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How Long Does SEO Take?
There is no definite answer to this question. While in the past, all you needed to do was identify relevant keywords that got the most traffic and were not very competitive, things have changed significantly. In essence, your keyword strategy has to change and focus more on natural language searches.
Similarly, the goal of SEO is not to simply get top rankings. Although rankings matter, the objective should be to ensure that the top rankings generate leads and sales. Instead of asking how long SEO takes, the question should be how long it takes to start generating leads and sales.
So how long does it take for SEO to start working? It depends. Some of the factors that will determine how soon you start seeing results include how long your website has been around, the content on the site, its link profile, how much SEO you have done on it in the past, the level of competition for keywords and your budget. You may have to plan your SEO activities for every month, paying close attention to research, technical SEO work, content creation, and social media management.
In the end, SEO is an ongoing process and a long-term strategy. Although it takes many businesses four to six months to start seeing results, the results will usually grow over time. You should be ready to put in the work continuously and consistently if you want to use this technique to generate sales. With good planning, realistic expectations, and proper investment, SEO is a marketing tactic that can deliver an impressive ROI.
Why Does it Take So Long?
When it comes to SEO, results mean different things to different people. While most business owners will focus on top rankings for their chosen keywords, SEO agencies focus on achieving increased traffic and higher returns. It is clear that SEO will rarely deliver the expected results within the first three months. If you are wondering why it takes so long, here is part of what you should know:
Things Have Changed
Over the years, SEO has changed significantly. Today, it will not be enough to focus on a small group of keywords if you want to drive traffic to your website. Instead, you should target long-tail keywords that are more detailed and relevant to what users search for.
Google Bots Work to Satisfy Search Requests
There is a ton of content online, and Google bots have to sift through numerous sites to identify and display those that satisfy a search request. Since search engines want to provide great user experience, this process takes time.
There is High Competition
More and more businesses appreciate how important it is to increase their online visibility, which means that you will be competing for high-quality keywords with a number of businesses in your industry. As such, it will take some time to start seeing results.
You Have to Do a Lot of Work
Considering all these factors, you will have to do a considerable amount of work to improve your rankings and generate leads and sales. You will need to find the right keywords, create quality content, build your link profile, optimize your website, and make the most of social media.
When Should I Expect to Start Seeing Results?
This is one of the questions that most of the clients who are looking for SEO services ask. Typically, it takes time and effort to achieve the results you desire. Only a few lucky pages get to achieve the desired results in between two and six months. Some of the factors you need to consider when running an SEO campaign are website strength and your skills. Below is information to help you understand how results come in.
Generally, a good number of the top-ranking pages on Google are over two years old. Most of the pages in the number one position are almost three years old on average. Of all the pages that appear in the top 10 search results, only 5.7 percent made it to the list in less than one year for at least one keyword. The pages achieved this in two to six months. At the same time, only 0.3 percent of the pages managed to rank in the top 10 for a high-volume keyword within a year. However, it is possible to rank for low-volume keywords in a comparatively shorter time.
While this information does not provide a definite answer, it is clear that 95 percent of newly published pages do not get in the top 10 search results in less than a year. For the lucky ones that manage to do so, it takes an average of between two and six months.
Can I Boost My SEO?
SEO plays a crucial role in helping to make your website searchable and visible. However, the practice does not produce instant results; it takes time and effort. The good news is that you can use other digital marketing options such as PPC to increase your visibility as you wait for your SEO efforts to bear fruit. Here is how PPC can boost your SEO campaign:
Increased Visibility on SERPs
PPC is a paid search model that will help you increase your online visibility before your SEO efforts pay off. PPC targets relevant keywords and shows your ads to people looking for the products and services you offer.
Drives Traffic and Links
Content and links are extremely important aspects of SEO. PPC not only helps you to promote your content but is also a great way to build links. You can use the ads to get influencers and other users to click through to your content.
More Research for SEO
Some SEO tactics will not work right away. PPC, however, delivers instant results while giving you valuable information relating to your campaign. This information includes keywords driving the most clicks, pages, and keywords with a higher quality score and the bounce rates on different pages.
Targeting and Retargeting
Earning organic traffic involves hard work. Since only a small portion of first-time visitors will concert, PPC can help in targeting and retargeting users, effectively encouraging them to come back again. This can be a major boost to your SEO campaign.
Refine Your SEO Strategy
With the numerous opportunities for targeted advertising, PPC allows you to obtain valuable audience insights. This information can help you improve your SEO strategy to determine if you are targeting the right audience, know the needs and likes of your audience, and speak to them using the right message.
When done correctly, SEO will contribute to the success of your online marketing campaign. If you want to achieve your marketing objectives, you should consider getting professional content marketing and digital marketing services. BizIQ, a top organic SEO agency, offers quality marketing services to help small businesses grow. Contact us today to request our services.
