Why Getting on Page 1 of Google and the SERPs Takes Time

Why Getting on Page 1 of Google and the SERPs Takes Time

January 8, 2021
(Reading time: 3 - 6 minutes)

Google is no respecter of websites. This means that every website has the same chance to rank on page 1 of Google, but it takes time, and a website owner must be patient. It takes time and hard work to rank on page 1 of Google. Do not get discouraged if your website does not reach the top page in 30 days. It is practically impossible (if not impossible) to rank on page 1 of Google that quickly.

Think About Some Enlightening Statistics Compiled by Ahrefs.com:

  • Average age of a website page to reach number the one position on Google is about 3 years
  • Average age to reach the number 2 position is about 2.5 years
  • Average age to reach the number 3 position is over 2 years
  • Average age to reach the number 5 position is about two years
  • Average age to reach the 10th position is about 1 3/4 years

The age for each website was determined from the time Ahref's.com crawlers found the web pages. Next, the site took 2 million keywords their crawler had picked up one year earlier from the time the above statistics were developed. They tracked the history of each page ranked, and the results were:

  • 5.7% ranked in the top 10
  • 19.5% ranked between 11-100
  • 74.8% ranked below the top 100

Keep in mind that it took 5.7% of these researched website pages one year to reach Google's number one page ranking, and this was based on one keyword. To reach page one of Google's rankings, you must have very good keywords in your site's content.

It may take 2 to 6 months on average, and you will have to put some hard work into your SEO marketing, internal marketing, and SEO strategies to climb the rankings and get to the top of Google. There are many factors that contribute to the time it will take you to reach your dream goal. But how to get to number 1 on Google in less than one year (2 to 6 months) will take extensive SEO knowledge and a lot of hard work. It will not just happen; the webmaster must put in some serious time.

The point is that most websites that reach the number one position did not get there overnight. It took time to get there. The above rankings were based on in-depth keyword research Ahref's.com conducted. They took 2 million random keywords and pulled the data from the top ten ranking pages for each of those keywords.

What are the factors? 

Google Crawlers

Generally, a Google crawler will crawl over a site every 30 days once it has recognized that site. The site will slowly move up the rankings as time passes. Note, though, that if you create a website and leave it to posterity. It will not climb the rankings of Google. It will stay right where it is in website, no man's land.

Relevant Keywords for a Specific Industry

If you are starting with a new website and it is not popular, has zero backlinks, no content marketing, internal marketing, no traffic, and the website has absolutely no visibility. The webmaster has no keywords (competitive or not), and you are trying to rank on the first page of Google for " construction company.” It could take years to rank on the number 1 page of Google because the construction industry is so competitive, and the same keyword is used by so many websites as is.

But if the agency is set on pursuing a top ranking for "construction company" keyword, then there is a lot of hard work ahead to achieve that goal. The goal can be realized, but it will take some time to reach the top. It will entail having great content and relevant keywords for the industry. They must be keywords that people are searching for when looking for a top-notch construction company. This would involve some extensive keyword research to see what keywords are the most popular and what keywords people are really using to search for the right construction company to meet their building needs.

Quality Content 

Continuing with the construction company example, the content should cover why your particular construction company is worth hiring, why it would meet people's building needs, and the advantages of people contracting with your construction company. What benefits your company could offer over the competition, and your company must offer competitive or preferably lower hourly rates than the industry average. Content marketing is key to helping your site climb to the top of Google's number 1 page.

The content must be quality all the way through the page if you want the Google crawlers to even notice your page. The crawler must understand the relevancy of your content and why people would benefit from the content. The keywords contained in the content must be relevant to what people are searching for and will meet their construction project needs.

It will take time to create the right content as the writers for the site must research the proper keywords. Or if the writers are supplied with the proper keywords by the site owners, then it will take for them to research all the vital keywords. Then the content must be fresh, original, and free of plagiarism; this will take time as well for the writers to produce.

The content must be what people are looking for and must meet their deepest needs. But before these dynamics can occur, the crawlers must find your website. Usually, people contract construction company services by looking on the first page of Google search page results. Yes, they may look on the second page, but the percentages are lower that they will even venture there. This process will take time as well as they type in the right keyword phrases or words to target exactly what they are looking for in a construction company. The content must help people, or you will lose them within the first few seconds they land on the site.

The process builds as Google realizes that your site is continuously providing interesting content that people are consuming, and the site begins to gain popularity. The right keywords must be drawing increased traffic to the site. The site will move toward getting on page 1 of Google.

Final Thoughts

In the final analysis, it will take time for a website to get on page 1 of Google. Realistically, it will not happen in 30 days, but it could take a minimum of 2 to 6 months. Based on the statistics offered by Ahref's.com, it could take an average anywhere from 1 3/4 years to reach the number 10 position on page one and three years to reach the number 1 position on Google's page 1.

If you are looking for some help ranking better on Google or any of the search engines then contact us for a free consultation and evaluation of your current efforts!

Adam Bennett

Written by:  |  January 8, 2021

Adam is the president and founder of Cube Creative Design. Since starting the business in 2005, he has created individual relationships with clients in Western North Carolina. He places great value on the needs, expectations, and goals of the client.

See Adam Bennett's' bio: cubecreative.design/about/adam-bennett