Apologies for the vague title, but for all of you who know a thing or two about SEO, you know what I’m talking about. For everyone else, this just means that if you start doing SEO on your site today, you’re not going to see your rankings jump overnight, or over-week, for that matter.
For new sites, there is a term for the latency period in which a site is indexed properly in Google according to its keywords, assuming it has some semblance of an SEO strategy in place. This term is called the “Google Sandbox”, and similar to the time it takes to find your plastic toys buried in a sandbox, there is time that has to go by before your site can be found in Google. There’s not finite length of time in which we can say it will take for this to pass, but new websites typically experience a period of around 6 months to be indexed properly for their keywords.
Existing sites go through a similar sandboxing process, though not as sever. If you have a site that has recently been overhauled as a result of an SEO strategy, you might see your rankings drop for a period of time while Google re-indexes your site. Again, there is not finite length of time this will take. Typically, this adjustment period is shortened in accordance with the quality of links pointing to your site. If you’re site is being linked to from an authority site like CNN or the BBC, your sandboxing period is going to be severely shortened. Think about this logically – if authority sites are linking to your site, people are obviously very interested in what you have to offer, and it is in Google’s best interest to provide people what they’re looking for as soon as possible, and will prioritize your re-indexing process.
This brings me to my next point…No SEO company, no matter how famous they are, where they’re located or even how big their office is CAN NOT expedite your sandbox/re-indexing period. Google has ZERO affiliation with all SEO companies and regardless of who makes your SEO changes, you’re latency period will be the same. If you ever come across an SEO company or individual who promises you results in any length of time, I strongly suggest you steer clear of them. In the web marketing world, unlike many industries, hearing guarantees is an indication of illegitimacy and an indicator of someone who just wants to pocket your money. Don’t fall for it – do your due diligence and hear what people have to say.
That said, don’t be afraid if you hear that an SEO company will require you to invest in their service for a minimum of 12 months. Don’t compare this to something like a mobile phone contract – this is set up to protect you. If you’re a new website, you won’t be seeing any results from your SEO campaign until 6 months anyway, and even then your results will be shaky at best. If you allow at least 1 year to see where you’re at, you’ll assure yourself that your investment hasn’t gone to waste and you will definitely be reaping the rewards.