How Long Does It Take For A Website To Show Up On Google?
It’s a question every business owner asks about SEO, but one that so rarely has a concrete answer, how long does it take for my website to show up on Google? If you do receive a definite answer then the person you are speaking to must have a crystal ball, but what is fact about SEO is that if you have patience, your business will reap the rewards.
Think of it like a rainshower in a tropical forest, each tree is a business type and each leaf on that tree, a business website. When the rain falls, the leaves at the top will receive the most moisture, it will then trickle down through the branches, the lower leaves receiving the discards that the top leaves didn’t collect. SEO is the rain in this analogy, the longer the leaves are exposed to it, the stronger they get and it is very hard to remove a leaf from the top once it gets there.
If you do not put consistent time and effort into your SEO then you will remain at the bottom, taking the customers that have already seen all of the other businesses on offer, and are briefly looking at you. This will result in very few new customers finding and choosing your business.
But that hasn’t answered your question has it? You’re still sitting there wondering ok, but how long until I show up on Google? As a rule of thumb a good marketing agency will advise anywhere between 4-6 months before you start seeing consistent results. If you do not give your SEO the time it needs and decide to call it quits after 3 months then you really could have just flushed that money down the toilet. SEO is a substantial investment but it’s ROI is huge if you hold out and give it time to take effect.
There are much larger factors that need attention to get your site ranked highly by Google. These are, the strength of your website when you begin SEO work, also known as domain authority and what your competitors are doing around SEO.
There are various elements that are to be taken into consideration when determining how long it takes to rank on the first page of Google for your target keywords. Here are the top three things to consider:
- The strength of your website (aka domain authority)
- What your competitors are doing
- Choosing the right keywords to target
The Strength of Your Website (AKA Domain Authority)
The strength of your website is affected by how old it is and how much work has been done for SEO. The rankings for website strength start at 1 (weak) through to 6 (on the right road), 11-18 is great for a small business, 19-27 (amazing) and 27+ is strong as it gets.
All websites start at 1 but can also become weak because they are outdated and little has been done to keep up with SEO. The opposite can also be true, where you have tried to do too much but have not given SEO time nor stayed consistent with your content.
A new website will get a 4-5 domain authority within about 6 months and the longer you stick around and the more relevant work you do on your site, the quicker you will rise through the SEO ranks. However, if it’s not maintained to uphold Google SEO standards then you will be penalised by the Google crawlers.
Want to know what domain authority you have? We’ll tell you within 24 hours along with some other key pointers on how you can rank higher and quicker on Google. Click here to tell our team your website domain and business name.
What Your Competitors Are Doing
How long does it take to get your website on Google? If you have a website, it’s already there but if you can’t find it, our guess is that you’re being outshone by your competitors and their SEO ranking. It may sound harsh but it’s true, the good news is, we can turn it around.
If you keep seeing your competitors at the top of Google search results then have a look at their content and you will see what SEO work you need to do to show up above them.
What to look out for:
How many blogs they posted in the past year + how optimised their site is for SEO + how high their domain authority is = the answers you need to know to tell how much work you need to put into your SEO.
It is true that many businesses rank highly with SEO by mistake, they have been around a long time and have managed to create loyalty with Google due to their content but they may not even know how they have done it. Because of this, a strong and expert SEO strategy will easily propel your business to the top of Google search and consistent work will keep you there. Also, reviews are quite important for SEO. Read about how in this short article.
Choosing The Right Keywords To Target
When creating your 6-12 month SEO strategy, it’s crucial that you choose the right keywords to target. This task requires some knowledge and expertise as one must be able to find out how many people are searching for different keywords per month in your local area. This can be done by using moz.com or ahrefs.com.
The factors that determine what the right keywords are on these platforms is the search volume per month, the opportunity and the difficulty.
What are expected results from SEO?
SEO will not just make your business easier to find on Google, it’s not just about aesthetics. SEO will also create a sense of trust around your brand and in turn, bring in more sales and revenue. That’s the ROI we’re talking about!
Whether you need our expert services or just want to know how you can do SEO yourself and get some free advice, have a read through our simplified guide on how to do successful SEO for small businesses.
