Most successful businesses and entrepreneurs use search engine optimization (SEO) to maximize their online visibility. But one question remains: how long will it take before national SEO shows results? This article will break down the factors affecting SEO success and when you can expect results.
What is National SEO?
National SEO is the practice of enhancing a website’s visibility in Google’s search results for target keywords and phrases across the country. Unlike local SEO, which only targets a particular region, national SEO suits companies that serve a wider geographic area.
Factors that Influence National Search Engine Optimization Results
The time it takes for national SEO to start showing results depends on many different factors, such as:
- Keywords: Competition for specific terms is higher than for others.
- Content relevance: Is your content relevant to what people type into a search engine?
- Location: The time it takes to see results for a locally owned business in a highly competitive urban area is typically longer.
- Website and domain age: Websites that have been around for a while tend to receive higher rankings in Google’s search results.
- User experience: Google keeps tabs on how often and for how long people use your website.
- Backlinks: Google values high-quality inbound links as an endorsement for your business.
- Compliance with best practices: Google frequently updates its lists of recommended SEO practices.
It takes time for Google’s “crawlers” to determine that your site has gained authority and start re-ranking. Nevertheless, having national SEO plans is an investment that will yield a return in six months to a year. By hiring an SEO agency, you can accomplish this much more quickly. Agencies have the experience and skills to speed up the process.
The Bottom Line
You can’t know how long the results of your national SEO plan will take until you start working on it. However, there are ways to make an excellent estimate based on several factors. Over time, you will better understand how long it might take in your industry compared to the competition.
