Rankulate Releases 15-Month Study Revealing SEO Keyword Ranking Timelines

88.8% of permanent keyword gains happen within 8 weeks, offering SEOs a new evidence-based benchmark. LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SEO consultancy agency Rankulate has published the results of a comprehensive 15-month research study that reveals when Google is most likely to reflect keyword ranking improvements after SEO optimization. The findings establish new industry benchmarks and offer practical guidance for SEO professionals evaluating the impact of keyword insertions.

The study, led by SEO consultant Adrian Podyma, analyzed 1,803 keywords across five different websites between January 2024 and April 2025. The goal was to identify how quickly rankings change when secondary keywords are added to existing content. To isolate the effects of keyword optimization, no new sections or paragraphs were created, only 5 to 10 semantically relevant keywords were inserted naturally into pre-existing sentences.

Search rankings were tracked for 24 weeks using the Google Search Console API. Each ranking improvement was classified as either a permanent gain (lasting at least three months) or a temporary one. The research focused on two categories: keywords that improved by any measurable amount (including as little as 0.1 of a position) and keywords that improved by at least one full position.

Results (Permanent Ranking Improvements)

A. Keywords that improved by at least 1.0 position and remained improved for 3+ months:

Week 1 – 34.8%
Week 2 – 24.6%
Week 4 – 15.0%
Week 8 – 14.4%
Week 12 – 9.9%
Week 24 – 1.2%

B. Keywords that improved by any measurable amount (even 0.1) and remained improved for 3+ months:

Week 1 – 61.0%
Week 2 – 25.5%
Week 4 – 13.7%
Week 8 – 9.6%
Week 12 – 6.2%
Week 24 – 0.5%

The most significant takeaway:
88.8% of all permanent ranking increases of one full position or more occurred within the first 8 weeks of optimization. The majority over 59% happened within the first two weeks alone. This suggests that SEO professionals should use the 8 week mark as a reliable evaluation window for assessing the effectiveness of keyword insertions.

According to Adrian Podyma, founder of Rankulate, “The biggest unknown in SEO isn’t whether something works—it’s when it starts working. This study finally gives us real data on timing. If you’re optimizing content, you no longer have to guess whether two weeks is too soon or six months is too long.”

The study reinforces several key points for SEO professionals:

First, SEOs should avoid jumping to conclusions based on results seen in the first week or two. Second, they should not revert or undo keyword changes too early. Third, the 8 week period appears to be the most efficient and accurate timeframe to assess keyword impact and make informed decisions about performance.

Rankulate’s methodology was specifically designed to reduce variables. Pages selected for testing were stable in ranking, and no other changes, such as backlinks, internal linking, or layout updates were introduced. This isolated environment ensured the ranking shifts observed were primarily due to keyword placement, offering a rare glimpse into the timing of SEO cause and effect.

Adrian Podyma
Rankulate
[email protected]
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