Learn how to take your hemp business to new heights by implementing effective hemp SEO strategies.
These strategies are guaranteed to make your business stay ahead of the competition, drive organic traffic, and maximize your online visibility.
SEO is a crucial aspect of your overall content marketing strategy.
The hemp industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with more people becoming aware of its benefits in health and wellness and eco-friendly nature.
But as the industry becomes well known, so does competition grow.
Therefore, hemp SEO will play a pivotal role for effective cannabis marketing and in all the strategies you can use to get more traffic to your site, and get those leads and sales you deserve.
So, let’s lets dive into our SEO tips and optimize your website content and structure by targeting relevant keywords.
In this post, let us walk through winning hemp and cannabis SEO strategies to help your business flourish and grow.
WHY HIRE HEMPAWARE FOR YOUR HEMP OR CANNABIS SEO GOALS
As a cannabis and hemp digital marketing agency with over 18 years of experience in the hemp industry HempAware is ideally positioned to help you with your Search Engine Optimization strategy.
We want you to improve your SEO rankings, because it’s just plain wrong that not enough people are not finding you and your products.
We believe that hemp is the #1 tool to help create more peace on earth.
And if you cannot rank your CBD website, or hemp clothing website, or whatever hemp product or service you offer, then you’re not getting the sales you deserve.
And your potential customers are losing out on benefiting from what you have to offer.
Not only have we created our own hemp companies over the years, but we’ve been able to get great results for ourselves and our clients, using some of the principles in this post and applying the most effective cannabis SEO strategies and best practices available.
If you need SEO optimization or would like our team of SEO experts (experienced in cannabis SEO) to do a technical SEO audit on your site, reach out today so we can help you right away.
WHY SEO CAN HELP & THE IMPORTANCE OF SEO FOR CBD, CANNABIS AND HEMP COMPANIES
As you very well know, SEO lets you get organic traffic to your site.
Paid ads in the CBD and cannabis industry are pretty difficult to navigate, let alone get results.
With Meta/Facebook/Instagram and the other popular platforms denying many cannabis and hemp companies from running ads, SEO for CBD companies (or hemp & cannabis businesses) should be foundational to your marketing strategy and CBD business.
So SEO is critical for any hemp or CBD company to stay in the game and generate a steady flow of traffic.
If your prospects do a CBD search or are looking for CBD products, and if they are buying CBD oil, are you coming up in the search results?
If not, what effective strategies can you deploy to start outranking your competitors?
As a professional cannabis SEO agency, we are here to help!
DO YOUR KEYWORD RESEARCH STEP 1 OF YOUR SEO PLAN
The first step in your SEO plan is keyword research.
If you want to increase online visibility for your hemp business, keyword research is crucial because it is the foundation of any strong SEO strategy.
Keyword research involves identifying unique keyword search phrases that potential customers use to seek information about hemp, the CBD industry, or information on CBD and hemp products in general.
Therefore, businesses can effectively tailor their content and enhance their online presence with specific SEO tools, and these CBD SEO tips we are providing here.
SEO Tools for Keyword Research
There are dozens of tools available that you can use to find the hemp, cannabis, and CBD keywords that your customers are searching for.
Here are the most popular tools that our experienced cannabis SEO experts have used over the years:
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs is renowned for its extensive database of keywords and its ability to track competitor websites. For hemp and cannabis websites, it’s useful to see what keywords competitors are ranking for and to find content gaps in your own strategy. Ahrefs also offers detailed keyword data, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and related search terms.
- SEMrush: SEMrush is another powerful tool that offers in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and a wealth of SEO resources. Its keyword magic tool is especially helpful for finding long-tail keywords in the hemp and cannabis niche. This can help in targeting specific queries that are less competitive but highly relevant.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz is known for its user-friendly interface and accurate keyword data. Its Keyword Explorer tool provides valuable insights into keyword difficulty, search volume, and organic CTR, which can be pivotal for hemp and cannabis websites looking to improve their SEO performance
- Google Keyword Planner: While more basic than others, Google’s own Keyword Planner is essential for understanding how Google interprets different keywords. For hemp and cannabis websites, it’s a valuable tool to identify the keywords that potential customers are using in their Google searches.
- KWFinder: KWFinder specializes in finding long-tail keywords with lower competition, which can be a game-changer for hemp and cannabis websites. This tool is great for uncovering niche keywords that may be overlooked by larger, more generalist tools.
Using these tools and this strategic approach ensures your target audience can easily find info on hemp products and services.
These tools will help in keyword discovery with high volume and low competition.
Hence, they are giving you an edge in search rankings.
Long-tail Keywords are great for Your Cannabis Business
Also, remember that long-tail keywords are preferable because they are more specific to your product or niche, and are a lot easier to start ranking for.
Although short-tail keywords have a higher search volume, they are also very competitive and not easy to rank.
For example, short-tail keywords such as, “hemp seeds” or “hemp seed oil” have a decent search volume but can be hard to rank.
But if you utilize long-tail keywords such as, “What is CBD oil good for” or “What is hemp fabric used for”, ranking on the first page is more likely.
Then once you know which keywords or long tail keywords to rank for you can start working on the content on your website. We will get into that in more detail a little later.
Thus, keyword research is an essential aspect of digital marketing and will play a vital role in the success of your hemp website and brand, get your hemp or CBD website on Google.
OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE WITH ON-PAGE ELEMENTS
A robust digital strategy means that you have to optimize on-page elements on your website.
Hence, ensure that your website is visually appealing and search engine-friendly. You will enhance your brand visibility and credibility.
These on-page elements are title tags (headlines), Meta descriptions, header tags, keyword optimization, image alt text, and URL structure.
- Title tags mean that you should craft compelling headlines. Therefore, these titles should have relevant keywords based on your hemp brand, which are unique and reflect your content.
- Meta descriptions offer a summary of your website content. They do not play a prime factor in ranking. But they are crucial for SEO. Hence, you have to include relevant keywords and include them in the description.
- Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help in content structuring effectively. It helps with readability, and search engines will be able to know what your content is all about. For example, you have H1 for the main title and H2 and H3 tags for subheadings.
- Keyword optimizing means you incorporate keywords throughout your content but avoid keyword stuffing.
- Image alt text helps users with visual impairments understand images on your site. The alt text should have relevant keywords for search engines to find your image content (good SEO strategy)
- URL structure should be clear and concise, with relevant keywords included. A good URL will help with search engine crawling and give you a better insight into your site.
These on-page elements enhance your website visibility and provide a positive user experience for your audience.
Hence, it will help with SEO and trust established with your audience.
CREATE HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT TO GET TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE
In terms of SEO, content is king.
Therefore, create informative and engaging content that educates your readers about your hemp brand, products, and services.
You can create this content through blog posts, eBooks, sales pages, landing pages, Infographics, videos, or testimonials and reviews.
When you create quality content, other people will naturally want to share it and link back to it.
Create Longform Content When Possible And if Needed
Also, long-form content that is keyword-rich does perform better in search rankings. But what is the word count for long-form content?
Backlinko, discovered that among the top 10 results, the average Google first-page result contains 1,447 words.
A MarketSplash analysis found that long-form content generally performs better in terms of SEO over the long term. It gets an average of 77.2% more links than short articles.
Long-form articles generate two (2) times the engagement of short articles on mobile devices. They generated seven (7) times more leads than short-form blog posts.
A 2019 study found that articles between 1,000 and 2,000 words got 56.1% more social shares on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest than short-form ones.
What is High Qualty Content and How do You Get Yours in the Search Results?
With Googles latest updates they are considering high-quality content based on many factors, but we have found that the most important things to consider when creating new content for your hemp or cannabis business are the following:
Google’s Helpful Content Update
The Helpful Content Update is a Google search algorithm update focusing on providing users with more helpful, informative, and enjoyable content.
It’s part of Google’s broader efforts to ensure that users find value in the search results they receive.
Here are some of the most important aspects of this update:
- Prioritizing User-Focused Content: The update aims to reward content that is primarily created to inform or help users, rather than just to rank well in search engines.
- Penalizing Low-Quality Content: Websites that produce content mainly for search engine ranking purposes, without adding real value for the user, may see a decline in their rankings.
- Encouraging Expertise and Depth: Content that demonstrates in-depth knowledge or expertise on a topic is more likely to be favored.
- Long-Term Impact: The update is designed to have a long-term impact on search results, continuously promoting high-quality, user-centric content.
Helpful Content Update Application for Your Hemp or Cannabis Website
User-Centric Content: Focus on creating content that answers the questions and needs of your audience. For a CBD or hemp website, this could include educational articles about the benefits and uses of CBD, how-to guides, and informative blog posts about different products.
Avoiding Over-Optimization for SEO: While SEO is important, the content should not be crafted solely with search engine rankings in mind. Avoid keyword stuffing and ensure that the content flows naturally and provides value to the reader.
Quality Over Quantity: Publish well-researched and in-depth content rather than a high volume of low-quality posts. For instance, comprehensive guides on CBD oil extraction methods or detailed reviews of different hemp products would be valuable.
Regular Updates: Keep the content fresh and updated. In the CBD and hemp industry, regulations, product innovations, and research findings change rapidly. Regularly updating existing content to reflect these changes can be beneficial.
E-E-A-T in Google’s Guidelines for Your Effective SEO Strategy
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
It’s a framework used by Google’s quality raters to evaluate the quality of content on the web. Here’s a breakdown of its components:
- Experience: This refers to the practical knowledge or skill gained from direct participation or observation in events or activities. Personal experience in a subject can add value to the content.
- Expertise: This relates to a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular field. Google looks for content created by experts, especially in topics that fall under “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) categories, like finance or health.
- Authoritativeness: This aspect assesses the credibility of the website or content creator within their field. It involves reputation among other experts and influences in the same area.
- Trustworthiness: This evaluates the reliability and honesty of the content, the author, and the website. Trustworthiness is crucial, especially for sites dealing with sensitive topics.
E-E-A-T is an expansion of the original E-A-T concept (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to include the value of personal experience where relevant.
Both the Helpful Content Update and the E-E-A-T guidelines underscore Google’s commitment to improving the quality of content on the web.
They aim to ensure that users have access to content that is not only accurate and reliable but also genuinely useful and engaging.
For content creators, this means focusing on creating material that is informative, well-researched, and user-centric, while also showcasing their expertise and experience in the subject matter.
In conclusion, the key takeaway here is to craft original, experiential content that showcases your products, discusses your methods, and offers a glimpse behind the scenes of your operations and product creation.
The more personalized and unique you make it, injecting your own perspective into the content, the more effective it will be.
E-E-A-T Application for SEO Optimization for CBD and Cannabis Websites
- Experience: Highlighting real-life experiences and practical knowledge in the use of CBD or hemp products can add credibility. Sharing customer testimonials, case studies, or personal narratives can be effective.
- Expertise: Showcase the expertise of content creators, especially for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics. This could include credentials of experts, qualifications of authors, or collaboration with industry professionals in creating content.
- Authoritativeness: Build authority by getting featured or mentioned in reputable sources within the CBD and hemp industry. Participating in forums, contributing to well-known publications, or collaborating with authoritative figures in the field can enhance credibility.
- Trustworthiness: Ensure that all the information provided is accurate, fact-checked, and reliable. In the context of CBD and hemp, this is particularly important due to the varying legal regulations and health implications. Include disclaimers where necessary and avoid making unverified claims.
OPTIMIZING FOR LOCAL SEO ON SEARCH ENGINES & GOOGLE MY BUSINESS
If you have a physical store location, it is crucial to leverage the power of local SEO. It means ensuring your hemp business will be visible within the community.
One of the first steps you can take is to claim your Google My Business listing, which will have all your information from your website, address, phone number, and business name.
Also, remember to include high-quality images that will showcase your hemp brand and products.
Additionally, encourage your customers to leave positive reviews as it influences your local search rankings.
It will essentially build trust and highlight customer satisfaction.
Hence, local SEO is a powerful tool for connecting with your community and driving traffic to your hemp business.
It means that you can position your hemp brand as a local authority.
Therefore, a robust local presence can be a differentiator for your business.
So, embrace these local SEO strategies to boost your visibility within your community.
But also foster lasting relationships with local customers eager to support a trusted and accessible hemp business.
BACKLINK & INTERNAL LINKING STRATEGY
They are probably the most ignored and underutilized hemp SEO strategies because most businesses or brands do not comprehend their importance.
Backlinks are links from other websites pointing to your site.
- One of the best ways to get quality backlinks is through guest posting.
- Publishing a guest post on an authoritative hemp or cannabis website where you include a link to your website is still an effective way of link building.
- A good backlink is from an authoritative site (good reputation) and to search engines proof that your website content is valuable and trustworthy.
- A bad backlink will harm your SEO strategies.
Thus, if your hemp website has links from spam sites that are not associated with your brand, for example, betting sites/links, search engines may penalize your website.
Also, if you have backlinks from paid link schemes, search engines can detect them because most are low-quality and not worth it.
Building a network of diverse backlinks is crucial for enhancing your relevance and reputation in the eyes of search engines.
When elevating your hemp SEO game, backlinks are an absolute must-have.
By incorporating a solid backlink strategy into your SEO strategy efforts, you are laying the foundation for long-term success and increased organic traffic.
Do not underestimate the importance of these valuable components in achieving your digital marketing goals.
Thus, if you do not want to miss the quality backlinks, please check out our hemp SEO services.
Internal Linking Might be Just as Important as Backlnking for your CBD SEO Strategy
When it comes to improving your CBD website’s search engine optimization (SEO), many people focus on acquiring backlinks from other websites.
While backlinks are an important part of SEO, internal linking is also crucial for improving your site’s search ranking and overall visibility and user experience.
Internal linking involves linking to other pages within your website to provide a better user experience and help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site.
By strategically including internal links throughout your site, you can guide both users and search engine crawlers to important pages and improve your overall SEO.
Here are a few reasons why internal linking is just as important as backlinking for your CBD SEO strategy:
- Improved Website Navigation: Internal links make it easier for users to navigate your website and find relevant information. By directing visitors to related articles, product pages, or other valuable content, you can keep them engaged and encourage them to explore more of your site.
- Enhanced User Experience: Internal linking helps create a seamless user experience by connecting related content and providing additional context or information. This can increase the time visitors spend on your site and reduce bounce rates, which are both positive signals for search engines.
- Distribution of Page Authority: By strategically linking from high-authority pages to other internal pages, you can distribute page authority and help those pages rank better in search results. This can improve the overall visibility of your website and increase organic traffic.
- Increased Indexing and Crawling: Internal links provide a clear pathway for search engine crawlers to discover and index all of your site’s pages. This can help ensure that your content is properly crawled and ultimately appears in search results.
- Keyword Optimization: When you use targeted anchor text in your internal links, you can optimize them for specific keywords or phrases. This can help search engines understand the relevance of your pages and improve their rankings for those keywords.
In conclusion, while backlinking is a crucial aspect of SEO, internal linking should not be overlooked.
By incorporating internal links throughout your hemp CBD website and optimizing them for user experience and search engines, you can improve your site’s overall SEO performance and increase its visibility in search results.
OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE
According to SimilarWeb, in May 2023, mobile devices generated 65.49% of global website traffic.
And as per Forbes, 74% of online users will return to a mobile-friendly site.
Also, mobile website users expect a website to load in under three (3) seconds.
Therefore, your hemp website needs to be mobile-friendly not only as an SEO strategy but for it to be a success in an already crowded marketplace.
So, a mobile-friendly hemp website is no longer just an option (it is a necessity).
You can utilize a tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site performance on mobile devices.
By prioritizing mobile optimization, you ensure your target audience can easily access and navigate your site.
Also, ensure your site has a speedy loading time and user-friendly experience across different devices.
It is crucial for attracting and retaining visitors and fostering a positive impression, reinforcing customer trust and loyalty towards your brand.
If you are ready to make your hemp website mobile-friendly, we have you covered with our web design services.
INTEGRATE SOCIAL MEDIA INTO YOUR SEO TECHNIQUES FOR YOUR HEMP OR CBD WEBSITE
In the digital era, social media is a must-have for businesses to be successful and also for their hemp SEO strategies.
You can enhance your online visibility and boost your SEO indirectly, with consistent and high-quality social media content.
You can do this by encouraging social sharing, optimizing your social media profiles, and collaborating with influencers to maximize reach.
5 Proven Strategies for Social Media & Content Marketing for SEO Best Practices
- Educate and Inform through Quality Content:
The hemp industry often faces misconceptions and a lack of understanding. Create educational content that informs your audience about the benefits, uses, and legal aspects of hemp products. This can include blog posts, infographics, and educational videos. High-quality, informative content is more likely to be shared and linked to, which can improve SEO.
- Leverage User-Generated Content and Reviews:
Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products on social media.
User-generated content like testimonials, reviews, and social media posts by customers can provide social proof, enhance credibility, and can be repurposed for marketing.
This content not only engages your community but also contributes to your site’s content diversity, which is favored by search engines.
- Utilize SEO Keywords in Social Media Posts:
Conduct keyword research specific to the hemp industry and integrate these keywords naturally into your social media posts.
This will help in aligning your social media strategy with your SEO efforts, making your content more discoverable both on social media platforms and search engines.
Collaborate with Influencers and Thought Leaders:
Partner with influencers and experts in the wellness, natural products, or hemp industries.
Their endorsement can expand your reach, build trust, and generate valuable backlinks if they link to your content from their platforms.
Create Interactive and Shareable Content:
Engage your audience with interactive content like polls, quizzes, or contests related to hemp products.
Shareable content increases your brand’s visibility and can generate backlinks to your website.
Ensure to include calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage sharing and visiting your website.
BONUS CBD SEO TIP FOR SOCIAL MEDIA – BACKLINKING:
Make sure to backlink to your website, not only in your bio section but also within the posts themselves.
Remember, consistency in your social media and content marketing efforts is key.
Regularly posting valuable content, engaging with your audience, and staying updated with the latest SEO trends and hemp industry news will help in building a strong online presence.
Additionally, always stay compliant with the legal regulations about advertising and marketing hemp products in your region.
These steps will help drive more traffic to your website and improve your overall online presence.
As a result, you can enhance your brand visibility, attract a significant amount of organic search traffic, and ultimately boost your rankings in the search engine results pages.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON WINNING HEMP SEO STRATEGIES & PICKING THE RIGHT SEO COMPANY
Hemp SEO is essential for the success and growth of your business or brand.
The hemp SEO strategies to utilize are social media integration, keyword research, content creation, backlink building, optimization for local SEO, on-page elements, and mobile devices.
These strategies are not utilized alone but have to work hand-in-hand that is together for better results and success.
Do not forget that SEO is not a one-and-done job but a continuous endeavor that demands consistent effort and unwavering attention.
Stay on top of the latest trends and continuously optimize your website to maintain its visibility and ranking in search engines.
It may require some dedication, but the long-term benefits are worth it.
To learn more about creating SEO strategies for your hemp brand, consider checking out our hemp SEO services, which can be a game changer for your business.
