“The best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of the Google search results.” So, nobody wants to be on Page 2 of a Google search.
But getting your website to appear on the first pages of Google isn’t like following a magic recipe, and there’s no exact timeline for how quickly it will happen.
I have been having sleepless nights thinking about ranking, traffic, and many other things, but yes, what I have learned in my 10 years in digital marketing is that it’s only hard work and constant learning. Yes, patience is the key to ranking higher on Google.
Studies suggest that if you’re starting a website, it might take about 3-4 months to see your first visits from Google.
After 6-7 months, if you’re on the right track, you could start getting more significant traffic.
It’s essential to note that these estimates refer to getting some organic traffic from Google, not necessarily securing a spot in the top 5 positions. Achieving higher rankings and reaching the top spots might take more than a year.
Based on experience, certain factors play a more crucial role in Google rankings than others.
I’ll explain these factors in this article.
Content Outline
Factors Affecting How Long To Rank In Google
Google has mentioned multiple times that they consider over 255 factors in their ranking algorithm. However, the most crucial factors, especially in terms of how quickly your website gets ranked on Google, include:
Content Quality:
The information on your website should be valuable and relevant to what users are searching for.
Backlinks: These are links from other websites to yours. Quality backlinks can boost your site’s credibility.
Page Loading Speed: A faster website is more user-friendly and tends to rank higher.
Mobile-Friendliness: Google prefers websites that work well on mobile devices since many users access the internet through smartphones.
Domain Age: Older domains may have an advantage, as Google tends to trust websites with a longer online presence.
Keyword Optimization: Using relevant keywords in your content helps Google understand what your site is about.
Let me explain each of these factors in detail:-
1. Domain Age
If a website has been around for a long time and is considered trustworthy by Google, it has a better chance of showing up higher in search results.
This doesn’t mean newer websites can’t do well; it just takes them more time.
When a website is brand new (less than 6 months old and actively in use), it might take a while for search engines to recognize and rank it.
If the website is doing things right, it can start getting more attention and traffic from search engines like Google after about six months.
So, patience is key for newer websites to climb up in search rankings.
2. Google Penalties
This is another aspect that can impact how well your website ranks on Google.
A clean domain is a website that hasn’t been punished by Google, either through a manual decision or an automated process.
To check if your domain is clean, you can use two methods:
Log in to Google Webmaster Tools, go to the dashboard of your website, and click on ‘Manual Actions’ in the Search Traffic menu. If it says, ‘No manual webspam actions found,’ your website doesn’t have manual penalties.
Additionally, check for automated penalties. Log in to Google Analytics (or your analytics tool) and navigate to the traffic sources report.
Choose Google as the traffic source, set the date range from the start of the year, and look for any significant traffic changes. Compare these dates with Google’s algorithm change history.
If you notice a connection between traffic drops and Google’s updates, it indicates a penalty. Depending on the type of penalty, you can then work on recovery.
If your domain isn’t clean, it’s not productive to try ranking on Google because the penalty will hinder your efforts. The best course of action is to clean your domain first or, if necessary, consider starting fresh with a new domain.
3. Competition
In the online world, there’s fierce competition, especially for the most commonly used words. So, it’s essential to be careful about the keywords you aim to rank for.
If you go after the most popular keywords, thinking it will bring tons of traffic, it might not work unless your website is already very strong and trusted. Instead, initially consider targeting keywords with lower competition.
Focusing on less competitive keywords first allows you to achieve higher rankings more easily. Once you have solid rankings for these keywords, you can gradually shift towards targeting more popular ones.
Getting higher rankings for less competitive keywords brings you traffic and links from other websites. Over time, this strengthens your website, making it more capable of ranking for more competitive and crucial terms.
4. Type of Content
The kind of content you create also plays a role in how quickly your website ranks on Google. News articles tend to rank faster compared to non-news stories.
For instance, a news story about potential conflicts in the Middle East is likely to reach the top positions more swiftly than a story discussing food allergies.
Similarly, a recent photo of the newborn British Prince will likely climb the ranks faster than the image you’re uploading for your new post.
In simple terms, timely and breaking news content tends to get quicker attention and higher rankings on Google compared to other types of content that may not be as time-sensitive.
5. SEO
For a new post or website to rank on Google, both on-page and off-page SEO are crucial. These factors determine how long it takes to achieve a good ranking. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) takes time, but it’s essential for improving your Google rankings.
Key SEO factors that can expedite the process include:
Number of External Links: A new post or page that naturally attracts multiple external links tends to climb the search engine results pages (SERPs) more quickly. This happens when the content is deemed important, useful, and valuable.
Content Publishing Frequency: The frequency at which you publish new content influences how fast a new page gets ranked on Google. Regular and consistent publishing (e.g., 2-3 times per week) increases the likelihood of quick indexing. Still, less frequent publishing may take a bit longer for search engines to discover the new content.
SEO-Optimized Title: The title of your content plays a more significant role than you might think. An SEO-optimized title enhances your chances of ranking faster compared to a non-optimized title. This is especially crucial if you have a newer website with a less robust author profile and a limited number of incoming links.
It’s important to note that indexing, the process where search engines discover and catalog your content, is the first step in ranking.
While a well-optimized title improves your chances, other factors like quality content, external links, and consistent publishing also contribute to achieving higher rankings in Google search results.
6. Content Quality
As mentioned earlier, the time it takes for a post to rank on Google is connected to the age of the domain.
Here are a couple of additional factors:
Domain Authority: A post published on a website with an established history of high-quality posts is likely to rank faster than an article on a site with only a few published posts. The overall authority and credibility of the website contribute to the speed of ranking.
Original Content: It’s a fundamental principle, but it’s crucial to emphasize. If you want your content to rank on Google or other search engines, it must be original. Duplicate or non-original content is unlikely to achieve favorable rankings. Search engines prioritize unique and valuable content, so creating original material is essential for visibility and ranking success.
How To Achieve Higher Rankings In Google?
To improve your rankings on Google, consider these tips:
Practice Patience:
Achieving top rankings on search engines like Google takes time. The algorithms are complex, managing vast amounts of data and facing significant competition. Being patient is crucial in convincing search engines that your content deserves a spot among the top results.
Consider Professional Help:
If you’re struggling to achieve desired results on your own, hiring a reliable SEO agency can be a wise decision. The internet is vital for businesses, and professionals can navigate the complexities of SEO to enhance their online presence. Contrary to common belief, outsourcing SEO services may not be as expensive as you think.
Consistently Update with Quality Content:
Persistence is key. Keep creating and publishing high-quality, original content. Avoid engaging in practices that could harm your rankings, such as buying links. Over time, dedicated, high-quality work will yield positive results.
Build Your Social Media Presence:
While waiting for Google to recognize your efforts, leverage social media for additional exposure and visibility. Engage with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to broaden your online reach.
Diversify Your Focus:
Instead of fixating on Google rankings, diversify your strategies. Concentrate on other methods to increase your website traffic.
Obsessively checking ranking statistics can lead to mistakes. By diversifying your traffic sources, you can become less dependent on Google and build a more robust online presence.
If you want to achieve sustained growth in the online world, you will need time, dedication, and a diversified approach.
With Google now taking out regular updates and changing things and algorithms, SEO no doubt has become really challenging, but the one who keeps on doing good work and has perseverance wins in the end.
FAQs
❓How long does it typically take for a webpage to reach the top 10 positions on Google?
Based on the analysis from Ahrefs, about 5.7% of pages achieve this feat, and the majority of them do so in approximately 61-182 days. On average, it appears to take a page anywhere from 2-6 months to rank in the top 10 positions on Google.
🤔What is the meaning of SERP in SEO?
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. It's the page that a search engine displays after a user enters a search query. Typically, SERPs include not only organic search results but also paid search and pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements.
👉Why do I have a low ranking on Google?
Google ranks websites based on the quality and relevance of their content. If your site has low-quality, irrelevant, or unengaging content, Google's algorithm will likely give it a low ranking. To improve your position, focus on creating valuable and informative content.
Quick Links
- SEO For Small Business
- Pruning Your Website for SEO
- SEO Tips to Improve Organic Search Results
- Surfer SEO Affiliate Program
- What is Backlinking?
- How to Use SEO Proxies for Keyword Research?
Conclusion
Getting good rankings on Google doesn’t happen overnight. If you’ve just started a website, it might take around 3-4 months before you see your first Google visits.
After 6-7 months, especially if you’re doing things right, you can expect more significant traffic from Google and other search engines.
If things don’t look promising in the initial months, don’t give up.
Keep trying with legitimate techniques, and over time, you’ll start getting the share of Google traffic you deserve. It’s about being patient and persistent with the right methods.
