---
title: "Field Notes #019: Patience is Overrated"
id: "2831"
type: "post"
slug: "patience-is-overrated"
published_at: "2022-11-10T16:14:00+00:00"
modified_at: "2023-04-14T15:15:59+00:00"
url: "https://beomniscient.com/blog/patience-is-overrated/"
markdown_url: "https://beomniscient.com/blog/patience-is-overrated.md"
excerpt: "How long do SEO results take? It’s one of the..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Field Notes"
---

How long do SEO results take?

It’s one of the most common questions we get, particularly from marketing executives without hands-on experience in the field.

If we’re talking to someone with SEO experience, we skip this question. We know, they know: results may vary.

But to executives, we’ll often give an answer that is true in utility, and that is: probably 6-12 months.

But that’s not true literally. We say this because it couches expectations in the channel for the long term; SEO, half-invested, is going to be a failed endeavor. It’s one of those things you have to commit to, as it has [increasing marginal utility](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdiminishingutility.asp)
 (i.e. the marginal costs go down and the marginal benefits go up with increased inputs).

So here’s the paradox: the largest rewards come over the long term, but winning over the long term often requires an urgency that feels impatient.

To paraphrase, [“impatience with action, patience with results.”](https://twitter.com/naval/status/1008533213919133697?lang=en)

I’ve found that, in pitching prospects, I need to do two things: come up with a plan that is extremely exciting over the long term, and eminently pragmatic over the short term.

In other words, in 5 years this needs to be a major contributor to leads. But in 5 months, we need to see feedback that the plan is actually going to come to fruition.

This, by the way, is a key to getting buy-in in whatever domain you’re in. When I ran experimentation programs, I had grand visions for the program. But my first few experiments were always on low-hanging fruit, showcasing my ability to actually get results.

In content: come up with a plan that, on [a forecasting model](https://beomniscient.com/blog/organic-traffic-growth-model/)
, can contribute a significant portion of your company’s leads (depends what’s exciting to you, but above 10% of the overall lead attribution for content would be great for many).

Then, focus on early results: index on low-difficulty keywords, content velocity, links, and distribution. Publish at 5X the pace you think you can publish, solely focusing on 0-500 MSV terms. Look for feedback signals – are you ranking? If so, you can be certain that with sufficient time and inputs, the tip of the iceberg will crash through the surface, uncovering low-cost leads at an accelerating pace.

But don’t fall for the “patience” argument. Those who win commit, and even if content is a long game, they play it fast.

Even as a thought exercise, ask yourself the Peter Theil question:

*“If you have a 10-year plan of how to get [somewhere], you should ask: Why can’t you do this in 6 months?”*

It’s obviously unreasonable, but you’ll certainly find a few limiting assumptions and bottlenecks that are preventing your (faster) success.

## Recommended Reads

1. [“SEO results take 6-12 months” debunked](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonas-van-de-poel_seo-google-gods-activity-6994220552957652993-H7JT/)
 – a great LinkedIn post by Jonas van de Poel covering why this idea is wrong.

2. [Amp it up!](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/amp-up-frank-slootman)
 – Frank Slootman’s legendary essay (that turned into a book) on his three key principles for driving insane growth at companies. I apply these on a granular level as well: narrow the focus, increase the velocity, and raise your standards. Apply these to SEO and watch your growth curve accelerate.

3. [Content is a long game. But if you want to win, play fast](https://beomniscient.com/blog/content-results/)
. – I wrote this a few months ago after realizing our most successful clients weren’t patient; they wanted to commit to SEO and content, and they were ready to ship at a faster pace than their competitors. Even though content is a long game, that doesn’t mean you should be patient. Amp it up!