A firearms dealer needs to invest heavily in gun store SEO to attract customers online, as there are very limited paid advertising options available. Google Ads and Facebook ads are very limiting as they prohibit the sale of firearms directly, making search engine optimization for gun dealers the best way to get in front of consumers looking for both local dealers and specific firearms.
In 2020 there were nearly 54,000 federal firearm dealers in the U.S., making competition for the top ranking positions extremely high. There are ways to advertise using paid advertising, but only for non-weapon products, and many influencers will not promote firearms directly. The majority of paid advertising will be for branding and awareness.
So, to attract local buyers, gun store SEO is the best way to be found on Google. This includes optimizing your Google My Business page to be discovered in the Maps results and creating an ultra-competitive content marketing strategy on your blog to organically rank for specific products.
With so many restrictions on advertising a gun shop online, many still run traditional off-line marketing campaigns involving billboards and print advertising in local newspapers. They can work, but to which degree remains a mystery as they are difficult to accurately calculate an ROI for.
Why Gun Store SEO Needs to Be Your Top Online Marketing Focus
A gun store SEO strategy is more measurable, allowing you to establish a cost-per-visitor, lead, and sales conversion. Also, with more consumers turning to the internet when it comes time to make a purchase, you need to be found at the top of Google to attract that interest to your website.
Let’s explain why SEO for a gun store is so important, and how to effectively use it to increase website traffic, generate more leads and physical store visits, and ultimately, drive more sales and revenue.
Very Limited Paid Advertising Options Available
The main reason gun store SEO is so important is because there are very few options available when it comes to attracting targeting consumer traffic on Google. You cannot advertise weapons and firearms on Google Ads.
Search the keyword “gun store” on Google and you will see only organic results – local stores in the Maps sections and a mix of store and blog content in the traditional search results. There are no paid ads.
The same applies to Facebook, Instagram, and every other social network with a paid advertising platform. Advertising guns is prohibited, so search engine optimization is the only viable way to reach the top of Google.
Effectively Drives Website Traffic and Foot Traffic
A gun store’s SEO objective is a lot different than that of an apparel brand. A clothing retail store can sell and fulfill orders online. The consumer can purchase from his or her home and receive their order without leaving the house.
Buying a firearm is different. While some states allow the transaction to occur online, they still have to go into the physical store to pick up their purchase. Many consumers prefer to go into the store in person to look, ask questions, and identify the correct firearm.
This makes ranking in the Google Maps section very important. If someone is searching in the evening on a home PC, they have the option to click over to view your website. This is where they learn more about your business, can submit questions, and get your physical location address to visit at their convenience.
If someone is looking to make a purchase the same day and search via mobile and see your gun store at the top of the maps then can click to call you or pull up directions to your business location.
Your Google My Business profile should be optimized for your location, and it’s the most important gun store SEO tip for ranking at the top of the local results. Larger metropolitan areas will face more competition than smaller cities. Those with high competition will need to focus on getting more reviews and posting more frequently to attract engagement. The more “signals” for Google’s algorithm to pick up on, the more your gun store will be on its radar for the local map results.
Positions Your Gun Store as a Firearm Authority
SEO for firearm dealers is a great way to position yourself as the local authority. The majority of consumers don’t understand SEO, nor do they know it even exists. In their mind, the top result on Google is “the best” option.
They have no idea how or why a business is listed in the top position, and they surely don’t understand gun store SEO and the technical aspect of being shown at the top of the search results.
When you combine an optimized GMB profile to rank at the top of the local maps section with an aggressive content marketing strategy with your website’s blog to dominate the traditional search results your business occupies so much page one real estate on Google that you become the clear favorite.
This is great for immediate customer generation as well as solid branding that will create referrals and business down the line. Purchasing a gun isn’t an impulse decision – it may take multiple searches and brand impressions before someone visits your website or physical location.
Gun and Firearm Keyword Research: Target Low Competition Firearm, Gun, and Ammo Keywords
When it comes to ranking in the organic results, you will want your gun store website’s homepage to show up for your business name, but what about other keywords related to the products you stock?
Keyword research is the first step to attracting more focused traffic – visitors who have a specific firearm in mind, whether it’s to simply learn more about it or begin the purchase process.
How you approach your gun store keyword research will have a lot to do with the laws of your specific state. Are you a pick-up-only state? Are you able to sell to consumers located in other states provided you ship the firearm to an authorized dealer in the buyers’ state?
For example, if you can only sell in person, then your keyword research needs to focus on your market. While a term like “GLOCK handgun specials” might attract a lot of traffic, it’s not local and won’t convert into sales.
A gun store in Dallas would be better off ranking for very detailed and specific terms like “GLOCK G17 Gen4 pistol dealer in Dallas” and “Dallas gun dealer GLOCK G17 Gen4 pistol.” These types of terms show location intent and specific item intent, and will often convert at a very high rate.
Make Sure Your Technical Gun Shop SEO is Perfect
Once you identify the best keywords to target and write content around, you need to be sure the technical aspect of your guns tore SEO is perfect. Your website should load fast, provide a pleasant user experience on all devices, with a focus on mobile traffic, and have all on-page optimization dialed in across your blog.
For on-page optimization, focus on optimizing the following elements for the target keyword on each page:
- Page title: include the keyword naturally as close to the beginning of the page title as possible.
- URL: eliminate words like “the” and other filler words in the URL string. Use the exact match keyword if possible.
- Include your keyword in the first sentence if it can be done naturally.
- Use your keyword in multiple headings throughout the content, and if it cannot be done naturally use variants that work.
- Include the keyword as an alt-image tag.
- Internally link to a relevant blog post, using anchor text that features a variant of your main term in a natural non-spammy phrase.
Many gun store websites are very thin on the content side. Publishing in-depth gun review articles and content focused on consumer education will help your website’s authority. Over time this contributes to your ranking, and the more authoritative your domain is, the easier it will be to rank for long-tail keywords with low competition with nothing more than solid on-page optimization.
Final Thoughts
It’s sink or swim when it comes to search engine optimization for a firearms dealer. You either become the dominant local search result on Google or you struggle to gain traction and with limited paid advertising options available your store’s sales remain stagnant.
Investing in gun store SEO allows you to improve your organic exposure and over time your website traffic increases, and your store’s foot traffic increases due to local searches that trigger visits. This isn’t something that can be done with low effort, and expect to see results. The competition is far too great, with so many gun shops all after the top positions.
If you would like to learn more about the firearm dealer SEO services our agency offers, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Our team of gun dealer SEO experts will be happy to go over the options available, while also providing you with a complimentary search audit to see where you stand currently, and provide suggestions on how to best approach your campaign moving forward for the best results.
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