Thread by @noelcetaSEO

Why do most SEO programs fail in the first 90 days?

No roadmap. No clear phases. No realistic timeline.

Companies start fast, spend money, and quit before any results appear.

Here’s the 18-month phased framework that turned 3 struggling companies into market leaders, with 150–200%+ traffic growth: 🧵👇

1/ Month 1-3: Foundation phase:

Build the baseline:

Technical audit and fixes:

- Site speed optimization
- Mobile responsiveness
- Schema markup implementation
- Crawl error resolution

Keyword research:

- 500+ target keywords identified
- Intent mapping complete
- Content gaps documented

Analytics setup:

- GA4 configured properly
- GSC connected
- Conversion tracking active

Deliverable: Technical foundation solid, strategy documented.

2/ Month 4-6: Content acceleration:

Publishing velocity:

Content production:

- 40-50 articles published
- Bottom-funnel prioritized (60%)
- Informational supporting (40%)

On-page optimization:

- Existing pages enhanced
- Internal linking structure built
- Schema added to key pages

Link building launch:

- Outreach process established
- First 15-20 links acquired

Deliverable: Content library starts building, initial ranking improvements.

3/ Month 7-9: Momentum building:

Scale and refine:

Content continues:

- 30-40 more articles (70-90 total)
- Performance data guides topics
- Underperformers refreshed

Link velocity:

- 30-40 new links acquired
- Digital PR campaign launched
- Guest posting systematic

Technical iteration:

- Core Web Vitals optimized
- Site architecture improved
- Page speed at target

Deliverable: Rankings accelerating, traffic growing 40-60%.

4/ Month 10-12: Optimization phase:

Double down on winners:

Content refinement:

- Top 50 pages enhanced
- Conversion optimization added
- Additional keywords targeted

Advanced link building:

- Branded campaigns
- Product-led content
- Strategic partnerships

Conversion focus:

- CTAs optimized
- Lead capture improved
- User experience refined

Deliverable: Traffic up 80-120%, conversions increasing.

5/ Month 13-18: Scaling and authority:

Compound growth:

Content maturity:

- 150+ total articles published
- Topical authority established
- Content clusters complete

Link portfolio:

- 120-150 total quality links
- DR 65+ average
- Diverse anchor text

Market position:

- Top 10 rankings dominant
- Brand searches increasing
- Competitors monitoring you

Deliverable: Traffic up 150-200%, established market presence.

6/ Resource requirements by phase:

Budget allocation:

Month 1-3: $20K-30K

- Heavy technical investment
- Strategy development

Month 4-6: $25K-35K

- Content production ramp
- Initial link building

Month 7-12: $30K-40K/month

- Full production mode
- Systematic execution

Month 13-18: $35K-45K/month

- Scale and optimization
- Authority building

Total 18-month investment: $500K-650K for mid-market company.

7/ Team structure evolution:

Staffing progression:

Month 1-3: 2-3 people

- SEO strategist
- Technical specialist
- Content lead

Month 4-12: 4-5 people

- Add writers
- Add link builder

Month 13-18: 5-6 people

- Add analyst
- Add conversion optimizer

Or equivalent in agency/contractor mix.

8/ Success metrics by phase:

What to track when:

Month 1-3:

- Technical score improvement
- Keyword research complete
- Foundation KPIs

Month 4-6:

- Pages indexed
- Initial ranking gains
- 20-40% traffic increase

Month 7-12:

- Top 10 rankings growing
- 80-120% traffic increase
- Link velocity steady

Month 13-18:

- Market dominance metrics
- 150-200% total growth
- Conversion improvements

9/ Transformation roadmap works when:

✓ 18-month commitment (not 6 months)
✓ Phased approach (foundation → acceleration → scale)
✓ Adequate budget ($500K-650K total for mid-market)
✓ Right team size (2-6 people depending on phase)
✓ Metrics tracked by phase (appropriate expectations)

3 companies following this: All achieved 150-200%+ growth by Month 18.

Companies trying 6-month sprints: 80% quit before seeing results.

Transformation requires patience and proper roadmap.