As the cannabis industry continues to grow, businesses operating in this space face a unique set of challenges when it comes to digital marketing. One of the most important aspects of any digital marketing strategy is keyword research, and cannabis businesses need to pay close attention to the keywords they choose to target in order to attract the right audience. In this post, we’ll discuss how to choose keywords based on user intent when targeting cannabis consumers and highlight the importance of cannabis keyword research.
Why Keyword Research is Crucial for Cannabis Businesses
Before we dive into how to choose keywords, let’s take a moment to talk about why keyword research is crucial for cannabis businesses. Simply put, keywords are the words and phrases that people use to search for information online. By targeting the right keywords, businesses can attract more qualified traffic to their website, improve their search engine rankings, and increase their chances of converting visitors into customers.
For cannabis businesses, choosing the right keywords is particularly important due to the unique legal and regulatory landscape of the industry. There are strict regulations governing the advertising and promotion of cannabis products, and businesses need to be careful to avoid using certain words or phrases that could be perceived as promoting cannabis in a way that violates these regulations. Cannabis businesses also face challenges in terms of payment processing, shipping, and other logistical issues, which can make it difficult to attract the right customers.
Understanding User Intent
When choosing keywords to target, it’s important to understand user intent. User intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. Are they looking for information? Are they looking to make a purchase? Are they looking for a specific product or service? By understanding user intent, businesses can choose keywords that are more likely to attract the right audience and improve their chances of converting visitors into customers.
There are three main types of user intent:
Informational Intent: Users with informational intent are looking for information about a particular topic. They may be researching the benefits of cannabis for a particular condition, for example, or trying to learn more about different strains of cannabis.
Navigational Intent: Users with navigational intent are looking for a particular website or brand. They may be searching for a specific cannabis dispensary, for example, or looking for a particular cannabis product.
Transactional Intent: Users with transactional intent are looking to make a purchase. They may be searching for a particular cannabis product to buy online, for example, or looking for a cannabis dispensary that offers delivery services.
Conducting Cannabis Keyword Research
Now that we understand user intent, let’s talk about how to conduct cannabis keyword research. The first step is to brainstorm a list of potential keywords that are relevant to your business. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to generate ideas and get a sense of how competitive different keywords are.
Once you have a list of potential keywords, you’ll want to evaluate them based on a few different criteria. Here are some things to consider:
Search Volume: How many people are searching for the keyword each month? Higher search volume generally indicates greater potential for traffic.
Competition: How many other businesses are targeting the same keyword? Higher competition generally indicates greater difficulty in ranking for the keyword.
Relevance: How relevant is the keyword to your business? Does it accurately reflect the products or services you offer?
User Intent: What type of user intent does the keyword reflect? Is it informational, navigational, or transactional?
By evaluating potential keywords based on these criteria, you can narrow down your list and choose.
