Run the numbers
- Extra visitors. How many more people a month could find you? Start with how many search for your services in your area.
- Conversion rate. What share call or fill in a form? Local service sites often see 3-10%.
- Close rate. What share of those leads become customers?
- Customer value. Average revenue per customer, or better, gross profit.
Plug your numbers into the SEO ROI calculator.
Example: 400 extra visitors × 5% conversion × 30% close rate = 6 new customers. At $500 gross profit each, that’s $3,000 a month: double a $1,500 SEO plan, before counting repeat business.
When SEO is usually worth it
- People search for what you sell (“plumber near me”, “divorce lawyer [city]”).
- Your customers are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- You plan to be in business for years: SEO compounds.
- Paid ads in your industry are expensive.
When it may not be
- Almost nobody searches for your product (new categories, very niche B2B).
- You need customers this week: use ads first, SEO in parallel.
- You can’t handle more work, or can’t answer the phone.
SEO vs ads
Ads stop the moment you stop paying; SEO keeps working. Most businesses do best with both. See SEO vs PPC.
