Discussion ROI Metrics

Vad är realistisk ROI från GEO? Dela dina faktiska siffror

RO
ROI_Seeker · CMO
· · 168 upvotes · 12 comments
RS
ROI_Seeker
CMO · January 10, 2026

Leadership wants ROI projections for GEO investment. I need real numbers.

What I’ve been told:

  • “32% of leads from AI search”
  • “40% higher LTV from AI customers”
  • “25% shorter sales cycles”

My skepticism:

  • How do you attribute to AI when most is zero-click?
  • What’s the actual timeline to ROI?
  • Is this infrastructure or campaign?

What I need:

  • Real ROI numbers from real programs
  • How you measured/attributed
  • Timeline to business impact
  • What investment produced those returns

Has anyone actually measured GEO ROI? Share your honest numbers.

12 comments

12 Comments

GR
GEO_ROI_Expert Expert VP Revenue Marketing · January 10, 2026

I’ll share our real numbers. It’s complicated but real.

Our investment:

$180K/year ($15K/month) over 18 months

Our results (B2B SaaS, $50K ACV):

MetricYear 1Year 2
AI-attributed leads47156
Pipeline from AI$940K$3.1M
Closed revenue$282K$1.4M
Brand search growth+22%+48%

ROI calculation:

  • Year 1: -39% (investment phase)
  • Year 2: +677% (returns phase)
  • Cumulative: +364%

The honest truth:

Year 1 ROI was negative. We were building infrastructure. Year 2 is when it paid off massively.

How we attributed:

  1. Form field: “How did you hear about us?” (ChatGPT/Perplexity options)
  2. Sales asked during calls
  3. Brand search correlation with visibility
  4. CRM field for AI source
AC
Attribution_Challenge · January 10, 2026
Replying to GEO_ROI_Expert

The attribution problem is real. Here’s how we handle it.

Direct attribution (what we can track):

Method% of AI leads captured
Form field selection40%
Sales conversation notes25%
Perplexity referral traffic15%
Total directly attributed~80%

Indirect attribution (correlational):

SignalWhat we measure
Brand search growthCorrelates with AI visibility
Direct traffic increaseAI discovery → direct visit
Sales cycle lengthAI-influenced shorter

The honest breakdown:

  • 40% of AI influence is directly attributable
  • 40% is correlational but strong
  • 20% is invisible (we know it’s happening but can’t measure)

Why this matters:

If you’re only counting what you can directly attribute, you’re undervaluing GEO by 2-3x.

Recommendation:

Use Am I Cited to track visibility, then correlate with downstream metrics.

SN
SaaS_Numbers Director of Demand Gen · January 10, 2026

Our B2B SaaS numbers (PLG model, $15K ACV).

Investment:

$120K/year ($10K/month)

Results after 12 months:

MetricBefore GEOAfter GEOChange
Brand search2,400/month3,800/month+58%
Direct traffic12K/month18K/month+50%
Demo requests145/month198/month+37%
AI-attributed signups089/monthNew

Revenue impact:

  • 89 AI-attributed signups/month
  • 22% convert to paid
  • $15K ACV
  • = $293K ARR from AI channel

ROI:

($293K - $120K) / $120K = 144% Year 1 ROI

Why our ROI was positive Year 1:

PLG model with self-serve conversion. Attribution is cleaner. AI users sign up directly.

B2B enterprise with sales cycles will see slower ROI.

TR
Timeline_Reality · January 9, 2026

ROI timeline reality check.

What to expect by phase:

PhaseTimelineWhat You’ll See
InvestmentMonths 1-6Costs, little return
Early signalsMonths 6-9Citation growth, brand search
Business impactMonths 9-12Leads, pipeline contribution
Clear ROIMonths 12-18Measurable returns
CompoundingYear 2+Accelerating returns

Why GEO ROI is slow initially:

  1. AI systems take time to discover/index content
  2. Building authority compounds over time
  3. Attribution systems need data to be accurate
  4. Sales cycles add lag

The mental model:

GEO is infrastructure, not a campaign.

ComparisonROI Timeline
Paid adsDays to weeks
Content marketing6-12 months
GEO12-18 months
Brand building2-3 years

Set expectations accordingly.

LI
LTV_Insight Expert · January 9, 2026

The 40% higher LTV number is real. Here’s why.

Our data (B2B SaaS):

Customer SourceAverage LTVSales Cycle
Paid search$42K68 days
Organic search$51K72 days
AI-attributed$71K54 days
Referral$68K45 days

Why AI customers have higher LTV:

  1. Pre-educated: AI explained the category, they understand value
  2. Higher intent: Sought out specific solution, not browsing
  3. Better fit: AI matched them to your use case
  4. Less price sensitive: Value-driven, not deal-hunting

The sales cycle difference:

AI customers arrive with education complete. Less convincing needed.

Implication for ROI:

If you’re only counting initial deal size, you’re undervaluing AI customers. Factor in LTV difference.

CalculationWithout LTVWith LTV Adjustment
AI lead value$15K$21K (40% higher)
100 AI leads$1.5M$2.1M
ROI differenceSignificantVery significant
CI
Competitive_Impact Strategy Director · January 9, 2026

ROI isn’t just about leads. It’s about competitive position.

The competitive cost of inaction:

ScenarioImpact
You invest, competitors don’tMarket leadership
You don’t, competitors doLosing ground
Neither investsStatus quo
Both investCategory growth

Real competitive data:

We tracked share of voice in AI responses over 12 months.

MonthOur SOVMain Competitor
18%35%
622%28%
1238%24%

Business impact:

  • Win rate vs that competitor: +18%
  • Deal size vs that competitor: +12%
  • Sales cycle vs that competitor: -15 days

The inaction risk:

If 53% of people use AI for search daily and you’re invisible, you’re not even considered.

This isn’t measurable ROI. But it’s real business impact.

RS
ROI_Seeker OP CMO · January 7, 2026

This is exactly what I needed. Here’s my framework for leadership.

ROI Expectation Setting:

TimelineWhat to Expect
Months 1-6Investment phase, visibility growth
Months 6-12Early business signals
Year 2Clear ROI, compounding returns

Measurement Framework:

MetricHow We’ll Track
Direct attributionForm field + sales notes
CorrelationalBrand search + direct traffic
CompetitiveSOV in AI responses
QualityLTV and sales cycle length

Investment Proposal:

$180K/year with these milestones:

MilestoneTargetTimeline
Citation rate25%Month 6
Brand search+20%Month 9
AI-attributed leads50/monthMonth 12
Positive ROI>100%Month 18

The message to leadership:

“GEO is infrastructure investment. Year 1 is building, Year 2 is returns. The cost of inaction is invisible but competitors who invest now will own AI visibility while we catch up.”

Using Am I Cited for visibility tracking from day 1.

Thanks everyone for the real numbers!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Vilken ROI kan jag förvänta mig från GEO?
Tidig användare rapporterar att 32% av säljkvalificerade leads kommer från AI-sök, med AI-påverkade kunder som visar 40% högre livstidsvärde och 25% kortare säljcykler. Traditionella ROI-beräkningar är dock utmanande på grund av komplexiteten kring nollklicksattribution.
Hur mäter du GEO ROI?
Mät genom förändringar i citeringsfrekvens, tillväxt i varumärkessök, AI-attribuerade leads (via formulärfält som frågar ‘Hur hörde du om oss?’), teman i säljsamtal och mönster för vinst/förlust mot konkurrenter. Direkt attribution är svår men korrelationssignalerna är starka.
Hur lång tid tar det innan GEO visar ROI?
Förbättrad synlighet syns vanligtvis inom 3–6 månader. Tydlig affärspåverkan brukar bli synlig efter 6–12 månader. År 2+ är då tydlig ROI ackumuleras. Tänk på GEO som en infrastrukturinvestering, inte en kampanj.

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