How Long Does It Take To Rank On Google?

When working on an online SEO strategy, some of the most common questions that an SEO agency or expert has to counter are:

“How to break down a long ranking? How long does a specific query or keyword take to rank higher?”

It’s a fair question.

While investing in SEO is a smart, sustainable, and recommended choice for online businesses, it is ultimately a long-term process that takes time and consistent effort.

But ranking web pages is the main goal of an SEO strategy. After all, content that ranks in the top three spots on the first SERP has a 50% more chance of getting clicked than the rest of Google’s content.

A higher click-through rate generates leads and establishes authority and consistency in the eye of the reader. You get the urgency when you understand the importance of ranking for a keyword. Here’s all you need to know about how long it takes to rank for a keyword.

Ranking For A Keyword On SERP

Before we get to the answer, here are some statistics you must be acquainted with, courtesy of an Ahrefs study.

• It takes about a year for 95% of published pages to rank in the top 10.
• On average, it takes 60 to 180 days for the top 5% of performers to rank for a keyword.
• 99% of high-ranking pages have a strong backlink profile that supports their performance.

How Long Does It Take To Rank On Search Engine For A Keyword

According to Ahrefs, a page takes about 2-6 months to rank in Google’s Top 10. But this only shows half the picture.

It turns out that ranking for a keyword depends on several factors, and SEO is only a piece of the whole picture. So, let’s learn about the factors involved in page ranking.

Factors That Can Affect The Time It Takes For Ranking

Google and other search engines use various factors while selecting the web page that answers the user’s queries. These factors can be sorted into categories, and each category sends signals that tell Google that a web page is worth ranking.

Here are some of the most common factors that can affect the time it takes for a keyword to rank:

Keyword Relevance

Keyword competition is real, and on why some pages rank and some can’t. The more relevant and searched-for your keyword is, the more search engines will shuffle links to place yours on top.

Content Quality

Search engines upvote high-quality, educational content that gets organic shares and backlinks and is likelier to rank well.

User Experience

Websites with fast load times, detailed copy, easy navigation, drop-down menus, and mobile-friendly layouts are likelier to rank well.

Backlinks

Backlinks from authoritative websites are the leading factor that impacts your page ranking. Webpages with more than three backlinks are more likely to rank on Google.

Domain Authority

Websites with established domain authority seasoned over the years tend to rank higher than newer web pages with low domain authority.

Competitive Playing Field

Ranking in a highly competitive niche with equally qualified market players greatly impacts where and when your content ranks.

Metadata

Metadata, which includes meta titles and descriptions, is the only content from your entire article or product description that previews on Google’s ranking page. They also influence the user’s decision to click.

How To Break Down A Long Ranking

Here are three sure-shot ways to speed up the time it takes to rank your content.

Master User Search Intent

User search intent is the core reason a user types a query into a search engine. For a keyword to rank, it must have a combination of words that comprise users’ core questions.

Nearly all Google searches can be summed up into four categories:

To rank your keywords, you must evaluate the category in which your product/service falls. Are you selling shampoos? Or are you informing people about the various methods of scalp care?
Once you have mastered the user search intent, you can write content your TG is actively seeking out at all times.

Apply The EAT Framework

To break down a long ranking, apply the EAT framework to your content strategy. EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Instead of pumping out generic content, double down on a niche and publish a valuable boost. Your domain authority shortens the time it takes for your content to rank on Google.

Invest In An Internal Link-Building Strategy

Internal link-building is the process of linking your web pages with each other. Backlinks are a proven way to establish authority on Google, but they are harder to come by. In the meantime, you can focus on an internal link-building strategy.

Internal links help Google crawlers discover more of your content; in the process, they can get acquainted with your website’s hierarchy. All this is a vote in favor of your sped-up Ranking on Google.

Final Thoughts:

SEO is a proven way to attract organic traffic to your blog, but because Ranking is contingent upon so many factors—the process can take its sweet time. On average, you should see the result in roughly 3 to 6 months.

However, you can speed up the time by following these three steps and ensuring that all the above factors work in your favor. Alternatively, you can bring in experts at RankJacker SEO who have helped hundreds of businesses with their premium SEO services.

Give us a call today, and let’s figure it out together.