How long does it take Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to become effective?

There was a time when people used to stress on identifying the keywords relevant to their business. But with technological advancements over the decade, newer trends have set a pace. For instance, the use of natural language in search has become quite common. These words are relevant and very easy to gain traffic, leaving the plain old keywords to acquire the back seat. Moreover, natural language could also help you with a large number of searches in the long tail.

How long will it take?

Finally, with every Search Engine Optimization campaign, one question remains constant, i.e., the time it will take for your web link to come up. While every webpage intends at acquiring the top rankings, none can exactly be sure of its fate w.r.t SERPs. A number of factors work in tandem to boost SEO rankings and drive more traffic to your website. However, here is a plausible scenario to help you what SEO efforts might look like in the initial stages with some of their outcomes.

• Month 1: The first month focuses on strategy and planning. It involves website audit and keyword strategy with slight technical changes in the website. In some cases, technical research could take over a month.
• Month 2: This is the month when you carry out your SEO activities such as linking profile, working on the content, etc.
• Month 3: In the 3rd month, you can work on articles, blogs, and product and company information. With the increase in the content, you will see progress in your rankings. Few chances of sales lead being extracted may also crop up, but don’t expect much.

During the later months, you should focus on PR activities and media outreach. Further, adding conversion rate addition could also help significantly.

So, usually, it could take at least three months or more to expect positive results from your SEO efforts.