how long does it take for a site to hit search engines?

otbelite1, what do you mean by "hit search engines"? Do you mean indexed, or found in a search?

Indexed can take as litle as a couple of days, or as long as a year. There is no set answer.

If it's being found in a search, just because you do the seo does not mean you will be listed.

You can do the seo the right way, and just hope for the best.