Many entrepreneurs start their online business or blog and struggle to get the results they want. The number one issue we see is they simply don't wait long enough. So, how long should you wait?
TL;DR
You should expect Google to start having an interest in your site, 6 to 9 months after you launch. But only if you give your site the attention it needs.
When should you expect results and how will it look?
In the first few weeks of launching your site, chances are that even if you search exactly for your brand name, your site will not be listed on Google. This is because Google needs to learn more about your site to trust you. Google will initially index your home page, and it will be for an "exact match" of your domain. So if your domain is; furniturebuiltlocally.com, you should search on google for the term; "FurnitureBuiltLocally". Once you start seeing your website on page 1 of Google, that's when you know Google has started learning about you.
It's very unlikely for your site to show up in search results in the first 1 to 3 months of launching your site.
Bonus Tip
Use Google Search Console to monitor if Google is having issues accessing your site.
What happens at the 6-months mark?
Around the 6-month mark is when you should expect to start seeing Google showing your site for a few search terms. However, this will only happen if you prepared for growth. The simplest way to achieve organic growth is to pump out as much as possible quality content. Google loves content! Don't worry if your product pages are not listed on Google at the 6-month mark. You should first focus on having your blog posts listed because at this point in your business the goal is to make Google like you.
Bonus Tip
Use Google Analytics to monitor traffic to your website. The goal is to have 50%+ of your traffic going to your home page or blog pages.
Can I get away without a blog?
If you're even considering this question, you should not be in the online business. Harsh, but true. Creating content is so important nowadays, and a blog is such an easy way to achieve this, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you don't do it.
What happens at the 12-months mark?
This is when the real magic starts to happen. If you have been religious about posting content, you will start seeing exponential growth in organic traffic. This is because Google has liked the content you generated, and has had enough time to trust you. This is also the time when you should focus more on things, such as internal link structure.
Bonus Tip
Once you start seeing good organic growth, don't make drastic changes on the site. Major changes might harm your organic traffic, and it's crucial to be able to pinpoint exactly which change triggered it.
Is there anything I could do to speed up this process?
As a general rule, no there isn't. However, there is a method to guarantee a drastic spike in traffic around the 6 to the 9-month mark. That is to create an abundance of quality content that readers will be looking for. You should aim to answer questions, which will be relevant in 6 to 9 months.
Let's assume you are launching a site about waterproof sneakers. So a few topics you should be writing on are;
- What kind of sneakers is waterproof?
- Is there such a thing as 100% waterproof sneakers?
- Where can I find waterproof sneakers?
- Are waterproof sneakers safe to be used all day?
This way, when your product starts gaining traction, and people start asking these questions on Google, you will already have the answer. Google will quickly rank these articles thus growing your traffic substantially.
How much content should I be creating?
As a general rule, you should aim for at least 1 blog post per day for the first year. Each blog post should have at least 500 words, and it should;
- Contain content people will be searching for
- Contain accurate information
- Be written by an expert in the field
Final Tip: How do we go about generating traffic to our site in the first 12 months?
The harsh reality is that in the first 12 months, you should really focus on paid ads, such as Facebook ads, Google Ads... However, don't break the bank. You should aim to spend 60% of the marketing budget on generating quality content, and 40% on ads during the first year. After the first year aim to spend 75% of your budget on creating content, and 25% on advertising. However, you should aim to increase your overall budget by more than 50% in the second year of business to keep the momentum going.
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