Client Overview
Industry: Cannabis & CBD Retail
Business Type: Online dispensary with physical location
Timeline: 90 days
Focus: Organic search visibility and traffic growth
The Challenge
Our client, a CBD dispensary, was struggling to compete in the increasingly crowded cannabis market. Despite having quality products and competitive pricing, their website wasn’t generating sufficient organic traffic. Key money pages (product category pages and high-intent commercial pages) were buried on page 2 or lower in search results, resulting in minimal conversions from organic search.
Goals
- Increase organic traffic by at least 50%
- Rank 3 critical money pages in the top 3 positions
- Improve overall domain authority and search visibility
- Drive qualified traffic that converts
Strategy
1. Technical SEO Foundation
We started with a comprehensive technical audit to identify and fix critical issues, including site speed optimization, mobile responsiveness improvements, and structured data implementation for product pages.
2. Keyword Research & Targeting
We identified high-intent, commercially viable keywords with reasonable competition levels. Focus areas included:
- “CBD [product type] near me” variations
- Product-specific searches (CBD oil, gummies, topicals)
- Condition-based searches (CBD for pain, anxiety, sleep)
3. On-Page Optimization
Each money page received targeted optimization:
- Strategic keyword placement in titles, headers, and meta descriptions
- Enhanced product descriptions with helpful, informative content
- Addition of FAQ sections addressing common customer questions
- Internal linking structure to boost page authority
4. Content Marketing
We developed a content strategy focused on:
- Educational blog posts about CBD benefits and usage
- Buying guides for different product categories
- Comparison articles (CBD vs. THC, different product types)
- Local content highlighting store location and community involvement
5. Link Building
We executed a targeted CBD link-building campaign, including:
- Local business directories and cannabis industry listings
- Guest posts on health and wellness blogs
- Digital PR outreach to relevant publications
- Strategic partnerships with complementary businesses
6. Local SEO
Enhanced Google Business Profile optimization and local citations to capture “near me” searches and improve local pack rankings.
Results After 90 Days
Traffic Growth
- 102% increase in organic traffic (from baseline)
- 156% increase in users from organic search
- Average session duration increased by 34%
Ranking Achievements
3 money pages reached top 3 positions:
- Main product category page: Position #2 for “buy CBD online [state]”
- CBD oil collection page: Position #1 for “full spectrum CBD oil”
- Store location page: Position #3 for “CBD dispensary near [city]”
Additional Wins
- 47 total keywords moved into top 10 positions
- 12 featured snippet captures
- 23% improvement in click-through rate from search results
- 18% increase in conversion rate from organic traffic
Key Takeaways
What Worked:
- Focusing on transactional, high-intent keywords delivered faster results
- Local SEO was crucial for a business with physical presence
- Educational content built trust and improved overall site authority
- Technical optimizations improved user experience and search engine crawlability
Challenges Overcome:
- Navigating cannabis industry advertising restrictions required creative content approaches
- Competition from established brands necessitated finding underserved keyword opportunities
- Compliance requirements meant careful content creation to avoid health claims
ROI Impact
The organic traffic growth translated to:
- 89% increase in organic revenue
- 34% reduction in customer acquisition cost
- Reduced reliance on paid advertising
- Stronger brand presence in the local market
Conclusion
Through a comprehensive SEO strategy focusing on technical excellence, targeted content, and strategic link building, we successfully doubled organic traffic. We achieved top 3 rankings for critical money pages in just 90 days. This case demonstrates that even in competitive, regulated industries like cannabis retail, strategic SEO can deliver substantial, measurable results in a relatively short timeframe.
The foundation established during this initial period positions the client for continued growth, with ongoing efforts focused on expanding keyword coverage, enhancing domain authority, and capturing an increasing share of the expanding CBD market.
