CBD SEO Strategy Tips: Navigating the Complexities of the CBD Market

By Livija Kasteckaitė Updated on May 8, 2024

CBD-Specific Keyword Research and Targeting

According to Statista, the global revenue of CBD products will reach $6.90 billion by 2024. A large chunk of that revenue is traced to eCommerce sales. By the end of 2026, the CBD industry will collect $ 6 billion in revenue from eCommerce channels and search engines.

This tells us one thing: people are using online platforms to purchase CBD products. You can reach these people by targeting relevant keywords in search results. Keyword targeting is an SEO aspect that boosts the visibility of online stores like CBD websites.

So, how do you come up with CBD-specific keywords? Here’s how you can get started:

• Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or Semrush Keyword Magic. Focus on long-tail keywords for lower competition and higher click-through rate (CTR).
• Do competitive keyword research. Analyze your competitors’ target keywords through tools like SpyFu and Moz Keyword Explorer.
• Target local SEO keywords if you have a physical store. Discover location-specific keywords like “CBD oil deals in [your city or district].

Local and long-tail keywords usually come with high intent to purchase. Using these keywords will boost your SEO rankings, especially in local search results.

Target keywords with high intent to purchase CBD products

Maximize your CBD SEO efforts by targeting keywords with high purchase intent. What do you usually type when you’re searching for a product in search engines? You might start off with transactional terms like “buy” or “order”.

Some people also search for comparison reviews with terms like “best”, “top”, or “versus”. These transactional keywords are examples of purchase intent signals. Follow these steps in incorporating these signals into your CBD keyword research:

• Identify purchase intent signals. These could be transactional, location-specific, comparison, and brand-specific keywords.
• Again, target long-tail keywords for less competition and higher specificity.
• Use SEO tools and software. Ahrefs’s Keyword Explorer Tool offers advanced filters for transactional terms.

An example of a purchase intent CBD keyword could be “where to buy CBD gummies in Colorado”. This keyword uses both transactional and location-specific triggers.

Incorporate CBD varieties and product types into keywords

It’s not enough that you get tons of visitors to your website. The key is to attract the right target audience to your CBD store

Reach your target market even more when you incorporate CBD varieties and types into your keywords. Here are proven tips for doing this CBD SEO tactic:

• Popular strains: Include names of popular CBD varieties in your keywords. These varieties include Charlotte’s Web, Harlequin CBD, and Blue Dream CBD among many others.
• Benefits: Incorporate unique CBD benefits like relaxation, focus enhancement, and pain relief.
• Location: Combine strains and benefits with location. This combination will make your keyword more specific.

An example of a variety-specific CBD keyword is “Blue Dream CBD oil for pain relief near me”. This keyword combines strain, benefit, and location.

CBD Content Creation Strategies

Product descriptions and landing pages aren’t your only content source. CBD brands should also invest in blog posts and informative content.

Content is an essential element in doing SEO for CBD companies. Compliance and high-quality writing chops could boost your search engine rankings. You can use these tools for more efficient content creation:

Content Research:

• Answer The Public
• Google Scholar
• Semrush Topic Research

Content Management Systems (CMS):

• WordPress
• HubSpot CMS Hub
• WooCommerce

Writing and Editing:

• Grammarly
• Hemingway Editor

However, CBD content marketing isn’t just about how good you write. You should also comply with CBD-specific regulations to avoid misleading statements.

Craft content around CBD health benefits and uses

In 2023, Google allowed the promotion of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals containing CBD. This allowed CBD businesses to craft content for Google Ads (paid advertising) and search engine results pages.

Doing content marketing for CBD companies requires a factual approach. Here are tips to ensure the accuracy of your content:

• Don’t make health claims. What you can do is discuss CBD’s potential benefits on stress, sleep, or pain relief.
• Support your discussions with citations. Look for scientific studies, articles, and publications.
• Experiment with different content formats. Mix it up with blog posts, infographics, testimonials, and videos.

Remember that content accuracy is a ranking factor in search engines. Making a misleading CBD claim could negatively affect your online visibility.

Address FAQs about CBD legality, dosage, and side effects

Build credibility in the CBD industry by addressing common concerns. People typically have similar concerns about purchasing CBD products. Addressing these questions will demonstrate your expertise as a CBD company.

Here are examples of frequently asked questions about CBD:

• Is CBD legal in my area?
• What’s the right dosage of CBD for my case?
• Does CBD have concerning side effects?
• How do I use this CBD [variety]?
• Can CBD help with my [specific condition]?

Always remember to put a disclaimer on your answers. FAQs sections on CBD websites should not be a substitute for professional medical advice.

On-Page SEO Optimization for CBD Websites

How can you make it easier for search engines to understand every section of your website? The answer to this question lies in how you optimize your on-page SEO elements.

Doing on-page SEO for CBD sites is like informing search engines of your purpose. Here are the elements that make it so:

• Meta tags: Meta tags provide an overview of a particular web page. These tags are composed of title tags and meta descriptions. Title tags refer to the headline of your page. On the other hand, a meta description offers a concise description of your page’s content.
• Headings: Descriptive headings (H1, H2, H3, H4) organize your content into sub-categories.
• Technical SEO: Optimize technical SEO elements like mobile-friendliness, responsiveness, and loading speed.

There are tools that you can use for on-page optimization. Check them out below:

• For site audit: Screaming Frog
• For comprehensive analysis: SE Ranking
• For page speed test: GTmetrix
• For log file analysis: JetOctopus

Moreover, there’s an on-page SEO element that’s gaining traction in search engine optimization. It’s called schema markup,

Include CBD-specific schema markup for rich snippets

Imagine your CBD product showing on search results complete with price, serving, and reviews. Users will most likely click on a link that’s complete with information like these.

This information is called rich snippets. Snippets include important information like price, availability, ingredients, reviews, and star ratings. CBD companies can rank for rich snippets by incorporating CBD-specific schema markup.

Here’s how you can do schema markup for CBD or cannabis SEO:

• Focus on JSON-LD schema markup format. This is easier to implement in doing SEO for CBD companies.
• Identify CBD-specific properties like “cannabidiolContentLevel” and “warning”. These indicators refer to milligrams per serving and potential risks, respectively.
• For easier implementation, use schema markup generators or plugins. Generators include Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper and Schema App. For WordPress, you can use plugins like Schema Pro, Rank Math, and Yoast SEO.

Integrate CBD-focused landing pages with targeted keywords

Optimizing landing pages is another key component of SEO for CBD companies. Landing pages have clear conversion goals, making them a priority in CBD or cannabis SEO.

One of the ways to boost your landing pages’ visibility is through targeted keywords. These CBD-specific keywords are primed for your target audience. Here’s how you can integrate targeted keywords into your CBD landing pages:

• Search for long-tail keywords with purchase intent
• Integrate target keywords in the headings, sub-headings, and body text of your landing page.
• Incorporate target keywords in your title tag and meta description.
• Include CTAs to push potential customers further along the buyer’s journey. These CTAs could lead to email sign-ups, whitepaper downloads, or other valuable resources.

It also helps if you have educational or informative content on your landing pages. This can strengthen your site’s authority and build trust within your niche audience.

CBD Link Building Tactics

Getting backlinks from other websites is a “vote of confidence”. A strong backlink profile is actually one of the SEO factors with the highest ranking impact.

This confidence vote is very important in a sensitive industry such as CBD. Take a look at these link-building tools that you can use for CBD or cannabis SEO:

• For discovering new link-building opportunities: Ahrefs Backlink Checker
• For in-depth analysis of backlink profiles: Majestic SEO
• For link-building outreach efforts: Pitchbox
• For content planning: Canva Content Planner

Be wary of unethical practices, though. Google’s recent core update will penalize you for spammy links and low-quality content. Your CBD site should take a natural link-building strategy, starting with guest blogging on relevant sites.

Guest blogging on CBD-related websites and blogs

There’s one question you need to answer when pitching guest posts to other CBD business owners. How will they benefit from giving you a platform?

Here’s how you can pitch high-quality guest blogs to a relevant CBD website:

• Make sure that you get the website’s target audience right.
• Discover the CBD keywords that suit the pain points of their audience.
• Personalize your outreach message and specify how you can help their brand.
• Provide relevant samples of your content.
• Have a courteous tone in your messaging.

Be patient in waiting for other websites to respond. Remember that you’re doing link-building to establish long-term partnerships.

Earn backlinks from CBD influencers and industry experts

Your ultimate goal should be to earn backlinks from CBD influencers and experts. The word “earn” means it’s something that you’ll work hard for. People won’t give you backlinks if you can’t offer them something of value.

An excellent CBD SEO playbook involves naturally earning backlinks. Here’s how you can do it:

• Focus on informative and educational content. Back up your statements with scientific research and data. Have a library of helpful content and resources about CBD.
• Identify relevant figures and experts in the CBD niche. You can look at social media platforms and visual channels like YouTube.
• Engage with them through meaningful comments and messages. Don’t directly ask for backlinks.
• Continue building a relationship with them. If possible, credit their work when you produce long-form articles or infographics.

Your CBD business could benefit a lot from a well-executed influencer marketing campaign.

Social Media Strategies Tailored for CBD

Boosting your CBD brand will always involve social media. The visibility you get from social media is just too much to pass up.

In a sensitive niche like CBD, you want more people to talk about your brand. That’s what social media can give you. Take a look at these tools that can help streamline your CBD social media strategy:

• For overall social media management: Sprout Social
• For localized social media ads: PromoRepublic
• For social media scheduling: CoSchedule
• For large-scale businesses: Sendible
• For small teams: SocialPilot
• For Pinterest: Tailwind
• For X (formerly Twitter): X Pro
• For Instagram: Preview

Building your CBD social media presence is about establishing trust. One way to do that is through sharing user testimonials and success stories.

Share user testimonials and success stories

Despite the growing tolerance for CBD, many are still skeptical of its benefits. People want to see real proof of CBD’s benefits before they purchase one.

A social media marketing strategy can address this customer pain point. You can do this by sharing testimonials and case studies on your social media platform. Here are proven tips to make this tactic more effective:

• Launch contests that encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences. You can offer rewards like discounts or freebies.
• Craft media posts on how your product helped a customer. Try creating graphics or video content to attract more people.
• Maximize your resources by choosing the right platform. Check whether your customers are more present on Facebook, X, or Instagram.

Most importantly, be responsive to comments and messages. Potential customers are always wary of a CBD brand’s responsiveness.

Create engaging CBD-related infographics and videos

Spice up your CBD social media presence with infographics and videos. For example, a LinkedIn image post has a higher comment rate than a text-based post.

Take a look at these tips on how to create engaging CBD multimedia content:

• Integrate a specific color theme for your CBD business. This way, your audience will immediately recognize your brand.
• Incorporate text into your infographics and videos. Include accurate data to back up your CBD claims.
• Prioritize substance over duration in video content. Keep your videos under 1-2 minutes.
• Use tools to make the visual content creation process easier. You can use Canva, Adobe Spark, or Venngage for infographics. To create videos, you can utilize tools like InShot, iMovie, and Adobe Premiere Rush.

Local SEO for CBD Businesses

Ranking high in local searches gives your CBD company an immediate advantage. Getting into local search results helps you reach high-intent customers.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to optimizing for local search results:

• Verify your Google My Business (GMB) profile. A Google Business Profile requires essential information like products, services, operation hours, and contact details.
• Get your CBD company mentioned in local directories or local listing. Maintain consistency in providing business information.
• Create content that’s centered on your local traffic audience. Address pain points within your local CBD community.
• Use local business listing tools such as Semrush’s Listing Management, Birdeye, and SproutLoud.

The value of networking within your local CBD community is underrated. Being present in local CBD events should be a part of your SEO strategy.

Participate in local CBD events and sponsorships

Local CBD events give you opportunities for networking and collaboration. You might even be listed in a social media page or website. That’s a free backlink for your brand.

We enumerated several avenues for you to participate in local CBD events. Take a look:

• Search for upcoming CBD conferences and expos. Have a look at event calendars on social media groups and in search results.
• Grab sponsorship opportunities on CBD events like charity runs and workshops.
• Join local associations or chambers of commerce.
• Reach out to local yoga instructors or therapists.

These local opportunities offer a good return on your investment and efforts.

Encourage positive reviews from local CBD customers

Positive user reviews are essential for building trust. Getting those reviews from local CBD customers is even more beneficial.

Working on these aspects could get you positive customer reviews:

• Deliver a memorable customer experience. Your team should know how to address customer queries and concerns.
• Ensure that you have high-quality products. Don’t overlook the labeling and sourcing process. Quality products are the most natural way of word-of-mouth marketing.
• Run contests or giveaways to motivate customers to leave reviews.
• Provide clear instructions on how to leave reviews. Use QR codes for an easier process.
• Express your gratitude for positive reviews. On the other hand, address negative reviews professionally and constructively.

Monitoring and Analytics for CBD Websites

Tracking your CBD site’s performance is a proven CBD SEO tip. Your SEO strategies might only work for a specific period of time. After that period, you need to adapt and optimize.

Monitoring every possible CBD SEO metric is close to impossible. What you can do is track the indicators that align with your business goals. Here’s how you should do it:

• Focus on CBD-related metrics. These include product page views, form submissions, and checkout flows.
• Monitor user behavior. Find out how users interact with your product and landing pages.
• Track reach and engagement rates on social media. Check out which website links get higher click-through rates.

The key is to focus on metrics that are directly related to your CBD goals. These metrics provide insights on how to bring more traffic to your website.

Analyze CBD product page conversion rates and traffic sources

Your CBD product pages serve as direct pathways for sales and conversions. It’s why you should prioritize product pages when doing SEO for CBD companies.

Follow this step-by-step approach to optimize your product pages’ performance:

• Define the CBD-related goals you need to analyze. These include add-to-cart rates, session duration, and scroll depth.
• Use Hotjar to analyze heatmaps and session recordings. Fix poorly written product descriptions and broken internal links.
• Use Google Analytics to segment traffic sources and data. Gain insights into traffic sources like paid ads and organic search results.
• Run A/B tests to see which variations can produce more conversions. Test different variations of product descriptions, CTAs, and image layouts.

Utilize CBD-specific analytics tools for in-depth insights

Here’s a detailed list of CBD-specific tools and their corresponding purpose:

• HubSpot Website Grader: Enhance User Experience (UX) and optimize for mobile use.
• Google Search Console: Identify ranking keywords, clicks, impressions, and indexed pages.
• SEOquake: Use this browser extension to conduct on-page audits.
• Bing Webmaster Tools: Analyze backlink profiles and review technical SEO errors
• SEOlyzer: Track SEO issues in crawling, indexing, and log analysis.
• KWFinder: Compare your ranking keywords with those of your competitors.
• Woorank: Analyze how social media is boosting your search engine optimization efforts.

You don’t have to get all the analytics tools available. Maximize your resources by utilizing tools that track your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Understanding the Complexities of the CBD Market

The CBD market is a growing industry. Certain complexities come with its forward trend, though. Consider the following factors when running a CBD SEO campaign:

• Regulatory challenges: CBD regulations vary from area to area. Your strategies might be affected by marketing and age restrictions.
• Competition analysis: Stand out among the competition by focusing on differentiation. Analyze your competitors and look for unique gaps.
• Consumer trends and preferences: Product variations could change consumer preferences. Stay up-to-date with new CBD product launches.
• Niche targeting: Aim for a specific CBD niche to establish a customer base. Learn more about your customers through market research and online communities.

Navigating through these complexities could fortify your CBD SEO playbook.

Why is Search Engine Optimization the Perfect Strategy for CBD Companies?

Doing SEO for CBD companies is about long-term success. These SEO factors will surely contribute to a CBD brand’s sustained growth:

• Bring in organic traffic through relevant search results
• Establish brand credibility through helpful content
• Answer specific search queries through targeted content

This is also more cost-effective, even if you outsource to a CBD SEO agency. Collaborating with external SEO agencies like Fortis Media allows you to focus on other marketing aspects. This is an efficient way of hitting two birds with one stone.

CBD SEO: Key Takeaways

CBD is a complex market that you can navigate through SEO. Ranking in search results is one form of free CBD advertising. You increase your visibility while optimizing for sales and conversions.

Just ask most of the CBD companies today. They linked up with SEO experts like Fortis Media to increase their search results visibility. CBD SEO is still an evolving niche. Partnering with digital marketing experts will help you thrive in this area.