Published
February 21, 2022
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How long does it take to rank keywords on Google?
One of the most common questions we get from any business owner is:
“How long does it take to rank?”
Having relevant keywords in the top positions signals the strength and trustworthiness of a brand along with the market share it captures.
The higher the position on page 1 you’re featured in, the more visibility and probability that a potential customer will engage with your business.
95% of search users never make it past the first page.
These days you hear answers ranging from 6-12months or longer but nothing concrete.
There's a reason why no one has a definite answer.
No SEO agency can predict the future and even Google doesn’t publish the algorithms that are behind the keyword rankings.
However, our experience working across hundreds of clients and industries have given us insights into the typical performance business owners can expect.
The Short Answer is.... "It Depends"
Factors that impact how long it takes to rank include:
- Security and Accessibility of your Website
- Your Page Speed (Especially Mobile Page Speed)
- Mobile Friendliness / User Experience
- Domain Age, URL, and Domain Authority
- Amount of SEO Optimised Content
- Technical SEO
- Quality and Quantity of Links
- Social Signals
Let’s use some examples, Jimmy owns a Dental Centre in Whoop Whoop (Aussie Slang for middle or nowhere). Jimmy has no competitors within a 10km radius. Odds are it’s going to be really easy for Jimmy to rank for Whoop Whoop Dental Centre as a keyword.
Johnny on the other hand sells flowers, he sells them online, all over Australia.
Up against 1.44 Billion results for flowers online, the keyword is in high demand and highly competitive.
It’s going to take Johnny a lot more time and effort to rank than it did for Jimmy.
As a rule of thumb we like to break it down further:
-How competitive is your market? (Whether it’s local, national, international etc)
-What’s your Website Domain Authority?
-What’s the market leader’s Domain Authority?
The more competition and the greater the difference between you and the market leaders would indicate the additional time and effort required to rank.
Someone just starting a new business with a fresh website and not alot of social signals will take longer to rank (Starting from Scratch).
When compared to an existing business that’s been around for a few years and is already ranking but wants to improve (Already has a Foundation).
We know that a lot of agencies out there will say 6-12 months but we highly recommend business owners do their due diligence.
-What keywords are they helping you rank for?
-Is it relevant or going to drive qualified buyers or leads to your brand?
-What experience do they have?
-Do they have a process in place backed up with results?
-Are they going to outsource the work or do it inhouse?
If you would like more information on how long it might take your business to rank online feel free to get in touch for a free consultation.
