In the competitive world of digital marketing, cannabis brands face a unique set of challenges—chief among them is navigating SEO while adhering to legal restrictions. Link-building, a core component of any SEO campaign, becomes especially critical for cannabis-related businesses due to limited advertising channels. Whether you’re running an online dispensary, a cannabis blog, or a CBD e-commerce site, your online success largely depends on how well you build high-quality backlinks. Working with a specialized Cannabis SEO agency can help your brand climb search engine rankings, generate traffic, and ultimately drive sales. But what strategies actually work best for cannabis websites?
Let’s dive into the most effective link-building strategies tailored to cannabis businesses—while also covering what pitfalls to avoid.
Why Link-Building is Crucial for Cannabis Sites
Link-building, or the process of getting other websites to link back to your site, is one of Google’s top three ranking factors. These backlinks act like votes of confidence. The more high-quality sites that link to your cannabis website, the more authority you build in Google’s eyes.
But unlike other industries, cannabis brands can’t rely on paid ads from Google or Facebook due to policy restrictions. This makes organic traffic—driven primarily through SEO and link-building—even more important.
1. Guest Blogging on Relevant Niches
One of the most time-tested link-building strategies for cannabis businesses is guest blogging. The key is to write high-quality content for websites that are either cannabis-related or in adjacent niches like wellness, natural health, or alternative medicine.
To succeed, you should:
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Identify blogs or sites with good domain authority (DA 30+ is ideal).
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Pitch unique, valuable content ideas.
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Include a natural backlink to your site in the author bio or content body.
Many lifestyle and health-focused websites are open to cannabis topics, especially when discussing CBD, medical marijuana, or the therapeutic benefits of cannabis compounds.
2. Leverage Cannabis Industry Directories
Just like any other niche, the cannabis industry has a growing list of directories where you can submit your website. These are platforms that aggregate dispensaries, cannabis brands, manufacturers, growers, and influencers.
Look for directories like:
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Weedmaps
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Leafly
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PotGuide
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Ganjapreneur
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CBDHempFinder
While these are not high-authority backlinks in every case, they are niche-relevant and offer local SEO advantages. Make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across listings for best results.
3. Collaborate With Cannabis Influencers and Bloggers
Cannabis influencers and micro-bloggers often have highly engaged audiences. Establishing partnerships through product reviews, interviews, or co-authored content can be a powerful way to earn links.
Here’s how:
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Identify cannabis influencers on Instagram, YouTube, or niche blogs.
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Offer your product or expertise in exchange for a backlink or shoutout.
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Make sure the influencer’s content aligns with your brand values and tone.
These links are not just SEO gold—they also build brand awareness and trust.
4. Create Linkable Assets
One of the most sustainable ways to build links is by creating linkable assets—content that others naturally want to reference. This could be a research-backed blog post, a cannabis dosage calculator, infographics on terpenes, or case studies about cannabis benefits.
Some examples:
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“2024 Guide to CBD for Anxiety – Backed by Science”
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“Cannabis Dosage Calculator for Beginners”
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“THC vs. CBD: A Comprehensive Comparison Chart”
Once you’ve created these assets, start promoting them to journalists, bloggers, and site owners who write about health, wellness, or cannabis.
5. Resource Page Link-Building
Resource pages are curated lists of links useful to a specific audience. Many health or medical websites have a “Resources” or “Helpful Links” section. You can reach out and suggest your cannabis content or tools as a valuable addition.
Steps:
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Use Google search strings like “CBD + resources” or “cannabis education + useful links.”
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Vet the sites for quality and relevance.
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Send a short, personalized email suggesting your resource.
Because these pages are meant to link out, your chance of success is relatively high—if your content is truly useful.
6. HARO and Digital PR
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a free service where journalists look for expert sources. Cannabis business owners, medical experts, or even cannabis SEO specialists can offer insights in exchange for a backlink from high-authority media outlets.
You can also take this a step further with full digital PR campaigns:
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Publish surveys or data-driven reports on cannabis trends.
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Send press releases to cannabis news outlets.
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Pitch story ideas to editors of niche or mainstream sites.
The right PR strategy can earn you backlinks from top-tier media like Forbes, Business Insider, or High Times.
7. Sponsor Events and Associations
Sponsoring cannabis expos, educational webinars, or cannabis advocacy groups is another indirect way to earn backlinks. Event websites typically include a “Sponsors” or “Partners” page, linking back to sponsor sites.
Look for events such as:
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MJBizCon
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CannaTech
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The Emerald Cup
Even local cannabis business conferences often offer digital exposure and a backlink for your support. Plus, these connections strengthen your networking and branding.
8. Broken Link-Building in Cannabis Niches
This strategy involves finding broken links on cannabis-related websites and suggesting your content as a replacement. It works well because webmasters appreciate the heads-up and often accept the replacement if it’s relevant.
Use tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog to:
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Identify cannabis blogs with broken outbound links.
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Filter out those related to your content.
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Reach out with a replacement suggestion and polite email.
This white-hat method helps clean up the web and earns you valuable backlinks at the same time.
9. Community Engagement and Forum Backlinks
While not the most powerful SEO-wise, participating in cannabis forums and communities can still offer niche relevance and brand visibility. These platforms may allow signature links or profile backlinks.
Popular platforms include:
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Reddit (subreddits like r/trees or r/CBD)
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Grasscity Forums
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Rollitup
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THCtalk
Be sure not to spam—genuinely contribute to discussions and provide value. Over time, you’ll build trust, reputation, and yes, some backlinks.
10. Competitor Backlink Analysis
Sometimes the best inspiration comes from competitors. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz let you analyze the backlink profiles of top-ranking cannabis websites.
What to look for:
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Guest posts on cannabis or wellness blogs.
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Partnerships or sponsorships.
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Interviews or round-up participation.
Reverse-engineer their strategy, and find ways to replicate or improve upon their link sources.
Avoid These Link-Building Mistakes
With so many options, it’s easy to make missteps. Here are some link-building tactics you should avoid:
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Buying links from sketchy vendors: This can trigger Google penalties.
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Over-optimized anchor text: Mix branded, generic, and partial-match keywords.
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Spammy blog comments: Google largely ignores these, and they can hurt your image.
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Low-quality directories or link farms: These provide no real value and can harm your domain authority.
Always prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks.
Measuring Link-Building Success
It’s important to track your results. The best tools for monitoring backlink progress include:
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Google Search Console: See links indexed by Google.
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Ahrefs/Moz/SEMrush: Track domain rating, referring domains, and organic traffic.
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Google Analytics: Analyze traffic from referring sites.
Watch for upward trends in traffic, keyword rankings, and domain authority. These are signs that your link-building campaign is working.
Final Thoughts: Link-Building as a Long-Term Investment
Link-building is not a quick fix—it’s a long-term strategy that requires consistency, creativity, and adaptation. For cannabis businesses especially, it represents a primary growth channel in the face of restrictive advertising rules.
While DIY link-building is possible, the competitive nature of cannabis SEO often demands expert insight. Partnering with an Enterprise SEO company experienced in the cannabis space can accelerate your growth, avoid costly mistakes, and help you dominate the search results.
A successful backlink strategy combines high-quality content, industry relevance, and smart outreach. With the right mix of these elements, your cannabis site can achieve sustained visibility and authority in a booming yet complex market.
