Ask any SEO a question and you’ll probably hear the same two words: “It depends.”
I could be talking about keyword intent or explaining why SEO doesn’t magically create “free traffic”, but no matter the topic, the answer usually comes back to those two little words.
How long will it take to rank in position 1? It depends. Do we need to optimise for AI search? It depends. How many keywords should I put in my blog? It depends.
So, why does everything depend?
How it became the default response
Truthfully, we’re all working within a system that is intentionally vague.
Search engines like Google provide best practices at a surface level, but they never say exactly what their ranking factors are, and that lack of clarity means we rely on testing, analysing, experimenting and adapting.
What works for one website won’t necessarily work for another, which is why SEO strategies must be tailored. And it’s also why anyone promising you “X result in X days” is usually offering confidence rather than truth.
Why, why, why, do we ask so many questions?
As an SEO, I need to understand not only what your business does and who you do it for, but I need to understand what your potential customers are thinking and searching for.
This means asking questions about your target audience, their behaviours, their pain points and the solutions they want. We’re not being nosey, we’re trying to uncover the thought processes, behaviours, needs and frustrations of the people you want to reach. The more we know, the better we can help you show up in the right place, at the right time, for the right audience.
The way we search is also changing. We use longer statements and questions in our searches than ever before, and with the incredible rise of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, we search in more conversational ways and expect a human answer.
This shift towards conversational searching emphasises the importance of natural language processing and understanding user intent. It’s no longer just about matching keywords and adding them into your copy; it’s about delivering content that answers questions clearly and quickly for people.
Why should I give out advice on the service people pay me for?
Writing a blog that teaches people how to do what you’re offering may seem counterintuitive at first, but it is an incredibly powerful method for building credibility and trust – something SEOs call EATT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you position yourself as an authority in your field, which can help potential clients or customers see the value in your services. Additionally, providing valuable content for free showcases your confidence in your abilities and demonstrates that you genuinely care about helping others succeed, rather than purely focusing on profit.
And the truth is, most readers won’t want to do everything themselves. But when they’re ready to hire someone, they’ll pick the person who already helped them: you.
Why can’t you give me a timeline on how long this will take?
SEO is not a ‘quick win’ kind of marketing. It’s a long-term strategy that can takes weeks and months until you see the benefit.
This is because SEO involves building authority (with things like Digital PR), improving website health, and creating quality content that not only resonates with your audience, but also aligns with search engine algorithms. Each of these elements takes time to develop and requires consistent effort.
Factors such as your industry, competition, and starting point in terms of your site’s current SEO performance can also influence the timeline for results. Patience, combined with a well-executed strategy, often leads to the most sustainable growth over time.
So…it really does depend
The best SEO strategies evolve. They move with user behaviour, algorithm updates, and your own business priorities. Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console can help you monitor what’s working and where to adjust.
Things like building backlinks from reputable sites, making sure your site is mobile-friendly, and creating shareable content are all great strategies to boost your SEO efforts.
Just remember, SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing process that changes with search engine updates and what users are looking for.
So yes, most answers to your SEO questions are still “it depends”. Not because we’re avoiding the question, but because it takes time to give you the answer that’s actually right for your business.
