The rising cannabis industry has made its presence felt in the digital world as well. Now, everyone is chasing the maximum online visibility for their cannabis site. One of the most important tools for ranking a cannabis website, increasing traffic, and boosting conversion is technical SEO.
This case study highlights how we tackled and fixed technical issues, such as improving page loading time, crawling, mobile visibility, and data and structure optimization. These fixes improved the cannabis site's ranking and visibility.
Technical SEO Audit
We did a detailed technical SEO audit of the website using renowned tools like Ahrefs, Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Screaming Frog, and more to figure out the key issues. The detailed report helped us to identify the issues and know the overall health of the website. The issues we identified are as follows:
Key Issues Identified
- Crawlability and Indexation Problems: Errors in robots.txt, sitemap configuration, and non-indexed pages due to improper meta tags or blocked resources.
- Slow Page Speed and Poor Core Web Vitals Scores: High load times caused by unoptimized images, render-blocking resources, and server response delays.
- Mobile Usability Issues: Non-responsive design elements and viewport configuration errors that degraded the mobile user experience.
- Duplicate Content and Thin Content: Redundant meta descriptions, duplicate pages, and low-quality content impacting rankings.
- Broken Links and Redirect Chains: The presence of 404 errors, broken links, and inefficient redirect loops.
- Structured Data Errors or Missing Schema Markup: Lack of essential schema types (e.g., local business, product), reducing rich result opportunities.
- HTTPS and Security Issues: Mixed content warnings, expired SSL certificates, and insecure resources diminishing trust signals.
- Poor Internal Linking Structure: Inefficient link hierarchy and lack of contextual links affecting crawl depth and equity distribution.
Objectives
The primary objective of this study was to enhance the website’s visibility and improve its ranking on category pages. So that it can reach the maximum number of target audiences. We also addressed crucial technical issues like crawling, page visibility, and mobile usability to remove barriers that impact search engine performance and increase the site’s chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Adding to it, for a smooth and seamless experience for users, we focused on improving website visibility across all devices. We aimed to increase organic traffic and boost conversions by improving page loading speed, optimizing structure, and correcting broken links.
Technical SEO Fixes Implemented
We took a systematic approach to fix the key technical issues identified. We improved website performance, search engine visibility, and user experience by taking things step-by-step. Everything, from website content to internal linking, was optimized in an organized way.
Page Speed and Core Web Vitals
To increase page speed, we optimized the cannabis site by compressing images, minimizing JavaScript, and enabling browser caching. These steps boosted core web vitals metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), resulting in quick site loading.
Mobile Usability
To enhance the experience of mobile users, we optimized the viewport configuration and removed intrusive interstitials. The changes ensured seamless navigation and also improved the site's mobile ranking on SERP.
Content Optimization
As the saying goes, content is king. The first thing we did was get rid of thin and duplicate content. Secondly, we enriched the existing content by adding relevant keywords and valuable information. We ensured the content was plagiarism-free and AI-free. This improved the website's authority and its ranking for cannabis-related search queries.
Linking
We adopted a planned interlinking strategy to improve crawlability and distribute link equity effectively. By strategically adding cannabis backlinks, we enhanced the site's authority and search rankings. We also added contextual links and connected orphaned pages to improve user engagement and navigation.
Results
The technical SEO improvements we did worked wonders for the cannabis site. Before addressing the issues in November 2024, the site’s traffic was stuck at under 2,000, held back by crawlability problems, slow loading speeds, and mobile usability challenges. These technical hurdles were preventing the site from ranking well on search engines and reaching its target audience.
After implementing targeted fixes, the output was remarkable. By February 2025, the cannabis site traffic had tripled to around 6,000. Key improvements, such as optimizing page speed, resolving crawl errors, and implementing structured data, delivered measurable results within weeks.
This growth shows how technical SEO can do more than fix problems—it can unlock the full potential of a cannabis website, boosting visibility, driving traffic, and creating a better experience for users
