Include the whole SEO cost
Allocate agency, content, internal labor, software, data and implementation—not only the monthly invoice.
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Free calculator · no signup
Calculate SEO CAC without pretending organic acquisition is free
Combine the complete SEO investment with attributed new customers, calculate payback and lifetime gross-profit coverage, then compare channels on the same commercial definitions.
Calculate and compare CAC ↓Like-for-like channel calculator
Count the complete acquisition cost
Add the costs needed to create and operate SEO, then compare channels using the same period, new-customer rule, attribution boundary and gross-profit definition.
SEO cost included
$144,000
Agency + content + internal labor + software/data + implementation for 12 months.
SEO CAC
$800
Cost ÷ new customers
Payback
2.7 mo
CAC ÷ monthly gross profit
Lifetime GP:CAC
4.5:1
Lifetime gross profit ÷ CAC
Break-even customers
40
SEO cost ÷ lifetime gross profit
Channel inputs
Editable spend and new-customer counts for the same period.
| Channel | Spend (USD) | New customers | CAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | $144,000 | 180 | $800 |
| $1,000 | |||
| $1,200 | |||
| $800 |
CAC comparison
Lower is not automatically better. Compare customer quality, gross profit, maturity, attribution and the same acquisition window.
SEO
$800
Paid search
$1,000
Paid social
$1,200
Partnerships
$800
The calculator does not grade your CAC
No universal “good CAC” is inserted. The usable threshold depends on your gross profit, retention, cash timing, customer quality and the costs included in each channel.
Comparison rules
Make the denominator and window defensible
Use one acquisition window
A long SEO sales cycle and a short paid-media window are not comparable until customer cohorts have had equal time to mature.
Keep customer quality aligned
Use the same new-customer, qualification, cancellation and refund rules across every channel.
CAC formula
Customer acquisition cost = channel acquisition cost ÷ new customers
Document which costs are allocated, the acquisition and attribution window, the customer definition, and when the cohort is mature enough to compare.
Pair CAC with gross profit and payback
Revenue:CAC can obscure delivery cost and margin. This calculator uses monthly and lifetime gross profit so the payback and coverage ratios share the same economic basis.
Define the measurement contract →Connect cost, forecast and reporting
Use the forecast to test customer-volume assumptions, the ROI model to inspect return and the monthly report to preserve the agreed cost and attribution definitions.