For investors & acquirers
Know what you're buying before you buy it
For many digital businesses, organic search is the cheapest and largest acquisition channel, and the least understood line in the data room. We give investment committees an independent view of its quality, durability and upside.
Why it matters
Organic revenue can be the best or worst asset in the deal
A company that earns customers through organic search at near-zero marginal cost can command a premium. But not all organic revenue is equal. Some is built on durable advantages: brand demand, unique data, product-led assets and earned authority. Some is built on tactics that a single algorithm update or AI search shift could erase.
Standard commercial diligence rarely separates the two. Management presentations show traffic charts going up and to the right; they rarely show concentration risk, policy exposure, or how much traffic AI answers may intercept.
We provide that view, independently and quickly, and translate it into terms that matter to an investment committee: revenue at risk, cost to fix, and realistic upside under new ownership.
Traffic charts tell you where a company has been. Diligence tells you whether the trend can continue.
What you get
Deliverables, not decks
Full diligence from $25,000 (fixed fee). Outside-in red-flag reviews from $10,000.
- Investment committee memoA concise, decision-ready summary with a red/amber/green risk rating.
- Organic revenue quality analysisAttribution, concentration, branded dependence and trend durability.
- Risk registerAlgorithmic, policy, AI search, technical and migration risks, each with likelihood, impact and cost to mitigate.
- Upside modelConservative, base and aggressive scenarios with the investment required.
- 100-day planPost-close priorities for value creation and risk mitigation.
- Portfolio support (optional)Ongoing advisory to portfolio companies and board reporting templates.
What we assess
Six questions every investor should answer
Delivered as a concise investment-committee memo with a red/amber/green summary and supporting appendix.
1. How much revenue depends on organic search?
Channel attribution, branded vs. non-branded split, and concentration in a few pages or keywords.
2. How durable is it?
Exposure to algorithm updates, AI Overviews and policy risk (thin content, link schemes, scaled content).
3. Is growth earned or borrowed?
Signs of manipulation, recent volatility, and whether historical growth is repeatable.
4. What's the upside?
Sized opportunity by market, page type and capability, with a realistic investment case.
5. Can the team deliver it?
Capability, operating model, technology constraints and cost to close gaps.
6. What breaks post-close?
Migration, rebrand and integration risks for the 100-day plan.
How it runs
The engagement, phase by phase
Timelines flex with your scale and engineering capacity. The discipline doesn't.
Scope
Kickoff with the deal team, data room review, access to analytics and Search Console where available.
Analyze
Outside-in and inside-out analysis, management Q&A.
Report
Investment committee memo and readout.
Create value
Optional 100-day plan execution and portfolio advisory.
Honest fit
When this is not right for you
We turn down work that won't produce a return. Better you hear it now.
- Businesses with negligible organic exposureWe'll tell you on the first call if diligence isn't warranted.
- You need a fairness opinionWe provide operational and commercial insight, not legal or financial opinions.
FAQ
Questions executives ask
What is SEO due diligence?
SEO due diligence is an independent assessment of a target company's organic search performance: how much revenue it drives, how durable and concentrated it is, what risks it carries, and what upside exists under new ownership.
Can you do diligence without access to the company's data?
Yes. We can provide an outside-in assessment from third-party data within days, and a deeper inside-out analysis once access to analytics and Search Console is granted.
How fast is the turnaround?
Typically 2–3 weeks for full diligence, or 3–5 business days for an outside-in red-flag review, to fit deal timelines.
Do you sign NDAs and work under deal confidentiality?
Always. Engagements are confidential by default.
Do you support portfolio companies after the deal?
Yes, through 100-day value creation plans, portfolio-wide advisory and board reporting frameworks.
Next step
Let's talk about what organic search should be worth to you.
A confidential 45-minute conversation with a senior partner. No pitch deck, no junior sales rep. You'll leave with a clear view of your organic upside, your biggest risks, and whether we're the right fit.