The three timelines that actually matter
When people ask "how long does SEO take?" they're usually asking three different questions at once. Pulling them apart makes the answer useful.
1. How long until Google indexes my site? (Days to a couple of weeks) 2. How long until I rank for my business name? (A few weeks) 3. How long until I rank for competitive local keywords? (3–6 months minimum)
Each has a different timeline and different work. Here's what to expect at each.
Timeline 1: Indexation — 1 to 14 days
Indexation just means Google has crawled your page and added it to its database. It is not the same as ranking. A site can be indexed and still appear on page 47 for every query.
For a brand-new site: Google usually finds it within 3–14 days if you submit your sitemap.xml to Google Search Console. Without a sitemap submission, indexation can take 6+ weeks.
For an existing site you've just updated: New or changed pages get re-crawled within 1–7 days, faster if you "Request Indexing" in Search Console manually.
Check it: Go to Google and type `site:yourdomain.com`. If your pages appear, you're indexed. If nothing appears after 14 days post-launch, something is blocking Google (covered in why isn't my business showing up on Google?).
Timeline 2: Ranking for your business name — 2 to 4 weeks
Once indexed, ranking for your own business name should happen within a month. This is the lowest-difficulty SEO win — nobody else has a stronger claim to "MyBusiness Ltd" than you do.
What helps: Title tag and H1 contain your business name. Your Google Business Profile is verified and linked to the same domain. A clean URL like `mybusiness.co.uk/about` for your about page.
What hurts: Generic CMS placeholder titles like "Home | WordPress." A different business with a very similar name. Your business name being a generic phrase ("Bristol Solar" — there are 40 of those).
If you're four weeks post-launch and still not ranking for your own name in an incognito search, something's wrong. Most common cause: title tag wasn't customised, so Google has nothing to attach your domain to.
Timeline 3: Ranking for competitive local keywords — 3 to 6 months
This is the timeline most people are actually asking about. "When will I be on page 1 for 'solar installers Bristol'?" That's a competitive local keyword with established competitors, and it takes time.
Why 3–6 months and not 3–6 weeks:
- Google sandboxes new domains (under 6 months old) — your ranking power is artificially capped until you've proven you're real
- Established competitors have years of backlinks, reviews, content. You need to build proof that you deserve to outrank them
- Google updates its rankings continuously but only re-evaluates competitive local SERPs every few weeks. Even when you've done the work, Google needs cycles to notice
What 3 months actually looks like:
- Month 1: Indexation, GBP setup, technical fixes. You appear for low-competition long-tail queries (e.g. "solar installer near [tiny village]")
- Month 2: Citations and directory listings indexed. You start appearing on page 2–3 for medium-competition queries. Maps three-pack appearances start for hyper-local searches
- Month 3: Content compounding. You appear on page 1 for some queries, page 2 for the main one. Maps three-pack appearances become consistent
- Month 4–6: Page 1 organic + Maps three-pack for your primary target keyword (if the work has been done consistently)
This is the timeline Presencly's 90-day page-1 Google guarantee is built around — we commit to page 1 by day 90 on one agreed keyword. We can do it that fast because we focus on a single keyword instead of spreading effort across twenty.
Common "fast SEO" promises that aren't real
If anyone tells you they can put you on page 1 in 30 days, they're doing one of these:
- Targeting zero-competition keywords: "Eco-friendly solar panel installation specialists Bristol BS7" — yes, you'll rank, because nobody searches for that exact phrase
- Faking it with Google Ads: They put you "on page 1" by buying ad placement and let you think it's organic
- Ranking your business name: Sure, you'll rank for your own name in 30 days — but you'd have done that anyway
Real local SEO for a target keyword that has actual search volume takes 90 days minimum. Anyone promising less is selling smoke.
What you should see at each month-mark
- Day 14: Site indexed, business name ranking, GBP verified
- Day 30: First impressions in Search Console, first low-competition rankings
- Day 60: Maps three-pack appearances, page 2 for target keyword, rising click-through rate
- Day 90: Page 1 organic for target keyword (achievable with focused work)
- Day 180: Multiple page-1 rankings, consistent monthly traffic growth, predictable enquiry flow
- Day 365: Compounding — every new piece of content ranks faster because domain authority has built up
What if you've waited 6 months and nothing's happening?
Either the work isn't being done, or it's being done badly. Common signs:
- Your "SEO agency" only sends you reports with no concrete changes
- The keyword you're targeting is too competitive for your budget
- The site has a technical fault that wasn't diagnosed
- You're competing in a saturated city (London, Manchester) on a £200/month plan
If you'd rather have someone who'll commit to a timeline in writing, Presencly's 90-day page-1 guarantee is the contractual version — full refund of all monthly payments if we miss. Request a free audit and we'll tell you whether your current site has any blockers in the way.