When it comes to local SEO, the timeline for seeing results can vary. Generally, it takes between four months and a year for SEO to show measurable progress. This means that you should expect to see an increase in traffic and associated leads or conversions within this timeframe. Many SEO companies will tell you that it takes 4-6 months to start seeing results.
This is usually accurate, but keep in mind that this is when you start to see results, and SEO results grow over time. The results you get at 6 months should be significantly lower than the results you get at 12 months. At some point, you may even experience a decrease in results, and then it may be a matter of maintaining them rather than growing them. That's why it's important to hire an SEO company or professional who focuses on results rather than products.
It's also important to continue adding content and technical aspects of SEO such as link building during this period in order to keep the momentum going. If an SEO expert tells you that it will take at least 6 months from the start to see results, be wary. In competitive industries, 50 percent of local search experts agree that significant local rankings can be achieved in 3-6 months. However, this may have something to do with the fact that most of the knowledge, focus and discussion about local SEO is based on Google due to its dominance in the search market. If Bing or Yahoo were to gain more market share, this would likely be reflected in a change in local SEO practices. To understand the timeline of an SEO strategy, it's best to look at it month by month.
The type of SEO results your business is looking for (local SEO, national SEO, global SEO) will influence the types of techniques you use on your site. If you want to reap the benefits of SEO including increased website traffic, improved brand awareness, and amplified revenue, WebFX can help.