It can take a while to get started with SEO, but once it gains momentum, growth can accelerate quickly. Those who are consistent with their search engine optimization can expect bigger and bigger returns.
If you’re new to search engine optimization, the advice that “SEO takes time” is probably not what you want to hear. However, it’s incredibly important. One of the most common reasons people fail with their SEO is that they move too fast. Compared to Google Ads, it’s a really slow start — but after some time, it’s not at all unusual to outperform Google Ads in terms of profitability, and with an ever-increasing margin. Unlike Google Ads, the improved results from SEO rarely come with increased costs.
In fact, it’s often the case that the longer an SEO project runs, the better the return on investment. You’re constantly building for the future — every change you make, every bit of authority you earn, makes the site a little stronger and a little more aligned with how search engines evaluate content. In that sense, it’s not surprising at all to see periods of accelerating growth.
What speaks against it?
There are of course factors that can slow down SEO growth, and one of them is increasing competition. More and more money is being invested in search engine visibility, and this has been a consistent trend for at least the past ten years. That’s true for Google Ads as well, with click prices rising year after year.
Another limiting factor is that you can’t create demand with SEO — you can only capture the demand that already exists. There have to be people searching for your product or similar products. Once you’ve reached all of them, there’s simply no one else to reach.
Magnus Bråth
Consultant & Adviser
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.