogging.
E-commerce SEO
E-commerce SEO for cannabis stores focuses on optimizing them to grow organic traffic and drive online sales. It’s necessary to note that this type of optimization is well-suited for large stores with more than 1,000 cannabis products, whether seeds, CBD edibles, topicals, etc. In this particular case, SEO should work on a regular basis to deliver and maintain results.
SEO Сonsultation
Finally, an SEO consultation is your best bet if you're unsure about integrating a particular technique into your strategy or simply need to evaluate your actions. Overall, it is great for anyone seeking expert advice on SEO optimization for a cannabis website. It involves working closely with an SEO pro who will provide guidance, tips on strategy development, and actionable recommendations for improving overall optimization performance.
How to Choose the Right Cannabis SEO Company
Picking the best of the best out of all of the cannabis SEO companies requires you to consider several crucial points. Below, we've compiled a list of what to pay attention to.
- Look for customized strategies only: A strong and customized strategy is the key. Therefore, prioritize an SEO vendor that presents tailored solutions and builds a strategy with your goals and requirements in mind. If you rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, there's a high risk of not getting optimal results.
- Assess experience and expertise: When considering multiple cannabis SEO firms, mark the ones with a proven track record in the industry. Expertise and in-depth knowledge of market peculiarities significantly influence the success of SEO promotion.
- Check reviews and testimonials: Looking at detailed feedback from previous clients can also help you understand how the expertise the agency claims has been put into practice. Also, this way, you can gauge their reputation and the general effectiveness of their services.
- Seek transparent reporting: Since SEO is a long-term game, you need to be aware of the strategy's performance. Choosing a company that regularly provides clear and transparent reports ensures you can track the progress of the promotion campaign.
How Much Should I Spend on SEO?
Preparing the correct budget for SEO promotion is essential to ensuring that everything in the plan can be implemented. Keep in mind that the cost of SEO for the cannabis industry may vary depending on several factors, including the following:
- The scope of work
- The competitiveness of your niche
- The specific goals of your business.
However, your business size can guide you to an approximate cost per month:
Small cannabis companies - $500 - $3,000
Established businesses - $3,000 - $15,000
Firms with high traffic - $15,000 - $30,000
Multinational cannabis businesses and big enterprises - $30,000 - $1 million or more
How Fast Can You See Results in Cannabis SEO?
The time needed for cannabis SEO services to show results varies. It can depend on the current state of your website, market competition, or simply algorithmic changes.
For more established websites, the time frame can be two to three months. For newer platforms, results may be expected in three to six months. Brand-new resources may have to wait at least four to five months to see the first results. Considerable improvements can be noticed in nine months to a year.
How to Measure SEO Performance and Results
Ultimately, cannabis companies should regularly keep track of performance and measure the results. SEO performance is evaluated by:
- Organic traffic growth
- SERP keyword position
- Organic conversions.
Here, analytic tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Rank Tracker Tool(s) are frequently employed by most cannabis SEO companies.
First, pay attention to organic traffic. For established brands, it's necessary to exclude branded traffic (by applying a query filter) to get a more accurate view. Also, it's worth comparing results over a longer period of time to avoid potentially being misled by seasonal swings.
Next, look at keyword positions. This means where the site ranks in the SERPs for certain keywords. Looking at specific terms can give you helpful context about your site’s relevance. Generally, the more relevant a particular keyword is to your business or products, the more important it is to rank for it.
Organic conversions are another thing to consider. They relate to visitors' actions on the site, like signing up, checking out, or subscribing. Tracking conversions is the right way to connect optimization efforts to revenue.
Having a clear picture of your site’s performance gives you an understanding of where to make improvements and adjustments and helps in making data-driven decisions for further optimization.
Now You're Ready to Hire a Cannabis SEO Company
Search engine optimization for businesses in the cannabis industry is a complex endeavor. Achieving your promotional goals requires specific knowledge and deep expertise.
Therefore, investing in a cannabis SEO company is crucial to flourishing in the online landscape. Partnering with the pros is a surefire way to grow your canna business in 2023 and beyond.
This article was written in cooperation with MjSeo Cannabis SEO Agency