If you’ve ever invested in any form of digital marketing, you’ve doubtless heard the phrase “how long does SEO take?”. Sadly, for those looking for quick wins, SEO is a slow and steady race – unlike pay-per-click advertising, which works on a much shorter timeframe. On average, businesses can expect to wait 3-6 months, or even longer, to see web pages climb the rankings, metrics like impressions and click-through rates improve, and, of course, your sales increase.
But that’s just scratching the surface. Keep on reading for the full scoop on how long SEO takes to deliver meaningful returns and what you can do to speed things up.
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- How long does it take for SEO to start working?
- How long does it take to see results?
- How long does it take for new websites to rank in Google?
- What SEO can you do?
So, how long does SEO take to see results?
It depends.
This is probably another phrase you’ve heard a lot in digital marketing! Organic search results take time to build and are a constant refinement process. There’s no quick fix – you need to continue making changes, and keep abreast of Google updates.
Some of the defining factors include:
- How much SEO work has been done previously – have your teams optimised on-site content, built links and created Google My Business profiles?
- How much of a backlink profile you have – have you acquired any links to your site, such as newspaper article links, that are relevant to your industry?
- Your website structure and content – have you added keywords into URLs and headings, and is your webpage structure easy to understand?
- If there are any ‘black hat’ techniques to overcome – have previous agencies used ‘bad’ techniques like keyword stuffing or hiding links?
- How competitive your industry is – It’s a lot easier to rank for services with less online competition.
- How old your website is – The average domain age for results in the top 10 for any given keyword is 2 years. So if you have a new website, ‘bee’ patient!
For SEO to start working
According to studies from Ahrefs, it can take anywhere from two to six months to get into the top 10 for your target keywords.
At this early stage, you’re unlikely to get many clicks for any keywords below position 10. You can use Google Search Console to get better visibility. Log in and see which search terms generate impressions for you. Categorise by timeframes to see how you’ve improved.
To see real results with SEO
Once you’ve hit that six-month mark, and up to a year, you should begin to see some real results. The majority of clicks happen on the top three results, while the rest usually take place on the first page. Remember, however, that Google has released a diversity update to ensure it doesn’t rank the same domain in multiple results on the same page.
Hence, things become even more competitive! This is particularly pertinent if yours is a competitive industry. You need to be ready to invest more in SEO, and have realistic expectations. It’s always best to speak to an expert to get a better return on your investment.
How long does it take for a new website to rank in Google?
This is the really tricky part. Unless you have a particularly generous budget, you’re unlikely to see ground-breaking results in the first year. Remember, Google has more than 200 ranking factors and is fastidious in finding the best content for search queries. It’s a long road ahead, but it’s worth it.
What you can do to improve SEO on a new website
Of course, you can trial PPC advertising to get some traffic in the short term (or long term, if your budget allows). However, don’t expect quick wins. If somebody promises you this, they are likely signed up for spurious link-building schemes, which could lead to a penalty!
Instead, try these trusted techniques to improve your site:
1. Refine your website structure
Have a clear layout with no ‘orphan’ pages (no internal links). Consider the user journey, for example, a category for services and individual pages for each service. Incorporate your keywords naturally into this content and make sure ‘consideration’ stage and brand awareness pieces link to them.
2. Post regular blog content
Not only will this guide your customers and help you rank for key terms, it will also encourage Google to index your content more regularly!
3. Get involved with local PR
Sign up to as many local directories as you can for easy backlink opportunities. You can also approach local newspapers, for example, with a press release to discuss the launch of your business. (For more insights on SEO and reputation management, check out our dedicated blog on the subject.)
4. Encourage traffic through third parties
You can also try reaching out to online magazines, for example, as a guest posting opportunity. If you can, try to secure a link – but if not, a brand name mention is also helpful. Likewise, back up your website presence with social media profiles. You’ll often see Facebook and X (Twitter) mentions in Google results, for example, so keep these updated regularly.
5. ‘Bee’ patient!
We can’t stress this one enough. By building your brand organically, you’ll gain more trust with Google, and your customers. There’s a reason why SEO is an $80 billion industry!
If you’re looking for help to ‘bee’ found online, speak to our SEO experts today.
