Almost all D2C brands, eCommerce businesses, and other digital ventures outsource their SEO services with the expectations of doubled-up website traffic, sales, etc., in just a month.
But no, SEO is not an overnight thing where you pay today and get it today. It is rather a continuous process that demands a lot of patience, effort, and dedication.
You may implement the best Search Engine Optimization techniques on your website and still not reach even a step near your goals for months.
After all, we are talking all ORGANIC here – attracting organic traffic with organic tactics.
In this article, our topic revolves around the delivery of results by SEO – basically, when can you expect your SEO agency or strategy to drive results for you?
It generally takes 4 to 6 months
If you know what is search engine optimization you know the level of effort it demands.
According to SEO experts, on average, it takes anywhere from 4 to 6 months to start seeing significant results from SEO efforts. However, in some cases, it can take up to a year or more to see the full benefits of your SEO initiatives.
But there is more to it. Since you know that SEO is a long-term strategy and an ongoing effort, and its results continue to grow over time as you invest in and improve your SEO, you must not set any rigid timeline for your SEO, as there are many factors that affect the same.
Why does it take so long?
Google majorly shows two types of results – paid and organic. The paid efforts generally pay off very quickly since it involves putting-in bucks after bucks in your ad account. And unlike this, SEO is not advertising, it is rather a competition to demonstrate to Google that you are the best in order to rank number first. And, in general, in competition terms – this demonstration takes time.
Additionally, search engines are constantly updating their algorithms to provide the best results to their users. These updates can impact your rankings, and it may take some time to adjust your existing SEO techniques.
Also read - Step By Step Guide To Writing SEO Optimized Content
3 Main factors determine how long it takes to see the results of your SEO services
1. History of the website
One very important factor that plays a significant role in terms of how much time it takes SEO to show results is – whether you are working on a new or an old domain. Let’s dig a little deeper here:
Domain age:
Older domains generally have more credibility and trust with search engines, which can lead to faster ranking improvements.
Previous SEO efforts:
If the website has a history of spammy or unethical SEO techniques, it may take longer to see results as the website may need to overcome previous penalties or algorithm filters.
Backlinks:
The quantity and quality of backlinks to a website play a crucial role in SEO. A website with a history of building high-quality, relevant backlinks will generally see faster SEO results compared to a new website with no backlinks.
Content history:
The type and quality of content on a website also impact SEO. If the website has a history of regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content, it may seem quicker SEO results compared to a website with thin or irrelevant content.
2. Existing competition
The competition level in a certain niche and search queries can impact the speed of results driven by SEO services. If the competition of the niche and the search queries is high, it may take longer for your website to rank higher in search engines as there are many other websites trying to rank for the same keywords. On the other hand, if there is low competition, you may see faster results.
Consider this example – You are an SEO agency wanting to rank for search engine optimization. You can see the level of competition for these keywords in the volume column (in the below screenshot of the Ubersuggest keyword tool). However, it reduced significantly when made more specific - because there are lesser people trying to rank on that keyword.
3. Resources available
The history of the website and the competition are completely out of your control, however, what is in your control is the resources that you decide to put into your SEO services.
Since we are talking about organic here, this mainly involves the amount of time that you are willing to dedicate to implement the SEO techniques.
Consider this example – Two companies with the same niche, trying to rank on the same keyword hire an SEO agency to scale their SEO. One company engages with its agency twice a month while the other one does it 5 times. Who do you think will drive faster results knowing that SEO is mostly about backlinks, content, and technical SEO?
Obviously the second company, right? Because they dedicate a significant amount of time to implementing their SEO resulting in faster results.
SEO metrics to track your growth
Though we are asking you to be patient, that does not mean we are asking you to get lost in your la-la world. You need to have certain performance metrics in place to keep a track of the growth of your SEO services. Some example metrics that you may employ are:
Organic traffic:
The number of visitors to a website through organic search results.
Keyword rankings:
The position of a website for specific keywords in search engine results.
Bounce rate:
The percentage of visitors who leave a website after visiting only one page.
Time on site:
The amount of time a user spends on a website.
Pages per session:
The average number of pages viewed by a user during a single session.
Click-through rate (CTR):
The number of clicks a website receives is divided by the number of impressions (views).
Conversion rate:
The percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Backlinks:
The number of links from other websites to a website, which is a factor in search engine ranking algorithms.
Domain Authority (DA):
A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines.
Local search visibility:
A measurement of how well a local business is performing in local search results.
Final note
That’s all about it. If you are just starting with SEO, give it sufficient space and time – a minimum of 6 months to the least. However, do not get upset if it gets delayed as it is a long, ongoing process – but it is going to bring fruit, that’s for sure – sooner or later. Also, it involves many technicalities so you may want to hire an SEO Agency that could deliver you the required result.