One of the top questions many people ask (after how much is this going to cost?) is “How long does it take for your SEO efforts to show results??” There are so many variables involved that it is impossible to answer the question with any accuracy. The generally accepted length of time is around 3-6 months but sometimes it can take 6-9 months.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to SEO. One goal is of course to rank well in search engines; then build traffic from those rankings; and your long term goal is to sustain and/or improve both the ranking and the traffic.
The first goal is always the one people have a hard time with. They want results and they want them now. The challenge with trying to estimate a time frame for ranking well is that you can’t control two aspects of the environment; the first is the search engines algorithms which are continually changing; (Google just did a whopping change this week that is going to have huge ramifications on organic search) the second is your opposition – as you are working to improve your ranking, they are likely to be doing the same to maintain their position.
Keeping a good ranking is a process that lasts the lifetime of the site, or at least for as long as you want to put in the effort. Even with following the most stringent SEO strategies available, a pages ranking will fluctuate, sometimes being in number one or two, then you might find it one day at number six or worse; and then back up to maybe four.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Steer clear of an “SEO Expert” who promises to get you to number one. Most SEO professionals can get you to number one in a relatively short time; for your company or website name. However, you want to have a good ranking for your keywords, not your name. Keywords are where you find the new customer who has never heard of you.
Effective SEO is a continuous process. Following On and Off Page SEO Best Practices will gradually and naturally rank your site well – which is the first goal to achieving your long term goal of maintained high rankings and steady, targeted traffic
