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Demand Gen Google Sheets #30

SEM vs. SEO Investment Decision Calculator

Compare paid search and organic search investment using budget, traffic, conversion rate, CAC, payback period, and long-term cost assumptions.

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What's Inside

Decide when to fund SEM, SEO, or both

This calculator helps marketing teams compare the economics of paid search and organic search over time. Use it to model near-term traffic, lead volume, CAC, payback period, compounding organic gains, and break-even timing.

SEM Cost Model

Estimate paid search traffic, spend, CPC, conversion rate, leads, opportunities, CAC, and pipeline for each planning period.

SEO Growth Model

Model content production cost, traffic ramp, conversion assumptions, refresh investment, and long-term organic lead volume.

Break-Even View

Compare when organic acquisition cost becomes more efficient than continued paid search spend.

Scenario Planning

Test conservative, expected, and aggressive assumptions before recommending budget allocation.

What the template includes

The workbook is designed for budget conversations where the question is not which channel is universally better, but what each channel can contribute at different time horizons.

01 Input Assumptions
Enter budget, CPC, content cost, conversion rates, sales conversion, average deal size, and time horizon.
02 SEM Forecast
Model clicks, leads, opportunities, pipeline, CAC, and payback based on paid search spend.
03 SEO Forecast
Estimate traffic growth, content investment, lead volume, pipeline, and acquisition cost over multiple months.
04 Comparison Dashboard
View paid and organic performance side by side across cost, volume, CAC, and payback period.
05 Break-Even Analysis
Identify when SEO investment begins to create a lower blended acquisition cost than relying on paid search alone.
06 Recommendation Notes
Capture the final budget recommendation, caveats, and follow-up tests for leadership review.

Who This Template Is For

CMOs, demand gen leaders, growth marketers, finance partners, and content teams deciding how to balance paid search and SEO investment.

How To Use It

Enter realistic assumptions for both channels, then test multiple scenarios. Use the comparison view to decide what to fund now, what to build for later, and which assumptions need validation before budget is locked.

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