Why Does SEO Take So Long to Show Results?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an internet marketing method that is almost as old as the internet itself, however it has undergone a make-over or two throughout its lifetime in order to kick a few nasty habits and replace them with more ethical, long-lasting alternatives. Here at Internet Marketing Questions, we’ve decided to answer the age-old question that has been plaguing many of us for years: why is SEO such a long-term technique? Read on to find out the answer once and for all…

The first thing to know about marketing methods like SEO is that the competition to rank for particular keywords is rife which means that it can take some time to climb the ranks and earn your way to a favourable spot in the SERPs. Remember, don’t let your competitors discourage you from pushing forwards in your marketing efforts as the industry is always changing and only the most high-quality, ethical websites will progress consistently.

Whilst the speedy route may look like a fast-track road to success, it can often be misleading as these overnight results aren’t permanent. When you invest in search engine optimisation, you invest in your website as a whole and a technician will actively work on every aspect of it in order to create a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with the search engine. This process can take 3-6 months to develop which is why it may seem as though SEO doesn’t have any impact on your websites’ rank at first.

In addition to this, the type of campaign that is being carried out can also heavily influence the length of the process as national campaigns tend to focus on broader keywords that can be quite competitive to rank for whereas local keywords often include more specific phrases or are chosen based on location which reduces the amount of competition, allowing a website to rank easier for it.

Patience is an important part of internet marketing as the process can often be slow and tedious at times, particularly when certain approaches don’t provide the results that were expected of them. SEO is perhaps the best example of commitment and consistency at work as you will be left with a high-quality website that the search engine favours by just allowing the process to take its natural course.