Discussion g/beginners 1mo ago

@dan_seo

I see the same questions asked constantly in beginner SEO spaces. Here are straightforward answers without the usual hedging. **1. How long does SEO take?** For a new site targeting competitive keywords: 6–12 months to see meaningful organic traffic. For an established site with existing authority: 2–4 months for optimisation changes to show. For local SEO with a real Google Business Profile: 4–8 weeks for some movements. Anyone promising results in 2–4 weeks is either lying or targeting keywords nobody searches. **2. Is keyword density still a thing?** No. Do not write 'best running shoes' every 100 words throughout your article. Write naturally. Use the keyword in your title tag, H1, first paragraph and a few places where it fits naturally. That is sufficient. **3. Does Google penalise AI-generated content?** Google penalises unhelpful, low-quality content regardless of how it was produced. Well-edited AI content that is accurate, useful and demonstrates first-hand expertise can rank well. Bulk AI content published without review almost always ranks poorly and may trigger quality filters. **4. Are backlinks still important?** Yes. They remain one of the strongest ranking signals. But one link from a genuinely relevant, authoritative site is worth more than 100 links from low-quality directories. Quality over quantity has been true for a decade. **5. Should I focus on Google or other search engines?** Start with Google — it represents 90%+ of search market share in most markets. Once your Google strategy is solid, consider Bing (Microsoft's AI integrations make this relevant again) and, for specific audiences, Perplexity and other AI search tools.

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