How long does SEO take to work for a small business?

For an Australian small business with a new or rarely-updated website, the realistic timeline is:

• 3 to 6 months before the first measurable ranking movement on competitive queries
• 6 to 12 months before that movement translates into a meaningful change in enquiries
• 4 to 8 weeks for low-competition long-tail queries — a specific service in a specific suburb

The most common reason an SEO investment looks like it is not working is that the wrong queries were targeted, not that more time is needed. Track impressions and average position in Google Search Console weekly. If Impressions are rising, the work is landing.