Website Foundations, SEO & AEO for Farmers’ Markets

A clear, beginner-friendly system you can actually maintain

This guide is designed for:

• New market managers
• Volunteer-run markets
• Small teams with limited time
• Larger markets that want a clearer system

You do not need technical experience.
You do not need to be an SEO expert.

You do need a clear website, good information, and a repeatable process.

Social media is helpful, but it’s not reliable. Not all your posts are seen by all your followers.  Algorithms change. Posts disappear. Platforms come and go.

Your website is:

• The one place you fully control
• The main source search engines and AI tools rely on
• Where sponsors, volunteers, and partners decide if you’re legitimate

Think of your website as the foundation everything else sits on.

If your website is unclear, outdated, or missing information, your marketing has to work much harder.

2. Why Platform Choice Matters (and Why I Recommend Wix)

There are many ways to build a website, but for farmers’ markets, simplicity and sustainability matter more than flexibility.

Why Wix Works Well for Markets

• All-in-one platform (hosting, security, forms, SEO tools included)
• Very user-friendly dashboard
• Easy for staff transitions and volunteers
• Built-in SEO guidance
• Predictable pricing

With platforms like WordPress, markets often end up paying for:

• SEO plugins
• Form plugins
• Security plugins
• Backup plugins
• Ongoing maintenance

Those costs add up, and they require more technical oversight.

Wix allows you to focus on content and clarity, not troubleshooting.

3. Website Must-Haves (Non-Negotiables)

Your website should quickly answer the basic questions every visitor has.

Every Market Website Should Include:

Homepage

• Who you are
• Where you are
• When you operate
• Why your market matters

Visit the Market / Market Info

• Location and directions
• Days and hours
• Parking and accessibility
• SNAP / EBT information

Programs Page

• SNAP / EBT
• Matching benefits
• Kids programs
• Veterans or food access programs

Vendors Page

• Current vendors or vendor categories
• How to apply
• FAQs for vendors

Events & Special Features

• Live music
• Kids activities
• Seasonal highlights
  (Use “special events,” not “festival”)

Blog / News Section

• Updates
• Spotlights
• Program explanations
• Seasonal info

Contact Page

• Email
• Contact form
• Social links

If a page doesn’t help someone attend, participate, or support, it’s probably extra.

4. What SEO Is (In Plain English)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps search engines understand:

• What your website is about
• Where your market is located
• When to show your site to people searching locally

SEO helps your market appear for searches like:

• “farmers market near me”
• “farmers market + town”
• “SNAP farmers market”
• “things to do this weekend”

SEO is not about tricks.

It’s about clarity, structure, and consistency.

5. What AEO Is (And Why It Matters More Every Year)

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on helping your website be the answer, not just appear in search results.

AEO supports:

• AI-powered search
• Voice search
• Featured snippets
• Quick answers in Google

AEO is simple in practice:

• Real questions
• Clear answers
• Easy-to-scan structure

Examples:

• “Does this market accept EBT?”
• “What time does it open?”
• “Is it kid-friendly?”
• “Where do I park?”

If your site answers these clearly, AI tools can use your content directly.

6. Headers & Footers: Quiet SEO + AEO Powerhouses

Headers and footers appear on every page of your website.

That makes them extremely valuable.

Headers Should:

• Clearly show the market name
• Include simple navigation
• Immediately confirm location and relevance

Footers Should Include:

• Market name + town/state
• Days and hours or season
• Contact email
• Social links
• SNAP / EBT acceptance
• Links to Programs, Support, or Volunteer pages

Consistent information in headers and footers reinforces trust for both people and search engines.

7. How to Use ChatGPT Deep Research to Find Your Best Keywords

(Beginner-Friendly System)

You do not need to know SEO terminology to do this well.

Before using Deep Research, write down:

• Market name + town/county
• Address or nearby landmarks
• Days & hours (include season dates)
• Programs offered (SNAP/EBT, matching, kids programs, etc.)
• What makes your market different (music, kids activities, winter/indoor, etc.)
• Nearby towns you draw visitors from

These become your keyword ingredients.

You are not trying to rank for “farmers market.”

You are trying to rank for:

• “farmers market + town”
• “farmers market near me”
• “SNAP / EBT farmers market”
• “things to do this weekend + town”
• “local produce + town”

ChatGPT Deep Research helps identify:

• How people phrase searches
• Related questions
• Useful keyword variations

Primary Keywords (3–6)

• Farmers market + Town
• Farmers market near Town / nearby towns
• [Town] farmers market hours
• SNAP / EBT farmers market + Town

Secondary Keywords (10–20)

• Local produce + Town
• Matching benefits / Maine Harvest Bucks
• Family-friendly farmers market
• Artisan vendors + farmers market
• Live music + farmers market

Question Keywords (AEO Fuel)

• Does this market accept EBT?
• Where do I park?
• Is it dog friendly?
• What time does it open?
• What vendors are there?
• Are there kids activities?

These questions should appear directly on your website.

Wix provides an SEO checklist and editable fields for every page.

Use ChatGPT to generate, for each page:

• SEO title
• Meta description
• Target keyword + variations
• H1 and subheadings
• FAQs to add to the page

This ensures consistency and saves time.

This step is critical.

Google Search Console:

• Confirms Google can crawl your site
• Helps pages get indexed faster
• Shows what search terms people use
• Flags technical issues

If Google can’t see your site properly, your content won’t perform.

Large images slow your site — and slow sites rank worse.

Best practices:

• Compress images before uploading
• Aim for under 500 KB per image
• Avoid uploading straight from phones or cameras

You can easily compress images using Canva by adjusting the file size slider on download.

Blogs:

• Add fresh content
• Answer specific questions
• Improve search visibility
• Support AI results

You do not need to blog constantly.

Even 1–2 helpful posts per month makes a difference.

👉 Blogging strategy, prompts, and examples live in Guide 2.

One piece of website content can become:

• Social posts
• Newsletter sections
• Event listings
• FAQ answers

Your website feeds your marketing, not the other way around.

Find Your Next Step With These Links

Reaching Your Community