“How long does it take SEO to start showing results?” A question that has been around for as long as SEO itself. A question that virtually has been slipping off the tongues of everyone who either isn’t getting the desired results or is new to the game. As an online business owner, new or old, you’ve probably asked it a few times too many. It’s only fair. Every business who decides on employing SEO tactics wants to know when its investment will start reaping results. But is there a right answer? The answer is both a yes, and a no. In the piece the follows below, we will try shed some light on the factors that have a defining say in how long does SEO for your brand to work, as well as some time-tested strategies that can help you get there faster.

Expect Measureable Results in 4-12 months

In an ideal scenario, your SEO efforts show start showing very measurable results in 4-12 months. When we say measurable, we mean visible results in terms of traffic and your website’s position in search rankings. The results will also show by way of increased leads and conversions. Having said that, it is not possible to define a rigid deadline by which you can see your money coming back to you in tangible or intangible form. It’s not exactly a one-size-fits-all kind of scenario. Even if in the same niche and line of business, each website is very different from the other and that impacts the timeframe within which the business can start seeing the results. From the time SEO is put in place, its tactics go through multiple tweaks and improvements in the coming months, further adding to the timeframe. It’s a very dynamic market; it’s a very dynamic game. However, if the strategy is right, 4-12 months is a good enough period to start seeing the impact of your investment on your business.

Factors That Impact How Long it Takes SEO to Show Results

1. Domain’s Age and Authority

A new domain will take more time to show SEO results as compared to a domain that has been around longer, and more so if it enjoys High Authority. In fact, there are studies done by Ahrefs that seem to suggest that it is quite difficult for websites with domain age of less than a year to achieve top rankings. But that doesn’t mean there has been no improvement at all. On the other hand, an aged website that has previously been affected by penalties, algorithmic updates, or major structural changes won’t see improved results any quicker than the new websites. So you should keep your hopes up regardless of which spectrum you fall on.

2. The Competition

The more competitive your niche, the longer it will take to show any positively impactful results. It also depends a great deal on the type of keyword phrases you select to create content around to rank. For example, a highly competitive keyword with large search might almost be impossible to rank high as compared to an altered phrase with low search volume. For that matter, long-tail keywords are your best bet to rank pages higher up the pecking order. And that is why you need a balanced approach towards keyword research and analysis.

3. The Resources

Whether you keep your SEO strategy on the backburner for a good portion of the month or take a more aggressive approach depends entirely on how much SEO resources you can allocate funds towards. And that is one of the most defining factors in how long it takes for SEO to start showing its magic. A website that has been assigned a dedicated SEO specialist that works on it daily will naturally see faster results than the one that either has an under-par SEO team working on it or a specialist who has been asked to work on it just 2 times a week.

3 Crucial Tips to Speed Up the Process and Achieve Faster Results

1. Technical SEO and On-page Optimisation

Fix those technical issues before they start hampering the rate at which you see any real progress. Issues like page speed, user experience, canonicalisation, cannibalisation, structured data, robot.txt etc. need to be addressed actively. Also, you’d be surprised how simple On-page SEO techniques can change the game and tides of results in your favour. Techniques like using your target keyword in the title, URL, first paragraph, Meta Description, and using H1, H2, H3 tags and optimizing your Image ALT Tags can speed up the process almost overnight.

2. Create Content with User Intent in Mind

There is no other way around it, no shortcut. If you want to rank at the top of the first page, you need to dive straight into the depths of the concept that is Understanding User Intent. And find ways to create user-centric content (with in-depth Keyword research and analysis in place) that fulfils their need to find answers, all the while keeping them engaged with properly formatted content and using appropriate visuals (images, graphs, infographics, and videos) as and when required. Only then your content will be eligible to be referred to as high-quality (unofficially, of course), one of the top three factors when it comes to ranking a page on Google’s first page.

3. Backlinks from Reliable, High DA Websites

Earning backlinks is tough. But absolutely crucial when it comes to implementing a successful SEO strategy that delivers results faster than expected. Backlinks are more than just references back to your pages; they are indicators of trust and validation that your website and related content is being appreciated in the virtual community. And that can supercharge your SEO game like no other factor. However, it will take a great deal of time, mining which website’s you’d like yours to be associated with, and effort, socialising with them so they would find a way to link back to you organically. Once your backlink portfolio is in place, you can expect results to turnaround quickly for you.

When all this is set in motion, you can keep a track on your metrics such as time on the page, bounce rate, click-through-rate, conversion rate, and of course the traffic to keep a track on how things are turning around for your website. Patience will be the key. But more than that, a focused approach towards wanting to change things for the better. In case you need some help regarding building a solid backlink profile, you can check out our Monthly SEO Packages or leave us an email and we will get back to you with a free consultation.