How long does SEO actually take

So you got a new website and you want people to go look at it? Well, so do billions of other people. How can you beat out your competition? You gotta have really, really good content. Discover what factors play a role in how long successful SEO takes, what Google has to say about it, what you can do to ensure success and how your Omaha SEO agency can help!

What factors play a role?

There are six prominent factors that play a role in how long SEO takes to work. One of the first things to consider is whether your site is brand new or if it’s a site that’s been on the web for a while, as this will make a difference. Here is what to look at when trying to figure out how long it’s going to take for your website to rank in Google’s top search results.

Technical basis

Start with your website’s html. Your robots.txt and sitemaps cannot have any crawlability or indexability issues. The schematic framework of your website should make sense and be easy for crawlers to reach. It is necessary to have a stable server and for your load times to be quick. You’ll also want to use popular keywords in your website’s content to help your site rank.

Content

It is estimated that there are over 2 billion websites on the internet. You’ll need to distinguish the content on your site from everyone else’s, especially the sites similar to the products and services you have to offer. Think about what sets you apart from the competition. Good content that is user-friendly equals good Google rankings. Know that Google will prioritize websites that delve into details versus those that are generalized.

E-A-T

E is for expertise, A is for authority and T is for trust. They’re the three pillars of website evaluation. You can become an expert by being at the top of your field. Pay attention to what’s relevant, be transparent, write quality content and have a strong website design. How can you get better at this? Have one topical focus, continuously update your site with fresh and new content and have an effective overall brand.

Backlinks

It’s said that the more backlinks you have pointing back to your site, the more popular your site will be, thus the higher it will rank. The more competitors you have, the more important it is to have backlinks. You can begin by writing blogs around your products and services and using relevant keywords in the titles and descriptions.

Domain age

Older sites do have a bit of an advantage. Google sees older sites as those with more trust. It makes sense, too. Sites that are at least three years old tend to rank higher, and those in their beginning stages will need to work harder to rank higher. Most new websites don’t make it to the top ten within the first year. Good things take time.

Competition

There are high search volumes for competitive topics, and the more general your keyword is the more results there are. Try and focus on one specific niche where there is not an abundance of competition, as this will help you build authority and improve your ranking. You can expand to topics with more competition down the road.

What does Google have to do with it?

The better your content, the sooner Google will pick up on it. If your website is new, you can expect anywhere from a few hours to weeks for Google to index it successfully. Typically, a new site with stellar content takes around a week. For Google to be able to rank your site well, the following three things matter most.

1) The most important links on your site should be accessible from the home page.

2) There shouldn’t be too many URLs within your site because you’ll overwhelm the crawlers.

3) You should include keyword-rich content to build internal links.

When will I see the benefits of SEO?

Some sites may see SEO benefits sooner than others, but none will experience excellent results right away. It can take up to a year before you start seeing the results you want, especially if you’re in a competitive field. Each month, you can review and make improvements where necessary. If you have one specific topic and there’s not a lot of competition, you can expect to see results sooner than later. 

How can I speed the process up?

Having a well-thought-out SEO strategy before launching your website can help you reach your goals sooner. This includes an analysis of top-performing keywords and a study of your competition. Your website will not skyrocket to the top, but it will move up and up over time. You will need to monitor your SEO performance and pay attention to click-through rates and time spent on your site.

What else can you do to make it go faster? Optimize your titles, descriptions, content and internal link structure. Make sure your site is able to be indexed and crawled properly. Develop any new content pages that may surface. A/B test your call to action buttons. Build your brand on social media and use press releases if applicable.

Reach out to your Omaha SEO agency

Your Omaha SEO agency can help you come up with a game plan and successfully execute your SEO strategy. SEO takes time and patience, but know that over time traffic will increase on your website. There is no true answer for how long SEO takes to kick in and work, as it depends on how specific your topic is, how competitive your market is and what your budget is. Continually developing your page will ensure success. If you need help with SEO, we can help! Contact us today to start your SEO journey.