Why CFOs Must Rethink Marketing ROI in the Age of AI Search

By Eric Mersch

Over the past five years, I have increasingly focused on working with executive teams, specifically Chief Revenue Officers, to improve clients’ Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies. The end of the zero interest rate period (ZIRP) and the rise of Generative AI have made the sales process much more complex.

I’m finding that the marketing budget traditionally earmarked for search engine optimization needs to shift towards generative engine optimization.

For over two decades, digital marketing budgets have relied heavily on traditional SEO to generate traffic and justify spending—an investment framework that is rapidly becoming outdated. The rise of AI-powered search platforms like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Chat, and ChatGPT fundamentally alters how users discover and interact with content and brands. This change is not merely a marketing concern but a strategic challenge for CFOs overseeing marketing ROI, growth investments, and digital transformation.

Why SEO is No Longer Delivering ROI

Historically, marketers optimized content around keywords and backlinks to gain visibility on Google’s results pages. However, AI-driven search engines no longer prioritize these traditional signals. Instead, they generate answers directly within the search experience, often without users clicking through to a website.

This matters financially: A recent study found that nearly 94% of links cited by AI-generated answers come from outside the top-ranked Google results, meaning traditional SEO tactics no longer secure visibility. Compounding the issue, 60% of Google searches now end without a click, further eroding traffic and conversions tied to organic search rankings.

For CFOs, this represents a measurable decline in the return on content marketing and SEO investment.

The Strategic Implication: AI Search Engines Are Choosing the Answers

The key financial risk is that your brand could rank #1 in traditional SEO tools and still be invisible in AI-generated answers. These new AI engines don’t rely similarly on keyword rankings or backlink authority. Instead, they pull from a wider, dynamically changing set of sources to generate probabilistic answers.

This requires a new way of thinking about digital discoverability—one that’s forward-looking, content-aware, and built for the behavior of AI agents.

Introducing Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

And the Shift from SEO to GEO

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is an emerging discipline focused on optimizing content to rank and be the answer that AI platforms choose to surface. It’s not about chasing keywords—it’s about understanding how generative models prioritize information and how to structure your brand’s content to align with those patterns.

“The global search engine optimization (SEO) market was valued at $74 billion in 2024. Much of this spending will move toward GEO as companies seek to engage AI Platform users,” says Todd Paris of IQRush. 

CFOs should view GEO as a forward investment in digital visibility. It offers a proactive strategy to ensure that your company’s content is recognized and utilized by AI systems that increasingly serve as the front door to customer engagement.

What This Means for Budget Planning and Performance Metrics

For financial leaders, this shift requires a re-evaluation of performance attribution models. Traditional metrics like organic search traffic, SERP rankings, or cost-per-click may no longer reflect actual user engagement. Instead, forward-looking companies will need to:

• Assess visibility within AI-generated search experiences, not just page rankings.

• Incorporate predictive tools to simulate how content performs in AI search environments.

• Update ROI models to reflect the diminishing impact of traditional SEO efforts.
  

Investments in GEO are about staying competitive and safeguarding growth by adapting to how customers now find and evaluate information.

The CFO’s Role in Navigating the AI Search Transition

Marketing teams may feel the effects of AI-driven search, but the budgetary and strategic implications fall squarely in the CFO’s domain. This shift impacts customer acquisition costs, revenue forecasting, and digital investment decisions.

Leading CFOs will ask:

• Are we still allocating millions to SEO tactics that no longer deliver results?

• How are we measuring content visibility in AI-driven interfaces?

• What tools and analytics do we need to simulate, measure, and optimize for generative search?

As the AI search era matures, those who plan for it—rather than react to it—will realize the biggest strategic and financial gains.

About the Author

Eric Mersch has 25 years of finance experience in the technology industry, including CFO roles at public companies and numerous venture capital and private equity portfolio companies. He has worked with over 40 different SaaS companies and compiled his experience into his book, Hacking SaaS—An Insider’s Guide to Managing Software Business Success. His goal in writing the book is to educate SaaS professionals, thus shortening the apprenticeship of those new to SaaS.

His book, Hacking SaaS – An Insider’s Guide to Managing Software Success, is available on Amazon.