In a new study by Ahrefs, the Singapore-based company found that “only 1.74% of newly published pages created in September 2023 ranked in the top 10 within a year.” (In 2017, it was 5.7%.) On average, the majority of top-ranking webpages (72%) were more than three years old (up from 59% since 2017), with pages at the #1 spot generally five years old (up from 2 years old since 2017).
While Google has previously confirmed that your domain’s age “doesn’t matter for rankings,” Ahrefs’ data suggests that being older counts for something.
What Else Did the Ahrefs Data Say?
- 6.11% of all new webpages with “non-empty English content” created in October 2023 made it to the top 10 within 1 year.
- Good news: ranking with high-volume keywords takes less time now than it did in 2017. According to the study, “if a page was going to rank for a higher search volume term, it was more likely to do it in the 1st month.”
- Using low-volume keywords will allow you to rank faster than high-volume keywords.
Waiting to Rank on Google? Here’s What to Do in the Meantime.
Not all hope is lost. The Ahrefs study is still new, and hasn’t analyzed 2024 or 2025 ranking trends. To optimize your webpage for Google rankings, you can use the Ahrefs study as a reference, but you should also stick to a tried-and-true SEO mantra, which believes that it takes about 3-6 months to rank on Google, assuming your content is good.
Here’s how to improve your webpage’s content while you wait to rank:
- Create original, evergreen content that will be relevant next week, next month, and even next year.
- Link build, but don’t go too crazy. Select only high-quality links, and make sure they don’t take up ALL of your content.
- Integrate audience-targeted keywords into your content.
- Generate unique page titles and URLs.
- Don’t use AI.
(To view our guide on how to rank better on Google, click here.)
Need More Help Trying to Rank on Google? Contact Boston Web Marketing, New England’s Largest Independent Digital Marketing Company!
At Boston Web Marketing, we help businesses get found easier on Google. Since 2009, we’ve been the city’s leader in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Website Design & Social Media Management. Whether you need help building a new website, gaining traffic on your website, or improving your social media presence, our team is ready to help. To receive a free website audit, contact us on our website or call us at 857.349.5062! We can’t wait to hear from you!