As a digital marketing agency, we typically advise clients that it can take several months to start seeing results from SEO efforts, and generally, it takes around 6-8 months to achieve a minimum of 50% of the keywords we target. This timeline can vary depending on the competitiveness of the industry, the quality of the website's content and technical optimization, and the specific SEO tactics being employed.
Improvements to website structure, speed, and other technical aspects can result in improvements in search engine rankings relatively quickly, often within a few weeks to a few months. Optimizing website content, such as headings, titles, and meta descriptions, can also result in improved rankings in as little as a few weeks to a few months. For businesses targeting local search results, improvements in rankings can typically be seen within a few months.
However, improving website authority through backlink building and other off-page tactics can take longer to see results, often several months or more. It's important to note that SEO is a long-term strategy and results often compound over time, so the longer an SEO strategy is in place, the more significant the results are likely to be.
Overall, businesses should have realistic expectations for SEO timelines and work with a trusted digital marketing agency that can provide tailored recommendations based on their specific goals and industry.