Article · 10 min read

How Long Does It Take to Rank in Google? (Ahrefs study)

Ahrefs · ahrefs.com Free Beginner

Ahrefs tracked 1M random URLs to see how many reached Google's top 10 within a year: only 1.74% did, and the average #1 page is 5 years old. The best data on SEO timelines.

  • Only 1.74% of newly published pages reached the top 10 within a year.
  • The average #1 ranking page is 5 years old.
  • Plan SEO as a long game and keep improving old pages.
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The question it answers

  1. Which SEO tools are actually worth paying for, how long until SEO pays off, and what mistakes do founders keep making?

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