So, you’ve decided to hire an SEO agency after hearing lots of positives about them. You’ve probably heard that SEO is a long-term investment. But what does that really mean? How long do you have to wait before you start seeing results? And how can you tell if your SEO efforts are actually working?
SEO Agencies and Strategies
Firstly, it’s important to note that SEO agencies use different strategies. Some agencies focus on building links, while others focus on optimizing your website’s content. The agency you choose will likely have a big impact on how long you have to wait to see results.
Link-building takes time, but it can be very effective in the long run. If you’re patient, and you choose the right agency, you could start seeing results in as little as six months. Content optimization is a bit different because you can see results much sooner, sometimes in as little as one to two months.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process. You’ll need to continue working with your agency, and you’ll need to be patient, even after you start seeing results. Otherwise, you’ll likely see your results start to decline. After one positive metric, don’t drop the agency thinking that they have achieved their goals because there is lots more still to come.
In most cases, the SEO agency will create a tailored plan for your website that will include both on-page and off-page optimization. On-page optimization is the process of making sure that each page on your website is as search engine friendly as possible. This includes things like adding title pages, descriptions, and keywords. Off-page optimization is the process of building links to your website from other websites; this helps to increase your website’s authority and improve your search engine rankings.
Both of these processes take time to implement and see results from; in most cases, it will take at least three to six months to see any real results from your SEO efforts. Yet, it’s important to listen to your chosen SEO agency and the plan that they want to implement.
Measuring SEO Success
How do you know that your SEO is heading somewhere useful? Well, this is where metrics come in. Here are a few metrics you can use to measure whether your SEO is successful:
- The number of organic visitors to your website
- The number of inbound links to your website
- The average time spent on your website
- Your website’s bounce rate
- The number of pages indexed by Google
- The number of organic keywords your website is ranking for
- Your website’s position in SERPs
Of course, these are typically covered by your SEO agency. Often, they will compile regular reports showing you how your SEO is progressing. If they don’t, be sure to ask for them. For example, a report can cover the progress made in a month, three months, six months or even a year. It really depends on the size of your website and how much work needs to be done.
A lot of businesses give up on SEO before they see results because they think it’s taking too long. However, if you’re patient and give it some time, you will eventually reap the rewards. It might take a few months or even a year, but it’ll be worth it in the end because organic SEO is long-lasting rather than simply paying for one visitor at a time!
