How long does it take for SEO to work?
It’s the question so many companies ask us here at PENNInk Productions: “How long will it be before my business is on the first or second page of Google?”
Alas, it’s a much more complex and fraught question than you might think. Even if your chosen SEO marketing agency goes as far as giving you an estimate, you can only trust them if it’s based on in-depth research.
On the other hand, if your agency casually suggests they’ll get you first-page rankings “within” or only “after” a certain period of time, you have good reason to be cautious.
Be wary of false promises
It doesn’t matter how reputable a given SEO marketing agency may seem. If they say their SEO work for you will deliver specific results despite not having even looked at your site, they’re almost certainly either novices or shysters.
That’s because no two sites are the same when it comes to search engine optimisation. It could take your site as short a time as 24 hours to rank well for a particular keyword, or it might be a two-year job. So much depends on your site and business history, location and industry.
Nor can the best-informed SEO marketing agency entirely predict when Google will suddenly decide to release another algorithm update, or even all of the effects such an update may have on existing sites like yours.
What can I do?
Well, it’s simple, really. Rather than becoming too obsessed about results that you can’t guarantee, you need to focus on the things you can control.
That means choosing an agency that maximises the chances of your SEO achieving great results in the first place, by implementing such measures as keyword management and analysis, competitor research, on-site optimisation, link building and web ranking reports.
One important thing to remember with SEO is that short-term and long-term aspects work together. Yes, you will often need to wait for big results, and it may be that you’re trying to compete with sites generating thousands or even millions more in revenue than yours.
However, a good SEO marketing agency should also be able to identify and carry out smaller changes that will enable you to enjoy some quick wins.
A realistic attitude to these different aspects of SEO is vital — and when you get on the phone to PENNInk Productions by calling 020 8144 7931, we can get to work on helping you to achieve impressive boosts in your rankings all the sooner.
Originally published at PENNInk Productions.
