We get this question all the time. People usually say “I’m not going to pay you guys if you can’t tell me exactly what position I am going to get and by when”. It actually makes sense. When I buy something, I want to know exactly what I’m getting. Unfortunately, no accurate answer can be given when it comes to Search Engine Optimization.
So when people ask that question, our answer is always the same: “It depends”. And that’s when they ask the next question: “Depends on what?”. Well, that’s something that we do have an answer for.
What Keywords Are They After?
Getting a first position for “mortgage” is significantly more difficult than getting it for “mortgage for commercial properties in Naples, FL”. The broader a keyword is, the harder it is to rank for it.
Where Are They Standing Now?
Ranking a new website is a lot harder than ranking one that is 10 years old, has 1,000 incoming links, and several pages of great content.
How Competitive the Industry Is?
This could make all the difference. We check how much SEO the top ten websites for a given keyword have been doing. If they’ve been doing Search Engine Optimization for several years, it will take more time to outrank them.
Are They Interested in The Local or Global Market?
One thing is to rank first for “tax return services” and a different thing is to rank for “tax return services in santa ana, california”. Rankings for local markets can be achieved quickly, whereas global markets will take much longer.
What We Tell Our Clients When They Ask
First we tell them “it depends” and we explain all the items above. Then we do some research and we come up with an estimate number. If we think it’s going to take 8 months we tell them that it could take anywhere between 9 and 18 months. That way, they are always happy when we get them that so-desired first position in less time. But imagine how upset they would be if we told them 8 months and it actually takes 10.
A Word of Warning
There are hundreds of Search Engine Optimization companies that will tell you whatever it takes to get your business. They will tell you that you will be first in three months if that’s what you want to hear. Three months down the road, you’ll be in position #134 and they will have taken a big chunk of your money. They will blame Google for changing their algorithm and your competitors for doing more SEO than you.
SEO Takes Time
One company hired us last October to work on their rankings. For their main keyword, we took them from position #274 to #130 the first month, to position #71 the second month, #36 the third month, and #17 the fourth month. Because they didn’t get that first position in four months (this was a very competitive market) they decided to stop working with us. Now they are back in position #34. Almost nobody goes to the fourth page of Google’s results. You need to be patient when you hire an SEO company. Look at the trend. If you don’t see any progress at all, fire them. But give them time to get you that first position. Google only has 10 top results and chances are that all those 10 websites have been doing SEO for a long time. It will take you a while to get there too.
