SEO Success Timing - The Obsidian Co.™

SEO Success Timing

Rafaella Neofytou

Rafaella Neofytou

Digital Marketing Specialist
13 March, 2023

SEO is a long-term strategy that requires time and patience to see significant results. The timeline for seeing success from SEO depends on several factors such as the competition, if the domain is a new or established, and the SEO strategy.

Commonly the earliest you can expect results from SEO is around 6-12 months after starting your optimization strategy. However, this is just the beginning, and it can take up to a year or more to see significant progress and top rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It’s important to note that SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and adaptation to changes in search engine algorithms. The timeline for seeing success from SEO efforts can also be impacted by external factors such as changes in your industry or new competitors entering the market. To achieve long-term success with SEO, you need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices and continually monitor and adjust your optimization efforts as needed.

Let’s take a closer look at the factors that affect the time of SEO success

On-Page Optimization

 On-page optimization refers to a series of techniques utilized to enhance a website’s visibility in search engine results. It can be seen as organizing and cleaning up your website so that users and search engines can easily navigate and understand it. On-page optimization involves various elements such as site content, keywords, title tags, meta descriptions, page speed, and more. 

Competition

Having numerous websites offering the same services as you can make it difficult for your website to rank higher in search results when potential customers search for your products or services. 
 
For instance, suppose you own a financial services business and want your website to appear on Google when people search for “financial services.” When you search for this term, you’ll find several other websites that offer financial services, and these websites are your competitors. Therefore, the more financial service websites available, the longer it may take for your website to rank as Google has to select which websites to display first. However, if you sell a unique product that nobody else is selling, it becomes much simpler to rank on the first page of Google when potential customers search for your product. In this case, there is less competition, making it easier to be found.

 

Consequently, competition is a vital factor that can affect how long it takes for your website to achieve success with SEO. The more competition there is, the longer it might take. But don’t fret, as there are numerous things you can do to enhance your website’s SEO and rank higher in search results, even in the presence of stiff competition. 

Website age and authority

When you have a brand-new website, it can take a longer time to rank because Google needs to familiarize itself with your website and develop trust in it. Conversely, if you have a well-established website with a reputable history, it might be easier to rank since Google already trusts your website.

Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty refers to the level of difficulty involved in ranking for specific keywords, which depends on the amount of competition. The harder the keyword, the more time and effort it may take to achieve a higher ranking.

Link Building

The number and quality of backlinks that point to your website can significantly impact your SEO success. These links function as “votes of confidence” from other websites and can enhance your website’s visibility and search engine rankings.

Suppose you have a blog that covers financial topics and another website that provides legal consultation links to your articles. The link from the legal consultation website provides credibility to your financial blog in the eyes of search engines such as Google. These search engines consider the link as an indication that your content is useful and relevant.

Several techniques can be used to acquire links, such as creating high-quality content that other websites will naturally want to link to, requesting links from other websites, and participating in online communities and forums related to your niche.

It’s crucial to note that not all links hold the same value, and having an excess of low-quality links from spammy or irrelevant websites can harm your website’s search engine rankings. Successful link building entails concentrating on acquiring high-quality and relevant links from trustworthy websites.

Content Quality

High-quality, original, and informative content is essential for search engine optimization. The content on your website should provide value to your target audience and address their needs and interests. In addition, search engines favor websites that regularly publish new and relevant content, so it is important to keep your website updated with fresh, high-quality content.

Having well-researched content is also important. By including information from credible sources, you can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry and improve the credibility of your website. This can help to increase user engagement and drive more traffic to your site, which can, in turn, boost your search engine rankings.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that your content is easy to read and understand. This includes using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation and breaking up long paragraphs into smaller, more manageable chunks. This makes it easier for users to engage with your content and can also help search engines to understand the content on your site.