Why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Matters to Dispensaries
Engaging new customers is important, but how can you reach said customers if they can’t find you? This is where SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, comes into play. When potential customers are on the hunt for a new product or service or in this case, a new dispensary, oftentimes the first then they do is a quick search online. Therefore, it’s important to have your website optimized for search engines so that people are able to find your business and gather whatever information they need. Here is a brief overview of SEO and how it can help your local dispensary.
You may be asking, what exactly is SEO? Here I have outlined the basic concepts your business will need to grasp, in order to become successful at this optimization approach.
- Develop a set of keywords that will help search engines identify and pair people with your website.
- Place these keywords throughout page titles as well as the content on the pages.
- Measure your search engine rankings and continually improve your site so that your ranking can go up.
Okay, so now you know what SEO is and a few of the basic approaches you can start applying to your dispensary site today. Now you’re wondering, why is any of this important? SEO is crucial to the success of any business hoping to reel in new customers using online methods. A few of the most important aspects of SEO are listed below:
- Search engine rankings: These rankings are extremely important if you are hoping to reach any new customers. If people can’t find your website, you won’t get any new business. Regardless if you have the best dispensary in the state, if people can’t find your website then they won’t have a chance to find out.
- Target audience: The beautiful thing about SEO is that it connects companies like yours, to their target audience without either party really trying. It narrows down billions of users to the exact market that your company is looking to do business with.
- SEO goes beyond your website: If your company has a profile on any business locator or map application, using the aforementioned keywords can help users locate your business without even visiting your website.
By now you can see how important it is to successfully optimize your dispensary website for search engines. It can improve overall website traffic, as well as attract the exact consumer profile your looking for. Overall, SEO is a crucial tool when developing your new or existing dispensary.
How To Get A Medical Marijuana Dispensary Into Google Places
Google is the most widely used search engine in the world, and it’s the first place people turn to when they need information. As a medical marijuana dispensary, making customers aware of your business is an important part of earning an income and growing your clientele. If people aren’t able to find information on your dispensary, how are they going to visit and pay for your product? Getting your business listed on Google Places is a simple process, and if you follow these steps you’ll be well on your way to creating a great listing that drives traffic to your website and customers to your dispensary.
Create a Google My Business Listing
We’ll discuss how to optimize the process in this article, but obviously the most important part is actually listing your business.
- Visit google.com/business and click start now.
- Sign into your google account.
- Enter your business name in the first field.
- If you see your business, click on it and add more information. If not, fill out the required fields.
- Click submit!
Following those five steps will allow your business to show up on local search results.
Optimize Your My Business Listing
So you’ve listed your business on Google My Business, now how can you make sure it comes up on top when people search for medical marijuana dispensaries in your area? It all comes down to optimizing your business profile.
Update Information Frequently
Are you closed on the holidays? Do your hours change based on the seasons? Update your business listing as needed to make sure you’re serving accurate results to your customers. It’s an easy to get negative reviews and lose out on potential customers if they show up to get their medical marijuana and you aren’t even open!
Add Interesting Photos
Make use of photos on your Google Places page to entice customers to visit. Make sure the photos are vibrant and of high quality to give your business a professional appearance and a competitive edge.
Rack Up Reviews
Respond to both negative and positive reviews to give customers a sense of your great customer service and commitment to quality and excellence. Businesses live and die by their reviews, so make sure you’re addressing problems and thanking your customers for their business at every opportunity.
We hope this tutorial and these tips help you get your medical marijuana dispensary more visible in google searches. Follow these steps and guidelines and you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need to continue to grow your business. With a great online presence and visible reviews, you’re bound to see a steady increase in sales.