How Long Does It Take To See SEO Results?

Picture of someone checking their watch in front of a computer and calculator.

You may have heard that SEO takes a while to see results, but what does that actually mean? How long do you need to wait before you know if your website is performing better in the search engines?

If this question has been on your mind, then read on. I will discuss some of the best ways to measure SEO success and how long it takes for these changes to show up.

It’s important to keep in mind that the time it takes a site to rank on search engines like Google and Bing can vary greatly depending on your industry and the size of the market that you serve.

Learn more about our Vancouver SEO services!

Exactly How Long Does it Take for an SEO Campaign to Show Results?

An SEO campaign can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, even years, depending on the type of website you have. And, as mentioned above, the time it takes also varies greatly depending on your industry, your SEO goals, and the market population you serve.

On average, I’ve seen most blue-collar websites see noticeable results somewhere between three and six months.

But remember, there is no exact science to the everchanging algorithms of Google.

If you’re patient with the process and see it as the investment it is, your business will reap rewards in time!

Measure Your Campaign's Success on ROI Instead of Metrics

While measuring the success of an SEO campaign by metrics is important, it's not always so straightforward.

It can be difficult to know how much traffic you are getting from search engine optimization efforts if your site hasn't been established yet. This means that any changes you do notice might just be due to other reasons instead.

For instance, did a competitor change their website too? Or, have they hired more people for social media marketing? Maybe they upped their advertising budget and have become more competitive on search engines.

There are so many different factors that go into SEO.

If you’re providing new, valuable content on your website, getting backlinks from reputable sites online, and keeping your Google My Business page updated, I have no doubt you’ll see results in no time.

Check out my post What the Heck is a Backlink for more info on how backlinks help with SEO and GMB 101: Beginner’s Guide to Google My Business Listings.

Don't Be Discouraged if You Don't See Results Right Away

Even though Google wants to give its users the best possible results, it can take time for this information to show up. Things like adding a new blog post or page to your site, updating your Google titles and descriptions, or even updating contact information, can take some time for the Google bots to process.

It takes even longer when you are trying to rank a new site because there isn't much content on your pages yet. This means that search engines won't find the keywords they need until more people start linking or sharing links back to your website.

What’s important is that you keep going. Google will catch up.

Every industry has its own unique timeline. But an effective SEO campaign will utilize many strategies to appeal to search engines and having you climbing the ranks.

Hire an SEO Professional to Avoid Wasting Your Time and Money

Lastly, it's important to be realistic about SEO efforts. It takes a lot of time and dedication if you want these efforts to bear any fruit. Hiring an expert will get results much faster than trying to learn everything on your own and help you avoid SEO mistakes that can actually harm your website.

SEO best practices take some trial and error before they start working properly but if you aren't seeing anything after months then maybe there is another problem with the campaign that needs fixing. 

The last thing anyone wants is for their website not to perform well in search engines because this can mean losing traffic from potential customers who might never find out about your business!


Need help ranking online?

I get it. It’s a daunting process and it’s hard to find the right professional for the job.

I’d love to chat with you about your online marketing and see if we’d be a good fit for helping your business with local SEO efforts. Let’s chat about your business and find the best strategy for your unique business!

Previous
Previous

Why Content Writing Matters

Next
Next

Get Conversions, Not Just Traffic!