When can you expect to see the results from SEO?
With Google updating their algorithm for search engine from time and again, SEO is also evolving to keep up with the changes. Back in the day, you had to focus on 7-10 keywords to rank on 1st page. But with everyone competing for the same ‘golden keywords’ as they called it, it became increasingly difficult to rank #1 on the first page.
If you ask a SEO expert to bring your website on 1st position on Google search by using a specific keyword which is often short and generic but is relatable to what your website is all about, they will tell you it does not work like that any longer. With rare exceptions of a few short keywords on some occasions, generic keywords will not get you on top pages in search results or drive lots of traffic to your website.
Today if you want to see your website on 1st page in search results, you will have to use ‘long-tail keywords’ in order to increase the chances. Think about it, if you want to search something on Google, you will try to be as specific as possible with more information to get the best results. That’s why people are increasingly typing questions or long phrases with details about what they are looking for while searching the net. And these long-tail keywords or phrases are easy to rank on 1st page in search engines as well as have low competition, which means you will see increase in traffic on your website with higher degree for conversion.
The point for having a website in the first place is to increase your leads and sales. While it is important to get top rankings for your pages, it’s not what your ultimate goal should be for SEO. The reason for doing SEO is to make your site visible to a large number of people who will take action i.e. to bring in targeted traffic for higher conversion. After understanding how SEO actually works you can then ask “How long you will have to wait to see the results from SEO?”
The answer to this ever burning question is – it depends. It depends on various factors that come into play for making a website successful. For e.g. – when did the website start out, is there any SEO done on the website or not, how is the website is performing today, what kind of content is there, how are the links on site doing along with numerous other SEO aspects. All these have to be taken into account when answering the question.
Different websites use different SEO tactics to gain advantage over the other. This goes for websites in the same industry targeting same people. They may use various digital marketing tips & tricks alongside seo tips & advice to get a competitive edge over others. Even so, you can see the initial stage of SEO and the results for a couple of months as below:
Month 1: First, the website will be thoroughly looked into for SEO and content, then analysed for website audit, keyword strategy and SEO planning. Sometimes these things get done in a couple of weeks and other times it can take a month. In case these things are completed in a short time, technical changes and updates can be done in the same month. No need to wait around for the next month.
Month 2: If a website requires detail update on technical SEO, it can take longer. Creating new content using long-tail keywords without losing quality, and building strong and meaningful link profile for the site takes time. There are instances where websites have to do a complete 360° from their look and feel (design) to technical aspects of SEO. That is a lot of work requiring patience and dedication and a lot of time. That’s why you will only see results from technical SEO once other sides of the website are also finished.
Month 3: You can start working on content creation as soon as you have your SEO strategy in hand. However, if the whole website is being changed, the next step after completing technical SEO is content creation. This is where you start writing blogs, articles, information on the company and the products and services you offer, in addition to other useful information like FAQs. After the completion of content creation you may see slight improvements on the websites rankings, but do not get your hopes high just yet. You still have to turn those leads into sales.
Month 4: You have to carry on creating quality content and technical optimisation of the website while replacing low quality links with valuable links to build strong link profile for the site. With these changes you will probably start to see some improvement in rankings, incoming traffic and lead generation. Still this may not compare to the result from a yearlong SEO, however you can be assured that the SEO updates are working and you just need time and patience.
Month 5: After everything set in place, you may start on brand building through social media. You could do this early alongside SEO optimisation. With strong social media influence you can direct traffic to your website with ease. It will help you to generate leads in and of itself as well as create natural link profile. Having strong presence in important social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn will help you to promote your site and products. From this point onwards, you are most likely to see increase in traffic to the site from SEO along with growing leads.
Month 6: When you have at least 3000 – 5000 or more visitors per month to your website, it will benefit by adding conversion rate optimisation. It will help you see what steps you could take in order to improve your lead generation and converting them into sales.
After reaching this point you can now focus your efforts on creating quality and engaging contents for the site and promoting them on social media in creative manners. As for how things will be done, it will depend on the content and the product and your vision for the company.
When you decide to go for SEO marketing tactics, you will see the results in 4-6 months. With due patience and effort you put into SEO, the results will be even greater over time. So, be prepared to take SEO as a long term investment and you will achieve one of the best ROIs in the field.
