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Successful Marketing for the Cannabis Industry
Achieving Results in a Competitive Industy
Website: Cannabis Dispensary NJ
Industry: Medical & Recreational Cannabis Dispensary
Company Size: Local Business
The Goals:
– Entering a highly competitive cannabis market
– Increasing online visibility for high-intent keywords
– Driving traffic to key pages like “Order Online” and category pages
– Establishing local authority through SEO-focused content and backlinks
The Project: SEO for The Cannabis & Hemp Industry
A newly established cannabis dispensary in New Jersey entered the market in 2023 with a goal to build brand recognition, drive organic traffic, and boost online sales. Through a structured, phased SEO strategy, the dispensary rapidly increased keyword rankings, organic visitors, and customer engagement, establishing itself as a competitive player in the local market.
GYBO’s Strategic Roadmap – Cannabis SEO
A two-phase SEO roadmap was developed to drive growth and improve search visibility. The first six months (June–December 2024) focused on foundational SEO, while Phase 2 (beginning November 2024) expanded efforts.
GYBO’s Strategy for a Dispensary
Phase 1: Foundational SEO and Initial Growth (June–November 2024)
The first roadmap document focused on foundational tasks, developing an SEO for cannabis strategy:
- Local SEO Listings: Maintained and updated citations across directories to improve local search rankings.
- Keyword Research & Mapping: Identified high-intent local and product-specific keywords.
- Google Business Profile Optimization: Enhanced GBP visibility with accurate and branded listings.
- Technical SEO: Improved site speed, schema markup, and mobile performance.
- Content Development:
- Created vendor pages to highlight key product lines.
- Published blog posts to capture long-tail searches and build topical authority.
Phase 2: Expansion and Refinement (November 2024–April 2025)
Phase 2 built on the successes of Phase 1, focusing on scaling the strategy and refining site performance:
- Category Page Development: Added optimized content and CTAs to key product categories like edibles and pre-rolls.
- Mobile Optimization: Enhanced site usability and page speed for mobile visitors.
- Competitor Analysis: Identified content gaps and backlink opportunities for further rankings improvement.
- Backlink Outreach: Secured authoritative cannabis-related backlinks to strengthen rankings.
The Marketing Results (June–December 2024)
In the last year, this dispensary has made remarkable strides in the competitive cannabis retail space. Leveraging foundational and advanced SEO strategies, the dispensary experienced significant organic growth. Key accomplishments during this period include:
51.5%
Organic Traffic
Growing from 3,300 monthly visits in June to over 5,000 in December.
44.5%
Total Organic Traffic
Organic sessions accounted for 44.5% of total traffic, underscoring the success of the SEO strategy.
366%
Increase in Total Ranking Keywords
With substantial growth in highly competitive positions.
Improved Keyword Rankings
Keyword Growth: The dispensary experienced a 366% increase in total ranking keywords, with substantial growth in highly competitive positions (from Jun 20
- Top 3 Positions: Grew by 80% during this period, signaling significant authority in targeted search queries.
- Top 10 Positions: The number of keywords in the Top 10 doubled, as new pages gained traction.
- Improved CTR: Click-through rates from search results increased by 15%, demonstrating more engaging meta descriptions and title tag optimizations.
- Rich Snippet Visibility: Featured snippets gained for “best cannabis edibles NJ” and “dispensary pre-roll deals.”
Enhanced Engagement and Conversions
Site-Wide Organic Performance
The overall organic performance metrics for the dispensary’s website saw notable growth between June–December 2024 compared to the prior 6 months:
- Organic Views: Increased by 30.96%, reaching 613,770 total views compared to the earlier period.
- Active Users: Grew by 22.67%, with 30,727 users engaging with the site organically.
- Event Count: A substantial 28.69% increase, reflecting a higher level of user interaction and engagement across the site.
Order Online Page SuccessThe “Order Online” page stood out as a top-performing page, driving significant organic traffic and engagement:
- 532,262 organic views between June–December 2024, reflecting a 32.48% increase compared to the prior period.
- 27,508 active users, with a 6.98% increase in views per active user.
- Event Count: Grew by 31.98%, highlighting the page’s efficiency in converting visits into meaningful interactions.
These metrics underscore the impact of targeted SEO strategies and enhanced user experience on the “Order Online” page, aligning with the site-wide improvements in organic visibility and engagement over the past 6 months.
Visitors engaged deeply with the site:
- Average session duration: 1 minute 12 seconds.
- 10.46 events per session, reflecting high interactivity and interest.
“Delivering Results“
Our experience with GYBO has been outstanding! They took the time to thoroughly research and understand our industry, which has been invaluable in developing targeted goals to optimize our SEO.
Their team has proactively addressed performance issues, consistently delivered results, and created impactful content.
Their dedication and expertise have made a significant difference in our online presence. We wouldn’t choose anyone else! Everything you could want plus more.
Rocco Levine
/
Aunt Mary’s
Your Goals…Our goals
Integrating the Roadmap with Results
The roadmap phases provided a clear structure for achieving goals:
- Phase 1 established the foundation, focusing on keyword targeting, technical SEO, and local optimization.
- Phase 2 began scaling efforts with advanced content strategies, backlink outreach, and competitor analysis.
The overlap between roadmap tasks and results underscores the importance of strategic alignment. This allows GYBO to deliver tangible growth within the first six months and set the stage for continued success.
Conclusion
By following a structured SEO strategy, this dispensary successfully overcame early market challenges, established strong organic visibility, and positioned itself for continued growth. With Phase 2 strategies in motion, further expansion and increased customer acquisition are on track for 2025.
— What Sets GYBO Marketing Apart
- Direct Access to Experts:
No middlemen, no outsourcing. You’ll work directly with the specialists handling your campaigns. - Transparent Deliverables:
We share everything with you, docs, sheets and crystal clear reporting - Collaborative Approach:
We partner with you to understand your vision and make it a reality. - Hands-On Implementation:
We don’t just plan; we execute with precision.