A subscription box service is a rapidly growing way to attract new business. In fact, since this niche-marketing tool went live in 2004, interest has skyrocketed. Between 2014 and 2018 alone, engagement grew by an astounding 890 percent. And, if you think the market has bottomed out since Covid-19 struck – think again. Instead, the allure of getting a special box monthly or bi-monthly has only grown stronger.

Of course, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to gain your portion of the market share. Fortunately, we’re going to help you overcome some of the most common mistakes with our SEO guide for your subscription box business.  

Subscription Model Businesses

Before you begin, the first thing you’ll want to do is determine what type of products you wish to sell. Is this a continuation of an existing business or are you launching something brand new? Both have the ability to become very successful. However, remember that building onto something existing will ultimately be easier.

Let’s imagine for a moment that you own a pet food company, and people can already subscribe to a repeat delivery option for their cat’s food. What would get them to purchase a subscription box too? If you thought of a box full of toys – you’re definitely on the right track! Not only will this provide lots of fun for the cat, but it will also help advertise the fact that you sell toys. All in all, this is a win that will allow owners to feel like they’re spoiling their cat without having to actually go anywhere or do anything (aside from paying for the monthly fee).

Brand Marketing

If we continue to use the cat toys subscription box that you imagined in the last section, the idea of brand marketing becomes very clear. Everything involving your box should ultimately lead people back to your website to purchase even more items. You’ll want to develop a special box with your company’s name on it. You could also toss in a freebie each month that includes your URL such as a magnet or pen.

On the other hand, if your subscription box business is the entire company, you’ll want to focus even more on delivering a box that people can’t imagine living without. Either way, your focus needs to be on delivering a box that gets people excited.

SEO Optimized Content

When it comes to SEO for a subscription service business, you need to decide exactly who your target customer is. Although you do want to include keywords like “cat toys subscription box,” you’ll also want to narrow your focus. For example, if you can rank for the keywords “best catnip toys” and “spoil your cat,” you’ll be in a much better position to sell your box. Take some time to research popular search terms, and then put your primary focus on the ones that aren’t completely oversaturated.

Unique Content

By writing compelling content that contains your chosen search terms, you’ll start driving tailored traffic to your website. Try to dig deep, so that you can deliver something that hasn’t been done a million times before. As an example, writing an article about the best catnip toys may be a bit overplayed, so choose something such as “The Top Reasons Your Cat Loves Catnip Toys” instead. By making your blog even just a bit unique, you can stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Conversion Focused

Your ultimate goal in creating unique SEO optimized content is to sell your subscription box. Therefore, you’ll need to mention your box at the bottom of each post. Additionally, you must make the idea of subscribing enticing. Offer customers half off their first box and you’ll be likely to convert a much higher percentage of readers. Sure, some of them will bounce after they receive their first box, but many of them are quite simply too busy to go through the process of canceling. And if their cats happen to love the toys, well, that’s just another reason they should let the boxes keep coming.

Optimized Website    

When you’re optimizing your content for SEO, make sure you do the same thing to the rest of your website. The most important thing to remember is to stick keywords and search terms into the text on your site without making it look like you were cramming them in there.

A good example can be found in this article, up near the top. The sentence reads, “Fortunately, we’re going to help you overcome some of the most common mistakes with our SEO guide for your subscription box business.” This is a perfectly serviceable sentence that introduces the topic of this article. At the same time, it also includes the search term “SEO guide for your subscription box business.” As you can see, this sentence belongs in the text, making it seem like it’s not out of place.

Social & Email Marketing

Email marketing still does surprisingly well, which means you need to collect email addresses and send out a monthly advertisement. Make it look like you’re trying to do your customers a favor by discussing the many pros of your subscription box.   

For social media, you’ll want to use eye-catching images. Some of these photos should include a cat playing with toys that have come directly from your previous boxes. Others can feature the box itself open and loaded up with toys that any cat would love. Be sure to offer social media followers your one-time discount for new subscribers.

You may also want to consider using the same cat in a lot of your marketing, as this will grab a lot of followers. Cole & Marmalade on Facebook are two cats with an audience of almost 2 million, and don’t forget how popular Grumpy Cat was. Harness the same energy and your box will be a big hit!

Now that you know how to develop a proper SEO for subscription business plan, it’s time to get out there and do it. Make a box you can be proud of and it’ll start selling out before you know it.