How long does it take for the effects of SEO to appear? Explanation with examples

Have you ever wondered when the effects of SEO will start to show?

Generally, SEO is known as a time-consuming method for attracting traffic.

However, considering the significant initial costs, it’s natural to feel uncertain about when the effects will become apparent.

In this article, we explain the time required for SEO based on our experiences and Google’s descriptions.

To avoid prematurely concluding that there are no effects and missing opportunities, it’s essential to understand the general timeframe until the effects become apparent.

If you’re thinking of starting SEO or are already working on it but not getting search results, this information may be helpful.

Duration until the effects of SEO are seen

First, it’s necessary to define what we mean by the “effects of SEO.”

Here, let’s consider the “effects of SEO” as the state where the site is displayed in the top search results and the influx of search traffic increases.

In conclusion, the time required for the effects of SEO to appear is:

• At least 1 year for launching a new site
• 3 to 6 months for implementing SEO measures on an existing site

(These are rough guidelines based on our experiences.)

The reasons why it takes longer for a new site (new domain) include:

• It takes time for search engines to index each page of the site and evaluate it properly.
• Creating content from scratch and surpassing competitors takes time.

Google only displays sites in search results that are considered useful and trustworthy for users from the start.

Also, search rankings are determined by relative evaluation, so even with excellent content, if you can’t surpass competitors, you won’t appear in the top results.

In other words, the speed at which Google recognizes the site as “more useful and trustworthy than other sites” is reflected in the duration.

According to Google, it takes 4 months to 1 year

According to Google, it takes “4 months to 1 year” for the effects of SEO to appear, as officially stated:

Remember that it takes time for results to appear. It usually takes 4 months to 1 year from the start of making changes to see the benefits.

Source: Google Search Central – Considering the use of SEO agencies

In other words, you should carefully focus on SEO for at least one year before assessing its effects.

Unlike advertising, SEO doesn’t show results in a few days; it’s a strategy that builds results in the medium to long term.

If you seek short-term results, it’s advisable to use paid advertising alongside SEO.

Since it’s advertising, there are costs involved, but you can display your page in search results from the shortest possible time.

The duration until results appear varies case by case

The wide range in the duration until results appear, such as “4 months to 1 year,” is due to various factors affecting SEO.

Here are some examples:

• Competition (genre)
• Budget
• Skills of the person in charge
• Current status of the website
• Measures implemented
• Target keywords

Depending on each situation, the difficulty of SEO and the duration until results appear can vary.

For example, if the target keyword is a “big keyword,” it’s often challenging to achieve top rankings even with a year of SEO efforts due to intense competition.

※A “big keyword” refers to a keyword with a high search volume, meaning it is searched for by users frequently, resulting in a significant impact when displayed in top results.
Usually, it refers to keywords with a search volume of over 10,000 searches.

While we can’t pinpoint exactly how long it will take for results to appear, examining case studies can give a more concrete idea of the timeframe.

Let’s check three examples in the next section.

Now, let’s introduce some examples from our company.

• Example 1: Ranked on the first page in 5 months
• Example 2: Reached the 1st position in 3 months
• Example 3: Moved from 37th to 6th in 7 months

Example 1: Ranked on the first page in 5 months

Our site, “Webma,” is an owned media platform that started operating in January 2020.

It illustrates the time it took to rank on the first page for the big keyword “CPM” (search volume: 12,100) in Japan.

Around 5 months after the site was launched (with approximately 70 articles), it ranked on the first page of search results.

The monthly page views gradually increased, and after 10 months, the page views for this specific article exceeded 3,500.

Implemented measures included:

• Internal measures
• Creation of relevant content
• Regular content creation and rewriting

While achieving top rankings for big keywords often takes time, this example demonstrates that with high-quality content, results can be seen in a short period.

Example 2: Reached the 1st position in 3 months

Another example from “Webma.”

It shows the time it took to reach the 1st position in Japan for the small keyword “SEO measures latest” (search volume: 90).

The article was published in late May 2020 (with approximately 40 articles).

It appeared on the first page within about a month, and by August, three months later, it secured the 1st position.

This example illustrates that targeting small keywords for new content on an existing site can lead to top rankings in just 3 months.

Example 3: Moved from 37th to 6th in 7 months

The third example is from a customer’s site that we assisted with SEO.

The customer operates a renovation-related site, and we started SEO in January 2021 for their existing site.

After approximately 7 months, the targeted keywords ranked on the first page.

The click-through rate increased by 13 times.

Implemented measures included:

• Improvement of low-quality content
• Changes to title tags
• Acquisition of backlinks

While it took some time, this example shows that patiently improving the overall site’s evaluation can lead to top rankings.

That concludes the introduction of the three examples.

Even though SEO takes time, most people want to see results as soon as possible. In the next section, we’ll introduce important measures to expedite the time to top rankings.

Shortening the Time to Achieve Top Rankings

Here, we introduce five crucial strategies, especially important for achieving top rankings.

Let’s explore each of them one by one.

1. Keyword Selection

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the results of SEO are determined by the chosen keywords.

There are high-difficulty and low-difficulty keywords for targeted strategies.

Targeting only high-difficulty keywords from the beginning can lead to prolonged failure to achieve top rankings, incurring costs without results.

For example, “Big Keywords” with high search volume often face intense competition and high difficulty in achieving top rankings.

On the other hand, Small Keywords (Long Tail Keywords) are relatively easy to rank, and their effects can be seen in a short period.

As a strategy,

• Short-term focus on Small Keywords for top rankings
• Medium to long-term focus on Middle Keywords and Big Keywords for top rankings

is often used.

2. Optimization of Internal Links

Optimizing internal links is also effective for enhancing SEO.

Internal links refer to links connecting pages within a site.

Internal links have three main effects:

• Enhancing relevance
  
  Linking pages with related themes enhances comprehensiveness, making it easier for users to find the information they seek. As a result, Google evaluates the quality of both pages more favorably.

• Informing search engines about important pages
  
  When a page receives many links from other pages within the site, search engines consider it important. Increasing links from relevant pages to the page you want to rank can help achieve top rankings.

• Making pages easy for search engines to find
  
  Internal links are one of the paths for search engines to discover new pages. Therefore, appropriately placed internal links can increase the likelihood of search engines finding the page quickly.

Note that besides internal links, submitting an “XML sitemap” is another method for search engines to discover new pages.

3. Proper Use of HTML Tags

When working on SEO for an existing site, optimizing HTML tags is likely to produce quick results.

HTML tags are elements used to convey page content more appropriately to search engines.

Specifically, the following elements are reviewed and optimized:

• Title tags
  
  Referring to the page title, improvements are made to include keywords and succinctly represent the page’s content.
  
• Meta description tags
  
  Referring to the “summary” that explains the page’s content to search engines. Each page is described with unique content.

  For more information on effective description writing for SEO, please read the following article:
  Is there really an SEO effect on the description? Explanation of writing and character count

• h tags
  
  Referring to headings. Use them while maintaining the hierarchical structure from h1 to h6.

  For more details on using h tags in SEO, please read the following article:
  SEO Effects of H Tags: Explaining 3 Rules for Usage and Tips for Creating Headings

4. Creation of High-Quality Content

Updating “high-quality content regularly” can expedite the time to achieve top rankings.

However, the condition is that it must be “high-quality.”

Some think that merely increasing the number of contents leads to faster top rankings, but this is a significant misconception.

In the case of low-quality content, increasing content lowers the overall site evaluation, negatively impacting SEO.

The condition for being high-quality is to “fulfill the user’s search intent (= user’s concerns or search purpose).”

Moreover, regular updates increase the chances of being featured on “Google Discover.”

Google Discover is a “recommended articles” feature displayed to smartphone users who use the Google app.

Even if not shown in top search results, being featured on Discover can bring in a significant amount of traffic.

5. Acquisition of Backlinks

Backlinks (links from other sites to your site) have a significant impact on rankings.

This is because Google considers backlinks as a form of popularity vote.

The idea is, “If a page is worth recommending to others, it must be a great page.”

However, avoid using services to generate links and refrain from mass-producing links, as this may lead to a penalty from Google.

Consulting a Professional When in Trouble

If you are thinking of starting SEO for your company or if you are already working on SEO but not seeing results, consulting with an agency is one option.

Seeking the advice of experienced “professionals” allows you to prioritize impactful strategies.

In fact, over 200 algorithms that Google uses to determine search rankings and their impact are mostly undisclosed.

In other words, even SEO agencies primarily work based on Google’s recommended practices and knowledge gained from experience.

If your company lacks SEO expertise or does not have personnel with specialized knowledge, it can be challenging to identify prioritized strategies.

Many SEO companies offer free consultations.

Consider consulting with multiple companies to explore and consider strategies to work on.

【Summary】The Expected Timeframe for SEO Effectiveness is 4 Months to 1 Year

Achieving results in SEO takes a certain period.

The time it takes for results to appear varies case by case, but it generally takes at least 4 months to 1 year.

Nevertheless, identifying prioritized strategies can further shorten the timeframe.

Consider implementing SEO based on the information shared this time.

For those currently considering SEO and wondering if “SEO is the best way to attract customers,” it is recommended to organize the pros and cons once again.