This is a common question. It depends on the keyword, the competitiveness of the keyword, the efficacy of the SEO tactics used and how much effort is put toward a concentrated SEO campaign.

Results can be seen anywhere from a few weeks to a several months, or more. For longtail or local SEO terms, results can usually be secured in a much shorter timeframe. For two word and competitive keywords e.g. estate attorney, it’s best to plan for a six months to one year timeline and then reevaluate your strategy, as algorithms change.

To answer this question it’s also important to ask, “How are you measuring results?” Is it by rankings? Phone calls? Website traffic? How well you meet your goals really depends on what they are in the first place. For example, if you are talking about any keyword rankings improvement I would say a good est. is 2-3 months.

If you are talking about conversions, it depends on the quality of your website and how well it converts. If you are talking about traffic, it depends really on the quality of traffic. More traffic does not always lead to more results if the traffic is not the right audience. In some cases, traffic can stay the same but become more targeted, leading to more results without traffic growth. However, it is not uncommon for website traffic to double or triple overtime.

In the end, a keyword ranking by itself is not a success story without accompanying conversion and tangible business results. It’s best to focus on the results that will be measurable and achievable for a business and benchmark your SEO campaign performance based on those measures. If you are thinking about starting a new SEO campaign, feel free to call: (516) 610-0922 to speak with an SEO consultant.