So, you’ve launched a brand-new website and are eagerly waiting for Google to do its magic and bless you with a lot of traffic. You keep refreshing the analytics page, expecting a surge in visitors, only to realise, change won’t happen overnight. Meanwhile your competitor, who’s had their website running for a long time seems to be ranking higher than you… Is a website’s age really that powerful in SEO? Well, the short answer is yes, however it is not the only factor. In this blog we will go over why it is important to invest in SEO early, leading to new website owners achieving long-term success.

“Start optimising your website today and you can reap its benefits for years to come. Get in touch with Make Me Local today!”

Does Website Age Matter For SEO?

Search engines like Google don’t just look for a website’s age when ranking websites. However, an older website does have an upper hand because:

  • It has been established for quite some time and has by now built authority through backlinks and off-page SEO techniques.
  • A site with years of consistent and high-quality content also has higher chances of performing better.
  • Search engines also naturally lean towards domains that have been around for a while because they are less likely to be spammy or unreliable.

Think of it this way, if a university has to choose between a highly experienced professor and a first-year student for a lecture, they will probably go with the professor. But this does not mean the student cannot work their way up over time.

Why Should You Invest Early in SEO?

If your domain has been around for a while, great! But this alone does not guarantee a higher rank. To ensure you always stay on top of the list you need to invest in SEO, and you need to do it soon. Google favours older well-maintained domains, and even during algorithm updates, if you have a strong user engagement, your website’s ranking is less likely to drop. But even if your site has been live for 10 years, competitors can overtake you if you are not implementing SEO best practices. Therefore, investing in ongoing SEO can help ensure you don’t lose your rankings.

Pro tip: Regularly update your old content, fix broken links and keep your site technically healthy to retain your SEO edge.

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Realistic Goals for New Websites

Increasing your rankings can often feel like running a race in which everyone has started before the whistle is blown. But don’t lose hope, though you are starting out a little later, you can still get ahead with the help of some smart techniques. Here are some strategies to help you improve your rankings:

  • Create high-quality and well-researched content that resonates well with your target audience.
  • Tap into long tail keywords that might have lower competition to drive initial traffic
  • Building a backlink profile through guest posts or collaborations is a great way to build credibility.
  • Your website should be optimised and user friendly with a good loading speed.
  • Keep monitoring your progress using analytical tools to learn what works best for your audience.

Above all, understand it takes time and patience – SEO is a long-term game. Even the established websites you see now started from scratch. Focus on building step by step instead of aiming for immediate results.

Fun fact: The first page of Google gets a huge portion of web traffic, as high as 71%. This is why it is important for newer websites to work their way up through SEO to earn their spot on the first page.

Common Misconceptions About Website Age And SEO

Older Domains Automatically Rank Higher

Not exactly, there is no guarantee that an older domain will rank higher always. It is true that they are more trusted given their age, but that alone is not a ranking factor. It also depends on the quality and consistency of your content, backlinks, UX, and the efforts you put into ensuring your website is running optimally at all times.

New Websites Can’t Compete with Established Ones

This is not true either, because with the right SEO strategy, writing high quality content and building credibility over time, even new websites can gradually climb the ranking. It is a slower process, but you may even end up outperforming older established sites.

SEO Is a One Time Investment

SEO is a continuous process. It cannot be achieved in a day or a night. Even established websites must keep investing in SEO while also staying up to date with all the new strategies and content updates. Think of it as brushing your teeth, you must do it every day, or things start going downhill.

Patience Is Key: Monitoring And Adapting

Now that you’ve understood SEO success doesn’t happen overnight, let’s look at the next steps. To ensure a successful SEO strategy, you must keep monitoring your performance and always be ready to adapt. Regular audits are a great way to review your website’s technical setup and uncover any issues like broken links or slow loading pages. Moreover, addressing these issues promptly makes your website stronger and maintains its health.

Make Your Website Stronger

Whether you are running an established website or nurturing a new one, you need to invest in SEO if you want to see long-term benefits. SEO is a journey that requires persistence, learning and regular updating. Keep your focus on delivering value-based content for your audience, regularly monitor your progress and always be ready to adjust your strategies. With a well thought out, long-term approach you can ensure your website not only ranks well today but also continues to grow and succeed for years to come.

Do you also want to see better rankings? Invest in a solid SEO strategy today – get in touch with Make Me Local and let’s get started right away.