Find out if SEO pays off. Enter your cost, traffic, growth, conversion rate and order or lead value to see extra revenue, profit, ROI and the month you break even.
| Month | Extra visits | Extra orders | Extra revenue | Profit | Running total |
|---|
An estimate, not a promise. Growth is spread evenly from the first result month to the last month. Profit = revenue x margin, minus the SEO cost.
SEO takes time to work, so it is hard to judge with a monthly view. This calculator models a ramp-up: results start after a delay you choose and grow month by month, while costs start right away. That gives a realistic picture of when SEO breaks even and what it can return over 6, 12 or 24 months.
| Input | What it means |
|---|---|
| Monthly cost | What you pay for SEO each month |
| Setup cost | One-time cost in the first month |
| Traffic | Current organic visits per month |
| Growth | Extra traffic you expect by the end, as a % |
| Delay | Months before results start |
| Conversion rate | % of visits that buy or become a lead |
| Close rate (leads) | % of leads that become customers |
| Value and margin | Average order or deal value, and your profit share of it |
After the delay, extra traffic grows in a straight line until it reaches traffic × growth in the last month.
In your browserCustomers = extra traffic × conversion rate (× close rate in leads mode).
In your browserRevenue = customers × value. Gross profit = revenue × margin.
In your browserMonthly cost every month, plus setup cost in month 1.
In your browserROI = (total gross profit − total cost) ÷ total cost × 100. Break-even is the first month total profit covers total cost.
In your browserMonthly cost $1,000, no setup, 5,000 visits, 60% growth over 12 months with a 3 month delay, 2% conversion, $120 order value and 40% margin. Extra traffic ramps up from month 4 and reaches 3,000 extra visits in month 12. In month 12 that is 60 orders, $7,200 revenue and $2,880 gross profit. The calculator adds up every month to give the total ROI and the break-even month.
Real SEO growth is not a straight line. It can jump after a big update or slow down in a busy niche. Run a careful and a hopeful version to see a realistic range.
Fits stores and service businesses.
Models how SEO grows over time.
Return on investment in one number.
When SEO pays for itself.
Every month, step by step.
Profit, not just revenue.
See if SEO is worth the money.
Show clients a clear ROI forecast.
Plan budgets and goals.
Check SEO spend against profit.
First release with sales and leads modes, delay and ramp-up, ROI, break-even month and a monthly table.
We run the tool against our test cases again and check our ROI model and standard ROI maths for changes.
Tool page last reviewed on .
Tell us what you entered, what happened and what you expected. Our developer checks every report, fixes confirmed bugs as a high priority and tests the fix before it goes live.
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SEO ROI = (gross profit from SEO − SEO cost) ÷ SEO cost × 100. This calculator works it out month by month.
Yes. It is 100% free, with no sign-up.
It depends on your business, but any positive ROI means SEO earns more than it costs. Many businesses look for a few times their spend over 1 to 2 years.
Often 6 to 12 months, depending on your site, niche and budget. Use the delay field to model this.
Because revenue is not profit. Using gross margin shows what SEO really adds to your business.
Leads mode is for service businesses. It adds a close rate, the share of leads that become paying customers.
No. It is a forecast based on your inputs. Compare it with your real results over time.