How the calculator works
It uses three of your own numbers to work out what one enquiry is worth to you: revenue from a new customer × the share of enquiries that book × your gross margin. Divide your monthly SEO cost by that figure and you get the number of extra enquiries a month you need just to cover the fee.
That break-even number is the honest part. It doesn't depend on anyone predicting your rankings. If the answer is two extra enquiries a month, SEO has a low bar to clear. If it's forty, it may not be the right spend for you yet, and that's worth knowing before you sign anything.
Why it doesn't forecast your results
Any calculator that tells you how many enquiries SEO will bring is guessing on your behalf. Results depend on your town, your competitors, your reviews and how much work your site and Google Business Profile need. Use the optional scenario box to test a number you think is realistic, and treat the answer as a what-if.
Remember the timing, too. SEO usually takes months to show up in enquiries, so the early months of a commitment tend to cost more than they return. Our guide on how long local SEO takes covers what's realistic.
Getting your own numbers right
- Close rate: count last month's enquiries and how many became paying jobs. If you don't track enquiries yet, start with our guide to tracking local SEO leads.
- Customer value: use an average, not your best job. If a typical customer comes back once a year, include that; if they rarely do, don't.
- Margin: gross margin on the job, before overheads. Using revenue instead of margin will make SEO look better value than it is.
If you want to compare this with paying for ads instead, our guide to SEO vs paid ads explains how the two costs work differently.