If you’re working hard to make your business website appear in one of the top pages of the Google search, you are probably wondering, how long will it take for my site to rank on Google?
There are many factors contributing to when and where your site will appear at the sought-after first page of Google. To illustrate the process of how Google ranks pages, let’s use an office community scenario:
Pretend your website is a hire under Google’s company. You want Google to notice you and to promote you faster than the other workers. You research and put in the work so that the higher-ups bring you into their fold, but when will that happen? Just like in-office politics, the answer depends on different factors:
The Age of Your Website
Only 5.7% of pages a year old or younger made it to the Top10 search on Google. Which means that the older your page gets, the more credibility it will get from Google, which will then show it to people searching the web.
Just like in an office, an employee with more seniority will have the advantage over a new hire. Coworkers know what to expect from a well-known colleague and know what makes them trustworthy. With a new page it might take a bit of time until Google’s algorithm learns to trust you and decide you’re not just going to get some free coffee and run off without doing your job.
The above study also showed that pages ranking better on Google are at least three years old.
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Clean Domain
Imagine your URL is the outward face you present to Google. Just like you would show up to an office with a fresh set of clothes and a clean face, you want your URL to be clear, simple, and concise. A URL that is very long, confusing, and has no relevance to the content it shows will have more trouble ranking higher on Google.
Just like your image might not be the best factor in whether your boss decides to promote you, your URL affects your ranking, and a clean URL will speed up the process of ranking higher. However, there are other factors google takes into consideration.
Content Quality
A company employee with a niche skill set would have higher job security than one without that skill set. Google will treat your website the same. If the content you are offering is of high quality, it will help your site rank higher. If you are offering the same content that thousands of other websites are offering, Google will have a harder time sifting your website from the crowd.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t offer services that are already out there. It does mean that your content should be free of mistakes, edited well, and offer something to the public that other sites might not. It can take a new site from three to six months to rank on Google if its content is in-demand.
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Keyword Competition
Finding the right keywords to add to your URL and content has become a craft. An easy way to understand this is picturing the proverbial water cooler area in an office. Why do some people become popular, while others get relegated to the background?
The person who is up to date on hot topics of conversation, knows the right lingo to segue chats, and hits the right punchlines at the right time will probably become the office darling. Keyword selection can be similar. You can look around Google and see what keywords your competitors are using. Can you add something of value with those keywords?
At the water cooler, the less gregarious worker, standing by while people chat, who suddenly delivers a perfect one-liner will also be a crowd favorite. For you, this means that your keywords don’t necessarily have to be the popular ones. You might have to dig around and find a more niche market where your contributions will be valuable.
Do some research to find what kind of keywords your specific audience is looking for. Your keywords should match the intent of your content. Depending on what product or service you offer your potential clients, finding the keywords that best matches what they are looking for will affect how long it takes for you to rank on Google.
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Bottom Line
It might take a while for your page to make it to the top searches on Google. The best crafted pages might take a few months, while the average time is two to three years. With the right research and connect use of keywords, your page could land on the Top10 Google search in less than a year.
If you ever worked with a team, you understand it takes time and effort to evolve from a new member to the leader others look up to. Age, content, and keywords are factors that will affect your google ranking.
It might take a couple years for your page to rank high, but with the right strategy, you will soon be at the top of Google’s Top10 popular results for your specific search.
If optimizing your website and achieving better results from your online presence are your goals, continue learning with Impact’s free webinar featuring web and SEO experts, How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider.
