Why Cannabis Brands Need Generative Engine Optimization Strategies to Stay Competitive

The Future of Cannabis SEO is Here

The digital marketing landscape is shifting as AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and DeepseekAI change how users find information. Traditional SEO alone is no longer enough; search engines now favor AI-optimized, structured content that aligns with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

GEO is the new frontier in cannabis SEO, allowing brands to optimize content for AI-driven search results while overcoming advertising restrictions. In this article, we’ll cover:

The limitations of traditional cannabis SEO.
What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is and how it works.
The advantages of GEO for cannabis brands.
Step-by-step strategies to implement GEO.
Real-world case studies of successful cannabis GEO strategies.

The Limitations of Traditional Cannabis SEO

1. Keyword Restrictions & Advertising Bans

Google, Facebook, and Instagram ban cannabis ads, making organic SEO the only viable digital marketing strategy.
Many high-intent cannabis keywords (e.g., “buy weed online”) are flagged, limiting visibility.

2. Traditional SEO Struggles with AI Search Engines

AI search engines don’t just rank pages; they generate direct answers using high-authority sources.
Keyword stuffing, backlink-building, and metadata tweaks are no longer enough.

3. Local SEO is More Competitive Than Ever

Dispensaries and delivery services compete for limited “near me” search of real estate.
Voice search & AI-driven local results favor structured data and semantic search, making old-school SEO tactics ineffective.

Solution? Cannabis brands must shift to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to remain competitive.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for Cannabis Brands?

Defining GEO

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is optimizing content to be recognized, indexed, and cited by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Bing AI. GEO ensures cannabis brands appear in AI-generated search results, even when traditional SEO struggles.

Key Components of GEO

AI-Optimized Content: Uses machine learning to structure content in a way that AI search engines prefer.
Structured Data & Schema Markup: Enhances content readability for AI-driven search assistants.
Semantic SEO & Conversational Queries: Ensures content answers natural-language questions, improving visibility.
Real-Time AI Adaptation: GEO strategies continuously evolve based on AI-driven search behavior.

GEO vs. Traditional SEO: The Key Differences

Feature	Traditional SEO	Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Focus	Keywords & backlinks	AI-driven intent & structured data
Ranking Mechanism	Google’s algorithm	AI-generated search results
Optimization Approach	Meta tags, links, and keyword density	Semantic relevance, structured data, conversational content
Adaptability	Manual updates required	AI-powered, real-time updates

Why Cannabis Brands Need GEO to Stay Competitive

The rapid evolution of AI-driven search engines is reshaping the digital landscape, and cannabis brands must adapt to stay relevant. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the key to maintaining visibility, overcoming advertising restrictions, and securing a dominant position in AI-generated search results. Here’s why implementing GEO strategies is critical for cannabis brands in 2024 and beyond.

1. Overcoming Advertising Restrictions with GEO

Cannabis brands face severe advertising restrictions on platforms like Google and Facebook, making paid promotions nearly impossible. GEO offers an alternative path to organic visibility by ensuring content is structured and AI-friendly.

Organic Discovery Over Paid Ads: AI search engines prioritize high-value, structured content over traditional advertisements.
Enhanced Authority & Credibility: Well-optimized GEO content ranks higher in AI-generated responses, boosting brand awareness without violating ad policies.

2. Improved Visibility in AI-Generated Search Results

AI search engines are changing the way users find information. Instead of displaying a list of traditional search results, AI-generated responses pull structured, authoritative content to provide direct answers. GEO ensures cannabis brands are positioned for these AI-driven queries.

AI Alignment: GEO strategies help cannabis content match AI search behavior, increasing the likelihood of appearing in AI-generated answers.
Conversational AI Optimization: Structured content ensures dispensaries and cannabis products rank for queries made through chatbots and virtual assistants.

3. Enhanced Local & E-Commerce SEO

Local and e-commerce searches are crucial for cannabis brands, especially dispensaries and CBD retailers. GEO optimizes content for hyperlocal queries and AI-enhanced search features.

“Near Me” Search Optimization: GEO ensures brands rank for local cannabis-related searches, driving foot traffic to dispensaries.
E-Commerce Visibility Boost: AI-enhanced product descriptions and structured data improve discoverability for online cannabis stores.

4. Staying Ahead of the Competition

Early adopters of GEO will dominate AI-powered search results before competitors catch up. Cannabis brands that fail to adapt to AI-driven search risk losing market share.

First-Mover Advantage: Implementing GEO strategies now ensures long-term digital success before the market becomes saturated.
AI-Powered Competitive Edge: Brands that optimize for AI-driven search will outperform those still relying on outdated SEO tactics.

How Cannabis Brands Can Implement GEO Strategies

1. Conduct an AI-optimized SEO Audit

Before implementing GEO, brands must assess their current SEO performance using AI-powered tools.

Use AI-Driven Platforms: Leverage SurferSEO, Clearscope, and MarketMuse to analyze content effectiveness.
Identify Content Gaps: Find missing keyword opportunities and improve structured data for better AI recognition.
Fix Technical SEO Issues: Optimize site speed, mobile usability, and metadata to align with AI search preferences.

2. AI-Driven Keyword Research & Content Creation

Traditional keyword research is no longer enough. AI-driven content strategies ensure cannabis brands rank for the most relevant and compliant search terms.

Find AI-Friendly Keywords: Identify high-intent cannabis keywords that AI search engines favor while avoiding restricted terms.
Optimize for Voice Search: Structure content in a conversational format to align with voice-activated search queries.
Implement AI-Recognizable Frameworks: Use lists, bullet points, and question-answer formats for better AI comprehension.

3. Implement Advanced Structured Data & Schema Markup

To increase visibility in AI-generated results, cannabis brands must enhance their website’s structured data.

Use Relevant Schema Markup: Apply FAQ, How-To, and Product schema for better indexing in search results.
Ensure Machine-Readability: Optimize metadata and headings to improve AI-generated search result placement.
Enhance Zero-Click Search Visibility: AI often pulls direct answers from structured content, increasing brand exposure.

4. Continuous Monitoring & AI Adaptation

GEO is not a one-time fix; it requires ongoing adjustments based on AI search behavior and algorithm changes.

Use AI-Powered Analytics: Platforms like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and SEMrush provide real-time insights into content performance.
Optimize Content Dynamically: Update and refine content based on AI search trends and evolving user intent.
Stay Ahead of AI Evolution: Monitor emerging AI-driven search technologies to maintain a competitive edge.

Final Take: Embracing GEO is the Key to Cannabis SEO Success

Traditional SEO alone won’t cut it in the AI-driven search era. Cannabis brands need to adopt Generative Engine Optimization to enhance their organic visibility, navigate advertising restrictions, and stay ahead of the competition. By implementing AI-optimized content strategies, structured data, and real-time adaptation, cannabis businesses can future-proof their digital presence and thrive in the evolving search landscape.

Ready to optimize your cannabis brand for AI-powered search? Let’s talk about how GEO can elevate your SEO strategy.

Joshua Katz

Co-Founder, Dad Grass

Working with Spokes, and especially Shraddha Singh, has been a game-changer for our brand. In a highly regulated industry like cannabis, where SEO can feel like navigating a minefield, Shraddha’s expertise has been nothing short of invaluable. Her deep understanding of the challenges we face and her ability to tailor strategies that comply with Google’s complex regulations have propelled our site’s organic growth to new heights. What truly sets Shraddha apart is her meticulous attention to detail and her data-driven approach. She has an incredible ability to collect and analyze vast amounts of data about our products and how they’re performing. This insight has helped us prioritize efforts with maximum leverage, guiding our work in the most impactful directions. After more than three years of partnership, it’s clear that Shraddha and the Spokes team are not just service providers—they’re an extension of our brand’s success. We couldn’t recommend them more highly to any cannabis or CBD brand looking to grow in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Camila Seidel

Brand Manager ,Cannabiz Credit Association

Spokes has been a key element in the growth of both of our companies. We started working with them when very little SEO efforts were done, and they not only came up with the best optimization and plan but explained everything perfectly. They demonstrated a great understanding of the unique cannabis industry. They took the time to understand our needs and goals and delivered exactly what we needed. The impact of their efforts has been essential to getting leads, traffic, and conversions. We would not be where we are today without them. Thank you for everything!

Matt Daley

VP, Marketing Sunday Goods

Spokes Digital is a pleasure to work with; we see them as partners to our business. They come to us with great ideas to help solve challenges, identify opportunities, and generally are always working to drive new users to our website and stores. Spokes Digital has been a strongly contributive piece of our marketing mix for Sunday Goods throughout our growth journey, from B2B only, to adding 1, then 2 and now 3 dispensaries. Their digital ad campaigns are essential to our marketing portfolio and have served as strong driver of traffic to our retail locations.

Shay Owensby

Marketing Director, 420 Marketeers

Spokes Digital is the partner we've been searching for, for a very long time! We've struggled getting approval to run cannabis ads with Google for years. Spokes Digital produced content within Google terms and have been running successful campaigns for months with no hiccups or disapprovals. Their team is very knowledgeable, quick to get things done, and has great communication with their clients. We're getting wonderful results on our ad spend and recommend Spokes Digital to anyone who faces the same challenges as we did.

George Cleveland

Director of Digital Products, Growth, WholesomeCo Cannabis

Spokes Digital has helped accelerate our growth by driving relevant traffic to our website. Their ads have directly improved our customer acquisition efforts as well as helped retain customers in our flywheel. Spokes Digital is incredibly easy to work with as they are a true partner and not just a third-party vendor. Our partnership with Spokes has been successful due to a constant back-and-forth dialog where both parties are contributing to digital ad efforts. This dialog helps move projects over the finish line quicker.

Degelis Tufts Pilla

Co-Founder and CEO, TribeTokes

Spokes has worked tirelessly to get ad channels set up for us that other agencies told us were impossible. They are also very honest when they do not think something is going to work or be profitable, which I appreciate. They have become like members of our internal team, always working toward our best interests on the marketing front. They have also helped us to source B2B leads, reducing our reliance on trade shows, which was particularly important during the pandemic.

Brett Gelfand

Managing Partner, CannaBIZ Collects

Spokes Digital has been a tremendous team to work with from the beginning. They are professional, consistent, and truly care about their work. We have improved drastically on SEO since working with Spokes and look forward to growing with them for many years to come.

Yash Kotak

Co-founder, BOHECO

Varun and his team at Spokes Digital are true experts in their business. We've worked with him and his team for over a year now and are very impressed by their acumen and prowess in delivering great results. Owing to the novelty of our category, we have often struggled to deliver consistent results but since his team's involvement, we have been able to achieve this. Since we went through a brand revamp and domain change we had to catch up with the competitors and Spokes's result-oriented SEO and PPM strategy for the brand has helped us regain a competitive edge.

Ashley LeCount

Crativ Packaging

As a growing organization we didn't have the resources to commit to building our SEO, that's when we found Spokes Digital. The team was very knowledgeable, and helped educate us on where to focus SEO efforts. I appreciate the open communication, organization, professionalism and expertise Spokes Digital brings to the table. It was great to see our overall SEO improvement, and see the new leads come in, thanks in part to the efforts of Spokes.

Sarah Skinner

Digital Marketing Consultant Papa and Barkley

"I had the pleasure to work alongside Varun and his team helping one of my clients in the CBD space. The Spokes Digital team are experts in compliance and finding ways around policy restrictions. His agency is thorough, smart, fast with excellent reporting and support. I recommend them to all my CBD clients as a go-to for their paid search strategy."

Dawn Blackstone

Chief Marketing Officer Earthly Body

"I highly recommend Varun Patel, and his company, Spokes Digital, for any digital marketing needs. They are expert at SEO and SEM, and were able to increase my company's digital sales significantly and with an impressive ROI. Not only are they great to work with, they are extremely responsive, and good communicators - sharing results on a weekly basis, and optimizing digital efforts ongoing. "

Amanda Denz

Co-founder & CMO SAVA

"Spokes Digital is very well versed in SEO and digital ads, and we found it a pleasure to work with them."

Abby Uriarte

Digital Marketing Manager MedMen

Spokes team came to me at a time when zero effort had been put into SEO. Being a cannabis company, SEM wasn't even on our radar given current regulations. Spokes team enabled us to leverage these channels in ways that we did not think were achievable and helped us see the value in allocating marketing budget to these areas. Spokes team continually pushed themselves to optimize campaigns and drive results.

Rae Gross

Director of Ecommerce & Marketing Foria Wellness

"Working with Varun has been such a pleasure. He is an incredibly talented and driven marketer. He has deep knowledge of consumer insights, digital marketing plans, and launching marketing campaigns. He drove Foria’s successful paid media campaigns from ideation to execution, and was able to meet sales targets with a 2X to 3X ROAS, which is no small feat when you consider how challenging and ambiguous the cannabis/CBD advertising space has been. Varun and the Spokes Digital team is able to navigate big-budget campaigns and drive results. I look forward to working with Varun and Spokes team to drive success for Foria in the future."

Lubna Salah

CEO Atlanta Digital

I've worked with Varun and his Spokes team for a year now. I demand a lot of my vendors and his team is always quick, responsive, reliable, and reasonable all the while still managing to be honest & kind. It seems so simple but it's surprisingly very hard to find these days. I've already referred them to other clients as well. I sleep better at night knowing that the Spokes team is working on my projects. Highly recommended.

Marco R.

CEO & President Pineapple Ventures, Inc

Varun's team is best in class! The company excels in various fields of digital marketing such as SEO, PPC, Programmatic, and more. Varun is an excellent listener, identifies areas of need, has proactive and appropriate solutions, and leads his experienced staff to successfully deliver results. The result-oriented approach of Varun and his team gives me the confidence to recommend the company in the highest order. I am of the firm belief that Varun and Spokes bring value to any company and deliver an outcome that will give its client a competitive edge in the market.

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The Future of Cannabis SEO is Here

The Limitations of Traditional Cannabis SEO

1. Keyword Restrictions & Advertising Bans

2. Traditional SEO Struggles with AI Search Engines

3. Local SEO is More Competitive Than Ever

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for Cannabis Brands?

Defining GEO

Key Components of GEO

GEO vs. Traditional SEO: The Key Differences

Why Cannabis Brands Need GEO to Stay Competitive

1. Overcoming Advertising Restrictions with GEO

2. Improved Visibility in AI-Generated Search Results

3. Enhanced Local & E-Commerce SEO

4. Staying Ahead of the Competition

How Cannabis Brands Can Implement GEO Strategies

1. Conduct an AI-optimized SEO Audit

2. AI-Driven Keyword Research & Content Creation

3. Implement Advanced Structured Data & Schema Markup

4. Continuous Monitoring & AI Adaptation

Final Take: Embracing GEO is the Key to Cannabis SEO Success

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