How Long Do Link Building Campaigns Require to Influence Rankings?
The first question most clients have when their SEO specialist begins a campaign is “How long will it take for the links used in the campaign to help improve our rankings?” This is a common question and one that is, unfortunately, not simple to answer. Because each SEO campaign involves the use of several links and on-page optimizations, it can be difficult to know precisely when one single link has been effective in improving rankings. However, studies have now been completed on the time it takes for a link to influence rankings and the data is here. In this latest post, we’ll examine how long it takes for a link building campaign to begin to influence rankings.
Current Ranking Position Plays an Important Role
When examining the time it takes for link-building campaigns to take effect, the current ranking of the target page is an important factor. The data from Moz research shows that pages ranking on the second page or lower rose significantly after 8-to-9 weeks of the link building campaigns beginning. This compares with target pages that began on the first page of the rankings, which, according to the data, only moved one or two places within 22 weeks of study.
Domain Authority Plays a Significant Role
Another of the leading factors determining the time it takes a link-building campaign to show rewards is the Domain Authority of the linked page. If the page linking to the target page has a Domain Authority of 25 or higher, the Moz data shows that the target page should begin to move in the rankings within 10 weeks. Further data suggests that linked pages with a Domain Authority over 50 could speed up the rise through the rankings. This means that companies beginning a link-building campaign must work with a link partner that is well established in the marketplace, to improve rankings in a short timeframe.
Building from the Bottom
While it might only take 10 weeks from the initial start of the campaign to see a return on investment in link-building, SEO work is a long-term investment and a step-by-step process. Each step will take a specific amount of time based on the company’s existing resources. When building a campaign, the following resources can be harnessed:
- The Agency
The SEO agency chosen is a critical element in the SEO campaign. They’ll come with their own link-building experts who will each have their own tried and tested strategies for success. Depending on the size of the organization it can take 1-3 months to find a qualified agency.
- PR Teams
For companies seeking a more short-term approach to rankings, working with a PR team can add immediate value to the SEO campaign. PR teams are more effective in building links through Domain Authority and driving links towards the company home page. Campaigns to try to build the authority of landing pages will require a long-term approach and additional resources.
Devising the Link Building Strategy
With the resources in place, the company must now consider the best strategy for achieving sustained high rankings through their content. The following techniques can drive link building campaigns.
- Offering expertise as a resource
With so many organizations looking for experts online, companies can begin their link building efforts by offering their industry expertise for guest blogging, quotes or site resources to entice the site to link back. The communication process and the implementation of the content can take up-to a month to complete.
- Infographics that link to the site
Infographic are an effective link campaign tool because they offer bite-size information, which can be easily digested via social media. Companies need a good idea on a hot topic to focus their infographic on, as well as the in-house artistic talents to create the infographic. This can be immensely rewarding but it will take at least a month to implement.
- Create in-depth posts
If the company is a leader in their field, and has a large amount of direct writing resources, they can use in-depth posts to form their link building campaigns. This works best for companies with large swaths of data on their industry, in order to add something new and compelling to the online conversation. While these types of posts hold immense value in link building campaigns, they can take several months to complete when all research and editing is considered.
Executing the Campaign
Once the content is created and the strategy is in place, companies must then work with their link partners to execute the campaign completely. It’s important to budget for at least two weeks in this process as it may take time for emails to be returned and for technical details to be finalized.
From the months of planning and the further time it takes to find qualified prospect sites to work with during link-building campaigns, it may take as long as six months before the results of a link building campaign become clear. This highlights the point that SEO is a long-term investment rather than a short-term technique. Implemented correctly, this investment will have long-term rewards for all organizations.
