“Instantly boost your rankings! Hit Google’s front page overnight! 7 days to SEO success!”
Have you ever been promised a remarkable result like those above? It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? That’s because it is.
Unlike other SEO agencies, Webics won’t pretend to offer the impossible. We’ve been around long enough to know that SEO has a timeline, and real, lasting change and growth does not happen in a matter of days or even weeks. Wondering how long will SEO take to prove effective for your small business? Let’s dive into the SEO timeline and take a deeper look at what to expect.
SEO Baby Steps
It can be exciting to implement fresh SEO-friendly changes. While you can see the new content on your site, observe the optimisation in the smaller details, and observe valuable backlinks, it’s going to be awhile before you start to see “results.”
The initial process of optimising your business website for SEO can be slow to gain speed. This is especially true if you weren’t focusing previously on SEO or if you are adopting a new strategy. The early stages of SEO are all about putting down roots for further growth. Patience is key, and it can be helpful to recognise that visible success may not be seen for several months. And if you’re working with content marketing and blog posts, remember that high quality content takes time to produce and that these results will roll out even more gradually.
Growing Pains
SEO can be a clunky process at times. Every business is different, and determining what works and what doesn’t sometimes requires trial and error, even for seasoned pros. Of course, your results should ultimately be much more consistent when working with professional web marketing and SEO experts.
For the first few months, you may notice subtle changes, but you might not observe anything solid for close to a year. Depending on your business, competing to rank for certain terms can present a more magnificent challenge. Comprehensive keyword research can give you a huge advantage, but growth will still take time.
Google and other search engines are continuously “crawling” the web and adjusting rankings, etc. But this is not an instantaneous process. So while a valuable backlink may be directing an increase of traffic to your site and improving your Internet clout, it may take up to a few weeks for Google to register and catalogue it. Thus, you might notice positive growth with initial hits to your site, but your rankings may not be reflecting the change–yet.
What are “Results?”
When clients ask about their results, they are inquiring about measurable amounts. We provide clients with detailed monthly reports showing the hard data and numbers. This is what most small businesses are thinking of when they look for SEO results. But success goes beyond these simple numbers, and instead depends heavily on the behaviour of web users and potential customers.
Working with an experienced web marketing company can be paramount here, as this gives you the insight needed to examine and re-examine the behaviour of users of your site as it relates to SEO. High traffic may seem beneficial, but its value is lost if the many leads you’re generating aren’t converting into sales. Refining your SEO strategy can zero in to figure out how to angle tactics appropriately. In essence, good SEO brings you the RIGHT kind of traffic, and this is an end goal that can take time.
Adaptation
Google is also constantly changing. The number one search engine is famous for its frequent shifts in algorithms. What this means for you is that you cannot rest upon your SEO laurels. To remain relevant and hang on to what you’ve gained, it is vital to remain abreast of these changes and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly. The good news is, the shifts via Google are typically subtle and if you’ve already experienced growth from your tactics, the changes will be favourable.
Metamorphosis
A good rule of thumb is to assess your SEO strategy after at least 6 months, and preferably closer to a year. It is at this time that the SEO seeds you’ve planted will truly begin to sprout and the results will be your reward.
In the meantime, trust the process, invest your SEO dollars in a company known to deliver exceptional work, and watch the changes unfold.
