Every search engine optimization campaign will have unique factors that will affect it's SEO timeline. In addition to individual campaign factors, there are the search engines themselves that have been known to make major changes to how frequently they update their search results and what factors they consider when determining individual rankings. They also go through frequent algorithm updates that can range in scale from minor adjustments to major updates. Some of those major algorithm updates included: Alta Vista's "Black Monday", Yahoo's 2004 April update and Google's many updates like "Hilltop", "Florida", "Bourbon", "Jagger" and the recent "Big Daddy".
Current Estimated Timeline Posted June 2006
Week 0
Website & Competitor Analysis
Keyword Research
Onsite Optimization
Search Engine Submissions
Week 1-2
Search Engines start spidering website
Link building begins
Paid directory submissions begin
Week 2-4
Search Engines should have completed the initial spidering of new and updated pages
New links should start showing up on targeted websites and directories
Month 1-2
Search engines will start finding the new links
Google, AOL and MSN will begin to slowly implement the client's rankings into their search engine results
Yahoo will start to make minor adjustments to rankings to established websites
More link building and directory submissions
Month 2-3
Search engines will continue to find new links
Search engines will start value new links towards rankings
Google and AOL will continue to make minor adjustments to rankings
MSN will make more adjustments to rankings
Yahoo will make more adjustments to rankings to established websites
Ask should start to list new sites
More link building and directory submissions
Month 3-4
Search engines will continue to find new links
Search engines will continue value new and aged links
Google and AOL will continue to make minor adjustments to rankings
MSN will make more adjustments to rankings Yahoo should start to list new sites
More link building and directory submissions
Month 4-5
Search engines will continue to find new links
Search engines will continue value new and aged links
Google and AOL will continue to make minor adjustments to rankings
MSN will make more adjustments to rankings
Yahoo will make more adjustments to rankings
More link building and directory submissions
Start to make campaign adjustments accordingly
Month 5-6
Search engines will continue to find new links
Search engines will continue value new and aged links
Google and AOL starts to make more adjustments to rankings
MSN will make more adjustments to rankings
Yahoo will make more adjustments to rankings
More link building and directory submissions
Make any necessary campaign adjustments
Month 6+
Search engines will continue to find new links
Search engines will continue value new and aged links
Google and AOL starts to make more adjustments to rankings
MSN will make more adjustments to rankings
Yahoo will make more adjustments to rankings
More link building and directory submissions
Make any necessary campaign adjustments
Search Engine Optimization is a process that takes a considerable amount of time, patience and requires regular research and ongoing adjustments. There are never any quick fixes and you should beware of anyone who offers you a program with guarantees that sounds "too good to be true". Most of these types of ranking schemes entail techniques that could cause your website to be banned permanently from the search engines.
