Have you ever asked or wondered if you can have a Google My Business (GMB) listing in the dispensary and cannabis markets? Maybe we (with the help of Google) can help answer that.
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google; this includes both Google Search and Google Maps.
Google My Business for dispensary and cannabis marketers
Creating and managing a Google My Business (GMB) for a dispensary or cannabis business is simple. Plus it has an immediate benefit to your business and to your dispensary’s SEO. But, there are limitations for cannabis and CBD that don’t affect other businesses. But in case you aren’t familiar with it, let’s introduce Google My Business.
Why do I need a Google My Business for my dispensary?
Setting up and managing your dispensary’s Google My Business profile will help customers find you, tell your story, provide social proof (reviews), information about hours of operation, and location, and verify your business. But most importantly, a Google My Business profile will help your dispensary search engine optimization. This makes it easier for new customers to find you.
Google prioritizes near-me searches
Because Google continues to prioritize “near me” searches, an accurate and up-to-date Google My Business listing is one of the best opportunities for your dispensary to be discovered. Let’s look at some common searches:
Example dispensary Google searches
Dispensary [city name]
Dispensary near me
Recreational marijuana dispensary [city name]
Example Google Mapes searches for dispensaries
Medical cannabis dispensary
Medical marijuana dispensary
Name of dispensary
In both cases, we want Google to return the results of dispensaries closest to our location. That’s where Google My Business helps.
Google My Business dispensary listing Restrictions
Unfortunately, there are significant restrictions for cannabis dispensaries and CBD stores on Google My Business.
When you complete your dispensary’s Google My Business profile, you’ll need to select a category. And, you’ll need to set it to “Cannabis Store”. Because marijuana is not a federally legal drug in the United States, Google has restricted certain aspects of Google My Business.
And, while it might be tempting to categorize your business as something other than “Cannabis Store”, you’ll only get yourself into more trouble. In other words, play by the rules.
List of dispensary restrictions for Google My Business
Google My Business limits businesses in the “cannabis store” category by removing:
Posts – communication with your customers.
Products – listings of your products.
Services – listings of your services.
Bookings – the ability for customers to book time with you.
Unfortunately, this means that you cannot include and product or pricing details from your dispensary.
Use “Cannabis Store” for your dispensary business category in Google My Business
While multiple business categories can be set, if you are a marijuana dispensary, you must choose “Cannabis store”.
Unfortunately, there are no other options in the categories listed on Google My Business for dispensaries. Selecting a primary category other than “Cannabis Store” only increases the likelihood of getting your account suspended. And, once suspended getting it unsuspended is not easy.
Use related secondary categories
You should include secondary categories for your dispensary. For example, you may want to include: “Vitamin & supplements” store or “Delivery service”.
Ensure your marijuana dispensary’s pin is correct on Google Maps
When you set your dispensary’s address, ensure that the pin that Google displays in Google Maps is accurate. You can drag the map and zoom in. Once you are satisfied that your dispensary is accurate in Google Maps, click apply.
Read More on Google My Business Listings For Dispensary and Cannabis Markets HERE
Tags:
dispensary and cannabis marketers
Categorised in: The Shoreline Blog
This post was written by Shoreline Content Team
