Contributed by guest author Connor Widder of Kru Marketing
Wineries and wine producers are making exciting strides when it comes to marketing their products online. But when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), they’re still struggling.
SEO might sound alarmingly technical, but there are on-page SEO tactics that every winery can use to improve their search rankings, even without the help of an SEO agency.
At the end of this blog, we share 5 quick tips for getting started with SEO for your winery website. But first, it helps to understand why SEO is such a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website, and how the best SEO strategies attract quality leads that turn into loyal customers.
Winery SEO focuses on both the on-page and technical elements of search engine optimization. That means including the keywords and product descriptions that consumers care about on your winery website. It also means providing a brilliant customer experience with a website that loads quickly and works smoothly for your potential buyers.
Search engines (like humans!) prioritize websites that give accurate, focused information and work efficiently. By optimizing your website, you show search engines that yours is a website worthy of human attention, and the search algorithms promote you in the search engine results accordingly.
Winery SEO can deliver powerful results for your winery or wine club. It’s well worth the effort and cost. Here’s why:
Every day, wine drinkers are searching for your products. According to SERanking, there are 9,900 searches for “wine club” a month in the US.
But without SEO, your customers can’t find your website. Search engine optimization is the “secret sauce” that allows your website to stand out to catch the eye of the customer. Equally important, wine SEO encourages search engines to rank your wine website higher on their results page.
Wineries often rely on paid advertising, like pay per click (PPC) ads, to drive traffic to their website. But with SEO, you can reduce your PPC ad spend dramatically.
Sound SEO practices drive organic traffic to your website. That means that your site shows up in the organic search results section, not in the paid ads section. The organic results section enjoys a higher degree of trust with consumers, and they’re often eager to skip the paid ads to find the “real” search results below.
If you’re ranking on the first page of organic search results, you won’t need to spend as much on your PPC ads. Depending on the keywords you’re targeting, PPC ads are extremely competitive and therefore, costly. You’ll see a better ROI spending that money on improving your long-term organic results.
SEO allows you to identify the keywords that resonate with your target audience. Finding the right audience for your winery is a smart tactic, because you’ll stop wasting time on bad leads. That means fewer abandoned carts and more completed sales.
It also means you’ll grow your network of loyal customers. Not every wine lover will love your wine. Factors like grape and region preference, price point, and location often influence a wine consumer’s tastes. With SEO, you’ll connect with the wine drinkers who want to fall in love with your winery and your wine products.
From those loyal customers, you’ll enjoy strong word-of-mouth marketing benefits, and you’ll cultivate a tribe of fans who you can count on to buy wine, book tastings, and sign up for wine club subscriptions.
Wine purchasing habits are changing, and consumers are happy to buy wine online. Wine SEO lets you embrace this shift in wine purchasing habits and reach consumers who might not have found your winery otherwise.
Wine consumers increasingly make spending decisions based on their values. This is a great opportunity for wine marketers to tap into their market’s “valuegraphics” – the values their drinkers hold dear.
Whether it’s environmental sustainability or a thrilling sense of glamor, explore what makes your customers choose your brand. Then, you can use that data (and the corresponding keywords) to forge value-driven connections in new markets.
Local SEO for wineries can encourage more customers to book a wine tasting at your tasting rooms.
When you use local SEO tactics, you find ways to make local references on your website. You’ll be more likely to appear higher on Google maps results pages, and you’re more likely to be a consumer’s first stop when they want to visit or book a local wine tasting.
This tactic is especially fruitful for engaging wine tourists who aren’t familiar with your local area. By including relevant keywords, you can be the go-to wine tasting room for visitors to your area.
SEO trends may change, but the basics remain relatively easy to follow. Here’s what we suggest:
When you start thinking of SEO as an investment in your winery (rather than an expense), you’ll understand how it can revolutionize your revenue. The best SEO strategies prioritize long-term, sustainable improvements in your search engine rankings.
SEO takes time, especially if you’re working with a reputable SEO agency. Beware any winery SEO services that advocate keyword stuffing or other “black hat” tactics.
Instead, focus on SEO strategies that deliver a customer-centric website experience and help you and your most loyal customers forge lasting connections.
As you embark on your journey to optimize your winery for DTC success, remember that WineDirect stands by your side every step of the way. From setting up your online store to mastering your wine club and beyond, our expert guidance and resources empower you to thrive in the wine DTC space. WineDirect is a modern all-in-one platform that enables wineries to sell more wine, drive repeat purchases, and streamline operations. Trusted by over 1800 wineries worldwide and backed by over 20 years of experience, WineDirect is the ultimate solution for wineries seeking to enhance and grow their business.
