The honest answer depends on your site's size and goals, but most small sites can make meaningful progress with a modest, consistent weekly time commitment rather than sporadic bursts of effort.
Consistency Matters More Than Long Sessions
A shorter, regular weekly block of focused SEO work tends to produce better results over time than infrequent, marathon sessions.
Different Tasks Deserve Different Time Allocations
Content creation typically needs more sustained time than quick technical fixes or monitoring, so plan your week accordingly.
Expect the Time Commitment to Shift Over Time
Early on, more time goes toward foundational fixes; later, most of your ongoing time shifts toward content and monitoring.
Next step: Use the SEO Audit to see how much foundational work your site currently needs before estimating your weekly time budget.