If you have never done any SEO, you may be wondering how long does SEO take to work? Well, the answer, like many marketing services, depends on many factors. However, in this article, I have tried to provide the most straightforward guide to the time it takes and the main factors that affect it. Get in touch if you have questions about my SEO services process and what to expect if you hire me.
How Long Does SEO Take: The short Answer
SEO takes between 3 – 12 months to work. When I say ‘work’, this means to have an effect, but this can be different things for different websites. For example, improved keyword rankings, increased traffic and boosted conversions could all be part of SEO’s effect.
In most instances, the first thing you will see is improvements in the keywords you are hoping to rank for. With the right work, we can start to see key phrase ranking improvements from as early as 2-3 months. However, it can take longer depending on competition, existing website and volume of work. But that doesn’t mean it will instantly result in a considerable increase in traffic or conversions.
Most search engine users will only ever click on a link on the first page of search results. So, at month zero of work, you may not be ranking at all for your desired search term, such as being in a rank above the 100th position(higher than page 10). But, by month three, you may be ranking on average at position 23 (Page 3). While this shows a fantastic improvement quickly, it’s not likely to lead to a significant boost in traffic because users only visit page 1 or maybe page 2.
SEO takes a long time because the work done has to have a compounding effect. This takes time to produce the required volume of work so it can seem much slower than other marketing tools. However, the long time benefits of SEO are fantastic.
What impacts how long SEO takes
So, now you know that it can take at least three months to start seeing effects but what can cause it to be longer or shorter. The following section discusses the different areas that could impact the speed of outcomes for SEO. Plus, these issues could help you decide where efforts are best placed.
Competitive industry/keywords
Your website does not live in a vacuum; most organisations have some competition in their industry. This competition you face in your sector directly impacts your SEO. If you have a lot of competition, your progress may take longer because your rivals compete for the same terms. Just because your business invests in SEO doesn’t mean no one else is. If you are in a highly competitive industry, it can take longer for your SEO work to have an impact. You may need to invest in a higher volume or quality of service to contend.
Domain authority
If your website’s domain has been utilised for a long time, it can help your chances of SEO work having a quicker effect. But, if you have a new domain or no previous work on off-page SEO, you are unlikely to benefit the speed of progress.
The website
If your website performs poorly in terms of security, design, speed or usability, then SEO will have a limited impact. However, your website is instrumental in producing quicker SEO results, and there are two reasons why a poor site will slow your progress.
Firstly, if your site does not perform well for speed or usability, search engines will not favour your site in search results. You may have fantastic copy and a consistent content plan, but this must be paired with an efficient website to improve your rankings.
Secondly, if you successfully get users to your site, they may be turned off by inadequate security, lacklustre design and poor functionality. Again, this will impact your SEO strategy because a high bounce rate can work against you, showing search engines that you are not worth showing in the future.
If you think this could be causing slow returns on your SEO, see if you should rebuild your website today.
Previous work
If you have had previous quality work done on your site, a new SEO strategy may be able to get up to pace quicker. Some things you may already be doing, but they just need some tweaking, include already having all the pages for services and products you offer or a reasonably active blog. If your site has already got the bare bones but just needs updating, you are likely already ranking in some way for your preferred terms.
However, if you haven’t done any work, it can be slower to see results. For example, you may want to start ranking for a service you hadn’t previously offered. It will take time to build content that is geared toward this service. Plus, it will give search engines more time to recognise that you can provide this search and start showing it in results.
Lastly, if you have had black hat SEO tactics employed on your site, you may be fighting against penalties and poor scores for a long time. A quality SEO strategy can help you remove these flags, but it will take time, ultimately impacting the time taken for SEO to have a positive impact.
The volume of SEO work
Now for something fundamental. The more you invest in SEO, the quicker the impact will be. If your competitors have a whole team dedicated to SEO and you only have one person, you can see how they’ll be able to cover a lot more ground. Content marketing, for example, is a sure-fire way to improve rankings. But being able to keep up with consistent blogging at a high volume is not always possible for an individual. So, if you are investing in a freelance SEO or employee, you need to consider the scale you need.
The quality of SEO work
But, it’s not always about quantity; quality is vital. If you are hiring or employing someone or a team, ensure they have the right experience and knowledge necessary for your website’s SEO. The better the quality of work, the quicker the results will be. If comparing two pieces of content about the same topic but they are of vastly different quality, search engines recognise this and reward the better piece.
Read about what to look for in a freelance marketing consultant and Why hire an SEO freelancer for advice on this topic.
Hire me for Freelance SEO Services
Many factors will affect how long it takes for SEO to work. Some are external, and some are internal issues. Always invest in the best SEO services and companies your organisation can afford. Like with many things, quality costs, but your SEO will work quicker and provide a higher return on investment in the long term.
If you are interested in how I can help your business grow with SEO, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me today. We can set up a meeting to discuss your needs and where you want your business to grow. I provide a no-obligation proposal and quotation so you can compare different options to fit your requirements and budget. I’m super friendly, so don’t hesitate to drop me a call.