SEO Is a Long Game—Here’s What That Actually Looks Like
- Jess
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
Updated: May 11
“How long till we rank number one?"
This is a question I have been asked in the past by clients. They can become tired or frustrated when they feel like they are putting in time and energy to rush and update their pages and they do not see the results they want.
It can be difficult as an SEO specialist to explain to a client that updating your pages isn't what matters, it's about how you update them and then having the patience to let them grow.
SEO is a lot like planting seeds; nothing happens instantly overnight, and if it does, it can be hard to replicate those results again.
So, if you are in SEO or if you are considering hiring someone to do SEO for your site, here are some factors to think about before you update your pages.
What People Think SEO Is
Quick wins.
Ranking overnight or over a month.
Publishing 5 articles and watching traffic explode.
A checklist of hacks.
Reality check: That might work temporarily, but it isn't sustainable.
What SEO Actually Is
A system that rewards consistency, quality, and relevance.
Compound results, like investing.
Relationship-building with Google, your social media presence, and your audience.
A mix of on-page, off-page, content, and technical efforts over time.
Basically, good SEO is pretty boring. It’s showing up, creating value, and doing it over and over again.
Types of Common SEO Mistakes Made When Updating
If you're updating content just to “freshen it up,” you're already on the wrong track.
Google isn’t impressed by minor date changes or a new sentence dropped into a paragraph—it wants real, genuine value.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is boring content. It’s either too complicated, too academic, or just completely irrelevant to the reader.
You're not writing a research paper. Write like you're explaining something to a 5th grader. If it takes effort to understand, most people will click away.
Keep your paragraphs short, two sentences max. Long blocks of text lose attention fast unless you're writing for a medical journal or research-heavy site.
Your updates should be based on real SEO strategy:
Do proper keyword research.
Look at who’s currently ranking for your target keyword.
Ask: Why are they outranking me? Do they provide more value? More examples? Better structure? Then beat them. Give the reader more than they expected.
Content should also be optimized for your audience. Not for you. That means removing vague phrases like “click here” and using links that actually help establish topical relevance and EEAT.
Don’t treat your article like a sales pitch. Google can tell, and if it feels too product-heavy, Google’s going to push it into the ad section, not the organic results. Want your product front and center? Pay for the shopping carousel.
Instead, focus on building real value. Add unique visuals; one custom image or infographic per H2 if possible. If you have too much text in a section, break it up by tossing in a photo(I just did it in this article). It helps with dwell time, clarity, and the user experience.
TLDR: Don’t update content just to say you did it. Update with intention. Add value. Make it better than what’s already ranking. Or leave it alone.
What a REAL SEO Timeline Looks Like
Month 1–3: Foundation/Building Phase
First, you need to understand your brand or your clients brand, then understand the audience and their pain points. You have to answer these major questions:
Who are you?
Who is your audience?
Once you have these answers, you can understand better what keywords to research. Dive into what queries your intended audience will make.
Then start the process:
Site audit, keyword research, technical cleanup.
Content planning + publishing starts.
Likely no major traffic change yet. This is groundwork.
Month 3–6: Early Signals
Google starts indexing and testing your pages.
Early rankings on low-competition terms.
Some articles begin to climb slowly.
You’re building topical authority.
This is the stage to check on pages with Google console and see which ones have lowered in performance over time. I like to also use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush.
Month 6–12: Growth Window
Content starts compounding.
Backlinks are earned naturally or through outreach.
Rankings improve site-wide.
You start to see real ROI.
If by this stage you are not seeing results, that doesn't always mean it's failing, but it is a signal to step back and reassess.
Maybe you are targeting the wrong keywords, or maybe you're not focusing on trustworthy content.
Are you demonstrating expertise? Are you linking internally? Do you have author bios, outbound links to reputable sources, or topical clusters?
How to fix it: Build EEAT signals. Add contributor bios, link to helpful resources, and create more content around the same theme.
Have you run a site audit? Are pages indexed? Any broken links, redirect issues, or duplicate content?
How to fix it: Use tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Semrush to fix any major technical problems.
Remember, this is a long-game, don't give up, and stick to a plan of building quality and value.
12 Months+
You now have leverage.
New content ranks faster.
Old content can be optimized to climb further.
You’ve built equity, now it works for you.
How to Play the Long SEO Game Right
Stay consistent. Don’t go publish 10 posts and disappear. Aim for 3-7 posts a week if possible.
Track progress monthly, not daily.
Build around topics, not just keywords.
Invest in content(high quality graphics/photos, good quality videos that are informative and interesting), backlinks(quality backlinks that make sense), and tech health over time.
Repurpose and refresh content once you have momentum. Maybe convert some articles into social media posts, YouTube shorts, or podcast topics. If youa re not utilizing social media to help leverage your content in this way then you're wasting valuable ideas.
My Final Thoughts
If you are not seeing the results you want, don't get upset or frustrated. All your efforts are not in vain; every bad page can be fixed, and every site can be altered to provide the right kind of value to your audience.
The reason why most people quit and think it doesn't work is because:
They expect page 1 in 30 days.
They compare SEO to paid ads.
They think if they don't see results by month 3 = “it doesn’t work”
They have no patience for the compound effect.
The best way I can describe it, is to think about the experience you want to have as a site user or a customer. Aim to create value for them, versus chasing results and money.
I know it can be hard to think in those terms, but when you empathize with your target audience, you get the results you want as an aftereffect.
Don't give up, and remember, no potential customer is ever upset about receiving quality, consideration, and value.
That’s just my two cents on the matter.
Until next time,
-Jess
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