Page 1 of Google - How Long?

[vprimicias]

I'm relatively new to online marketing and this is my first post. I launched an e-commerce site in Feb 2010, and used Market Samurai to research my keywords.

Below are PHRASE MATCH results for a site that has top spot on Google:

Keyword #1 - 13,800 daily views / competition is 204,000 webpages
Keyword #2 - 1,518 daily views / competition is 21,800 webpages
Keyword #3 - 5,081 daily views / competition is 81,000 webpages

I'm currently ranking in the SERPs as follows (depersonalized results) where I've sat for the last month:

Keyword #1 - on Google's page 5
Keyword #2 - on Google's page 2
Keyword #3 - on Google's page 19

I'm throwing everything I've got at the wall in terms of SEO techniques I've learned so far including article writing, spinning, blogs, commenting, etc.

QUESTION: How much longer will it take to show up on Google's first page? And if it's the #10 spot on the first page, how long will it take to climb to top spot?

Or do I need to start looking for a job?

[Nail Yener]

It all depends on the strength of backlinks of your competitors on the first page. Analyze their backlinks, you can use

https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/

for single URL analysis or use SEOQuake addon for firefox

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3036/

Now, try to get backlinks from where they got their backlinks. Apart from that try to find high PR pages where you can leave your backlinks.

Just continue building backlinks and you will see the result.

This is the off-page part, you might need to work your on-page SEO as well. Again, check the first page results and compare them to your website and see if you can find anything to improve.

[Brad Callen]

You are overlooking some of the methods that will get you to the top quicker. Look through your competitor links and see what I'm talking about. Most people overlook competitor links and it's really the thing you should be focusing on the most right now. A large number of these sites are most likely outranking you because of a handful of high quality links. You need these links, otherwise it will be slow-going eeking out supplemental blog comment and article directory links. I believe you can look at PR sorted competitor back links in the "SEO Competition module" by clicking on the down arrow in market samurai. You can also analyze their anchor text as well. You do not have to reinvent the wheel, just have to beat out the guys in front of you.

[thetruth23]

Hi, you'll need to provide much more information regarding your competition (page 1 serps) before anyone would be able to give you any meaningful feedback.

However, just based on your current rankings, Keyword #1 & #3 are still out in the woods somewhere and no where to be found. You probably don't have much hope of those making headway anytime soon.

Keyword #2, on the other hand, looks a little more promising. But I wouldn't know how much more work you'll have to do until i'm aware of what the competition is like.

If you're using market samurai, they have a SEO analysis feature. Use that and it will bring up most the information you'll require.

[vprimicias]

Thanks. I've started researching my competitor's backlinks but now I know to focus more on that. I'm also aware of getting links from high PR sites. My on-page SEO is in good shape, I believe. Thanks for your help!

[vprimicias]

Thanks, Brad Callen. Like adammeda, you're both telling me to look at competitor links and I'll do that. Yes, I've been using the MS Competition Module.

[connorbringas]

Well you arent doing that bad. Once your on the first page on number 10..its hard to make it to number one. The last 9 are the hardest to pass obviously. How I do it is copy all of the top 10 competitors backlinks...Then I have all their backlinks combined. Well I pick the best ones out of theirs anyway...

[vprimicias]

Originally Posted by thetruth23

Hi, you'll need to provide much more information regarding your competition (page 1 serps) before anyone would be able to give you any meaningful feedback.

However, just based on your current rankings, Keyword #1 & #3 are still out in the woods somewhere and no where to be found. You probably don't have much hope of those making headway anytime soon.

Keyword #2, on the other hand, looks a little more promising. But I wouldn't know how much more work you'll have to do until i'm aware of what the competition is like.

If you're using market samurai, they have a SEO analysis feature. Use that and it will bring up most the information you'll require.

Thetruth23, I was surprised to hear you say #1 and #3 are still in the woods. That's the reality check I needed.

As far as my competition, am I looking at their IC (index count) and BLD (# of backlinks)? And then is it just a matter of surpassing theirs in volume?

[vprimicias]

Originally Posted by connorbringas

Well you arent doing that bad. Once your on the first page on number 10..its hard to make it to number one. The last 9 are the hardest to pass obviously. How I do it is copy all of the top 10 competitors backlinks...Then I have all their backlinks combined. Well I pick the best ones out of theirs anyway...

Thank you. Another vote for focusing more on my competitor's backlinks. I love this forum. Thanks for your help!

[thetruth23]

Originally Posted by vprimicias

Thetruth23, I was surprised to hear you say #1 and #3 are still in the woods. That's the reality check I needed.

As far as my competition, am I looking at their IC (index count) and BLD (# of backlinks)? And then is it just a matter of surpassing theirs in volume?

Here's the:

SEO Competition Tutorial

I'd worry primarily about BLP. This tells you how many backlinks are pointing to the url itself, and not just the websites domain in total.

If you can exceed the quality and quantity of BLP your competition has, and your on-page optimization is up to scratch, you'll give yourself a good chance to rank highly.

Another thing to note: I think it's BLEG, and this tells you how many backlinks your competition will have from .edu and .gov websites. These domain extensions seem to hold a lot of 'weight', and SE's favour backlinks from these type of sites.

[vprimicias]

thetruth23,

Thanks for taking the time to send the MS tutorial. I've been using it and find it very informative.

My BLP beats out 3 of the top 10 sites but I have a long way to go to surpass the rest. I have two BLEG listings and will work on getting more.

[vprimicias]

Originally Posted by connorbringas

Well you arent doing that bad. Once your on the first page on number 10..its hard to make it to number one. The last 9 are the hardest to pass obviously. How I do it is copy all of the top 10 competitors backlinks...Then I have all their backlinks combined. Well I pick the best ones out of theirs anyway...

I just realized that I gave broad match SERPs rankings earlier. Here are the phrase match rankings:

PHRASE MATCH
Keyword #1 - on Google's page 4
Keyword #2 - on Google's page 1 (position #7)
Keyword #3 - on Google's page 7 (I do the least amount of work on this keyword)